Tom A. Kosakowski's Blog (135)

Coalition of Federal Ombudsmen Sets Tenth Annual Conference

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will host the tenth annual CoFO meeting on Wednesday, November 16, 2011. The all-day conference will feature a keynote address by John Palguta, Vice President of the Partnership for Public Service.

Conference topics will include: Workshop with the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation; Internal and External OmbudsFocus Groups; Development of the Federal Ombuds; and Solo Practitioners. Registration in advance is required and… Continue

Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on October 21, 2011 at 1:56pm — No Comments

International Scholarships Available for 2012 Ombuds Conference

The International Ombudsman Association has announced the availability of financial support for members or prospective members living outside of North America to attend its annual conference on April 15-18, 2012, in Houston, Texas. The scholarship is targeted at Organizational Ombuds working outside the US or Canada who would otherwise not be able to attend the conference.

Priority will be given to applicants whose participation may be instrumental in the advancement of the… Continue

Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on October 21, 2011 at 1:53pm — No Comments

IOA to Offer Training in Workplace Conflict Resolution at the Asia Pacific Mediation Leadership Summit

The International Ombudsman Association presents a specialized training course on December 1, 2011 in Bangkok: "Tsunamis at the Water Fountain, Navigating Workplace Disputes." The program will be held in conjunction with and preceding the Asia Pacific Mediation Leadership Summit.

This one-day specialized course will explore the nature of work in the 21st century and the dynamics of workplace interaction. It will introduce the participants to the effective use of the Organizational… Continue

Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on October 21, 2011 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Training Opportunity for Real Estate Neutrals

With the encouragement of the National Association of Realtors, local Realtor associations are creating ombudsman programs. The Realtor ombuds assist agents and members of the public by answering questions and addressing ethical issues that frequently develop in the business. They work to resolve misunderstandings and disagreements through facilitation rather than adjudication. The goal is to save time and money for all of the participants… Continue

Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on October 10, 2011 at 1:00pm — 2 Comments

Conflict Resolution Symposium 2011 at Georgia State University

The annual event hosted by GSU's Office of the Ombudsperson is set for Thursday October 27, 2011. Emerging, seasoned and advanced conflict resolution practitioners and students will discuss significant trends, and meet and mentor emerging leaders. Presenters are expected to include:

Shinji Morokuma, Director of the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution
Georgia Geiger, Past…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on August 26, 2011 at 7:06pm — No Comments

California Pharmacists Association Creates Novel ADR Program for Workplace Issues

The largest state association representing pharmacists has implemented a pilot program to offer the services of an Organizational Ombudsman to its members. The Pharmacist Resource Program will provide employee pharmacists--many of whom work for grocery stores and other large retailers--with a free, conﬁdential resource to help them deal with workplace challenges such as stafﬁng practices, patient safety, and working conditions.

It appears that this is the first Ombuds program to… Continue

Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on August 12, 2011 at 5:00pm — No Comments

U.S. Ombudsman Association Conference Offers Info and Training for Public Sector Watchdogs

The national organization for government Ombudsmen is accepting registrations for its 2011 meeting in Jacksonville, FL October 24-28, 2011. The conference theme is: "The Ombudsman: The Bridge to Conflict Resolution, Accountability, and Transparency."…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on August 9, 2011 at 1:00pm — No Comments

NIH Ombuds Office Offers Two Interships

The Office of the Ombudsman / Center for Cooperative Resolution at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD is offering two full-time internships: one in January-March 2012 and the other in March-June 2012. (Exact start and end dates are negotiable.) The Ombuds program at the NIH is one of the best in the federal sector and it is headed by a leading Ombudsman and mediator, Howard… Continue

Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on August 5, 2011 at 10:46am — No Comments

Ethics and Compliance Expert Illustrates Work of Corporate Ombuds

The latest issue of the Corporate Crime Reporter features an interview with Patrick Gnazzo, an attorney who has held a variety of executive positions, including as the former chief compliance officer at Computer Associates. Gnazzo says that the optimum set up for a corporation is "a strong ethics and compliance office and a strong ombudsman’s office." He illustrates this position with a story from his work as the chief…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on July 29, 2011 at 11:30am — No Comments

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Opens Newest Federal Organizational Ombuds Program

The U.S. intelligence agency responsible for national security and military imagery and mapping has established an Ombuds program for internal and external stakeholders. According to a new website, "The NGA Ombudsman is an informal resource to help answer questions and resolve concerns from employees and external consumers of NGA products about inefficiencies, inconsistent application of policies, potential unfair…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on July 29, 2011 at 8:00am — No Comments

Call for Proposals: Annual Conference of the International Ombudsman Association

The professional association for organizational ombuds is seeking proposals for its seventh annual conference in Houston, Texas on April 15–18, 2012. The IOA Conference Committee is accepting proposals from potential speakers through Friday, September 16, 2011. Speakers need not be practicing ombuds; past plenary and concurrent sessions have featured attorneys, mediators, HR experts, researchers, organizational development specialists, and executives.

