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An ombudsman is an official, usually (but not always) appointed by the government or by parliament, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. In some jurisdictions, the Ombudsman is referred to, at least officially, as the 'Parliamentary Commissioner' (e.g., the West Australia n state Ombudsman). The term arose from its use in Sweden , with the Parliamentary Ombudsman instituted in 1809 , to safeguard the rights of citizens by establishing a supervisory agency independent of the Executive Branch . The word ''ombudsman'' and its specific meaning has since been adopted in to English as well as other languages, and ''ombudsmen'' have been instituted by other governments and organizations such as the European Union . An ombudsman need not be appointed by government; they may work for a corporation, a newspaper, an NGO , or even for the general public. Such an ombudsman obviously does not carry any governmental powers or sanction abilities. ORIGINS The origin of the word is found in Old Norse and the word ''umbuds man'', meaning representative. The first preserved use in Swedish . A prototype of modern ombudsmen flourished in China during Qin Dynasty (221 BC), and in Korea during the Choseon Dynasty . The Romans also grappled with the problem, but it was the example of the second Muslim Caliph, Umar (634-644) and the concept of Qadi al-Qadat (developed in the Muslim world), which influenced the Swedish King, Charles XII . In 1713, fresh from self exile in Turkey , Charles XII created the Office of Highest Ombudsman. The Scandinavians subsequently moulded the Office into its contemporary form. ORGANIZATIONAL OMBUDSMEN Many private companies, univerisities and government agencies also have an ombudsman (or an ombudsman department) which serve internal employees or other constituencies. These ombudsman roles are structured to function independently, by reporting to the board of directors, and do not serve any other role in the organization. Organizational ombudsmen are sometimes called "ombuds" or "ombuds officers" or "ombudsperson" or "ombud". They are beginning to appear around the world within organizations, sometimes as an alternative to anonymous hot lines, in countries where the latter are illegal or considered inappropriate. Recently, since the 1960s , the profession has grown in the United States , particularly in corporations, universities and government agencies. This current model, sometimes referred to as an Organizational Ombudsman , works as a designated neutral party, one who is high ranking in an organization, but who is not considered management. Using an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) sensibility, an organizational ombudsman can provide options to Whistleblower s or employees with Ethics concerns, provide Mediation for conflicts, track problem areas, and make recommendations for changes to policies or procedures in support of orderly systems change. One particularly important function is to pick up "new things" -- that is, issues new to the organization. This is particularly important if the "new thing" is "disruptive" in the sense of requiring the organization to review and possibly improve its policies, procedures and/or structures. An organizational ombudsman who is practicing to "standards of practice" in the US is neutral, and is visibly outside ordinary line and staff structures. An organizational ombudsman will practice informally (with no management decisionmaking power, and without accepting "notice" for the organization). An organizational ombudsman typically keeps no case records for an employer and keeps near absolute confidentiality. The only exception is where there appears to be an imminent risk of serious harm, and an ombudsman can see no responsible option other than breaking confidence -- but organizational ombuds programs report that they can almost always find "other responsble options," such as helping a visitor to make an anonymous report about whatever appears to be the problem. from 1552. It is also used in the other Scandinavian languages such as the Icelandic "umboðsmaður", the Norwegian "ombudsmann" and the Danish "ombudsmand". NEWS OMBUDSMEN Newspaper and media ombudsman offices are especially valuable for promoting Journalist ic integrity on behalf of readers, viewers and listeners. There is an international Organization Of News Ombudsmen . The press in Sweden is self-regulated through the Public Press Ombudsman (''Allmänhetens Pressombudsman'') and the Swedish Press Council (''Pressens Opinionsnämnd''). DEBATE OVER DESIGNATION There is some debate, if not resentment, amongst government or parliamentary apponited ombudsmen, whether it is appropriate for organizational internal greivance persons to use the title ''Ombudsman''. Critics claim that organizations are abusing the term in order to create the impression that internal review will be independent and impartial. Critics have highlighted the fact that, although ombudsman institutions have arisen in many Western countries to effectively provide aggrieved citizens independent review of public authority decision making, organizational ombudsmen may not always have a comparable degree of independence to that of government appointed ombudsmen. LEGISLATIVE/CLASSICAL OMBUDSMEN Sweden