Submissions…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on July 19, 2011 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Call for Submissions From Students & Practitioners: Conflict Resolution Symposium at Georgia State

The GSU Office of the Ombudsperson will be hosting its first annual Conflict Resolution Symposium on October 27, 2011. The symposium is designed to celebrate the Association for Conflict Resolution's annual Conflict Resolution Day. Symposium attendees and presenters will be undergraduate and graduate students, as well as local Conflict Resolution practitioners. Organizers are seeking submissions for conference presentations…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on April 20, 2011 at 11:00am — No Comments

Maryland School District is Hiring its First Ombuds

Prince George's County Public Schools Hiring First Ombuds

Prince George's County Public Schools is hiring its first Ombudsman. According to the job description, the main function of the full-time Ombuds, "is to provide confidential and informal assistance to the public." In addition, the Ombuds, "will develop and monitor a neutral process for parent and…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on April 18, 2011 at 3:40pm — No Comments

International Ombudsman Association Adds Content to Public Website

The professional association for Organizational Ombuds rebooted its online portal last week and the result is a richer and more dynamic offering for members, aspiring Ombuds and the general public. The new webpage features a video montage of Organizational Ombuds offering greetings in several language including French, Spanish, Bengali and American Sign Language. For the first time, the IOA Code of Ethics and Standards of…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on April 18, 2011 at 3:38pm — No Comments

Organizational Ombudsmen Gather in Portland, Oregon Next Week

The International Ombudsman Association holds its sixth annual conference at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower, April 1-6, 2011. Organizers expect the event will draw about 400 practitioners and others interested in the field. Keynote speakers will be:

Alicia C. Shepard, Ombudsman for National Public Radio…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on March 25, 2011 at 6:00am — No Comments

Annual List of Top U.S. ADR Law Schools Largely Unchanged

The annual ranking of the best law school ADR programs by US News & World Report was populated by familiar names. The only surprise for 2011 was Yeshiva University's Cardozo School of Law, which had not ranked in the top ten in the past few years, appearing at number six on the list.…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on March 23, 2011 at 6:01pm — 2 Comments

Legal Overview of Organizational Ombuds on YouTube

Last year, the American Bar Association published, "The Organizational Ombudsman: Origins, Roles and Operations--A Legal Guide." Since then, the author, attorney Charles Howard, has made multiple appearances to promote his book and the Ombuds profession generally. Nonetheless, most people who might want to hear him speak would have to travel a long way and/or pay an event fee. Fortunately, the Quinnipiac University School…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on March 16, 2011 at 4:47pm — No Comments

University of Oregon Symposium -- "Apology, Settlement and Systems Design: Learning from Medical Mistake Cases"

On Friday, April 1, the Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center at Oregon Law is presenting a symposium featuring presentations by former Ombuds and conflict management systems designer Carole Houk and University of Illinois Professor Jennifer Robbennolt on "Apology, Settlement and Systems Design: Learning from Medical Mistake Cases." The symposium will include a panel discussion with leaders from the medical and legal…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on March 7, 2011 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Realtors are Creating Ombuds Programs to Offer Stakeholders an Alternative Dispute Resolution Option

Local Realtor boards across the US are turning to Ombuds programs in growing numbers to address concerns from consumers and Realtors. The first program was started by the California Association of Realtors and was well received. Subsequently, the National Association of Realtors adopted a policy that serves as the model for local Realtor organizations. (Although the NAR policy has been widely copied, it is not available online.)

The standards for Realtor Ombuds are distinct from… Continue

Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on January 24, 2011 at 12:56pm — 1 Comment

Updated Book Highlights Organizational Role of Ombuds

James T. Ziegenfuss, Jr., and Patricia O’Rourke have published a revised edition of their book, The Ombudsman Handbook: Designing and Managing an Effective Problem-Solving Program. The publisher's blurb says that the book, "presents the ombudsman in concept and in practice, offering full design and operational details from start-up to key activities and roles, as well as the benefits for the top executives, the employees and the…

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Added by Tom A. Kosakowski on January 12, 2011 at 2:40pm — No Comments