The Director-General of the Swedish Consumer Agency is also designated as a Consumer Ombudsman. Czech Republic The Czech Ombusdman is known as '' Veřejný Ochránce Práv '' (Public Defender of Rights).. Estonia The Estonia n ombudsman is known as '' Õiguskantsler '' (''Chancellor of Justice'' {Link without Title} ). European Union The European Ombudsman was established by the Maastricht Treaty , the treaty establishing the European Union . The current European Ombudsman, holding office since April 1, 2003 , is P. Nikiforos Diamandouros , former national ombudsman of Greece . Finland In Finland the office of Parliamentary Ombudsman , modelled after the Swedish Ombudsman, was established by the Constitution Of 1919 . The Ombudsman is appointed by the Parliament, and has the task of ensuring that all government departments and officials follow the law. The Parliamentary Ombudsman shares many duties with the Chancellor Of Justice . The Ombudsman has wide ranging oversight and investigative powers. She or he has access to all government facilities, documents and information systems and can order a police investigation if necessary. If the Ombudsman determines that a government official has not acted in accordance with the law she or he can advice on the proper application of the law, reprimand the official or in the extreme case order the criminal prosecution of the official. Partly because of the prosecutorial powers the Ombudsman enjoys considerable respect and her or his legal opinions are usually strictly followed. Her or his legal interpretations carry a lot of weight in the absence of a court precedent. There are also special ombudsmen for gender equality, children's welfare, rights of ethnic minorities, and consumer protection, operating under the auspices of various ministries and other government agencies. Also, every health care provider in Finland is legally obliged to have a patients' rights ombudsman. Greece The Greek Ombudsman is called the Citizen's Advocate and is an Independent Authority. Currently, the Citizen's Advocate is Professor Georgios Kaminis. The Advocate is assisted by five Assistant Advocates, which coordinate the activities of the Advocate's office in the five "theme circles" (areas) in which the office has authority: i) civil rights, ii) social protection, iii) quality of life, iv) state-citizen relationships and v) children's rights. Iceland The post of Umboðsmaður Alþingis was set up in 1987 under the terms of law number 13/1987, which deals with complaints against the government. In 1997 law number 85/1997 his authority was expanded to local government levels. The Ombudsman is appointed by Alþingi . Ireland The Office of Ombudsman was set up under the terms of the Ombudsman Act, 1980 . The Ombudsman is appointed by the President Of Ireland upon the nomination of both Houses Of The Oireachtas , and is a Civil Servant Of The State . The Ombudsman deals with complaints against Departments Of State , Local Authorities , Health Board s and An Post . Israel The State Comptroller of Israel also serves, by law, as Ombudsman. He discharges this function by way of a special unit in the Office of the State Comptroller, known as the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman investigates complaints against bodies that are statutorily subject to Audit by the State Comptroller, including government ministries, local authorities, state enterprises and institutions and government companies, as well as their employees. Italy The Italian Ombusdman is known as '' Avvocato Generale Dello Stato '' (Attorney General of the Republic). New Zealand The post of Ombudsman was established in New Zealand in 1962, with the aegis of investigation of complaints against government departments. In 1975 the post was expanded, with a Chief Ombudsman and several (number unspecified) of other ombudsmen. New Zealand also has a Banking Ombudsman ; however, this a non-government industry group. Philippines The Office Of The Ombudsman Of The Philippines is empowered by the '' 1987 Saligang Batas Ng Pilipinas '' to safeguard the government and government-related institutions and corporations from corruption and dispense justice in the case of such offenses. Poland The Polish Ombudsman is called the '' Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich ''. Romania The Romanian Ombusdman is known as '' Avocatul Poporului ''' (People's Advocate). Spain The Spanish laws translate "ombudsman" as ''defensor del pueblo'' ("People's defender"). The Spanish Defensor can start processes at the Constitutional Court . There is a general Defensor Del Pueblo for issues with the Spanish administration, and regional ones for the Autonomous Communities Of Spain , for instance:
Ukraine In the Ukraine a post of Ombudsman is held Nina Karpachova since 1998. United Kingdom In the United Kingdom a post of Ombudsman is attached to the Westminster Parliament with additional posts at the Scottish Parliament , the Welsh Assembly and other government institutions. About UK Ombudsman Services The primary UK Ombudsman is known as the Parliamentary And Health Service Ombudsman , also known as the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (PCA), which looks into complaints "that government departments, their agencies and some other public bodies in the UK - and the NHS in England - have not acted properly or fairly or have provided a poor service." ''List of all Ombudsman Services in the United Kingdom''
''Shortcomings'' The impartiality of some UK Ombudsman services has been questioned. In particular the Local Government Ombudsman - whose senior staff are recruited from the ranks of local government officials and whose appointment process is vetted by the Local Government Association - have been accused of bias and of merely acting as a rubber stamp. {Link without Title} United States The US Navy implemented an ombudsman program in 1970 , under the direction of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. Through the Navy Ombudsman Program, communication between the spouses of active duty personnel and the command is kept open, thereby improving the quality of life for everyone involved. The Navy command ombudsman is a volunteer position, with no special favors bestowed upon them. The purpose of this program is to ensure the dependents of active duty personnel have a channel of resources for their needs and quality of life. A command ombudsman can guide you to the help you may need, before, during or after a deployment. The Navy Ombudsman undergoes almost constant training, and is bound by confidentiality in most cases, the exception being any hint of child abuse. An ombudsman meets with department heads aboard a naval installation to find out the latest news, and pass it on, including news on ship deployments, cutting down on potentially harmful gossip. New York City The New York Public Advocate has an Ombudsman team that investigates and responds to telephone and written complaints/queries regarding city agency services, providing information and referrals. SEE ALSO
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