In the situation of uncertainty caused by the recession and aggravated by political volatility, the levels of anxiety, stress and concern of the people, can be faced in the microclimate that occurs in the scope of their work (for those who have it).
Whether it is a company, whether it is a non-profit, public or private entity, there is a need for a decompression valve to turn to when there is fear or simply the penalty of dealing with certain issues at the level of the formal organization.
It is then that a figure other than the boss is needed, who is capable of identifying and mapping the different situations and problems, in order to anticipate and work on conflict resolution, both internally and at the intersection of what is involved. internal with external. Someone capable of harmonizing the formal organization with the informal one, specialized in listening and treating people as individuals, and their problems as systems.
The figure of the Ombudsman was originally created for the public sector with broad powers to receive, investigate and respond / solve public complaints about the government and services. Its role is to protect the people from rights violations, abuses of power, error, negligence, unfair decision and mismanagement, in order to improve public administration and make the actions of the government and officials more open and transparent.
The Ombudsman's office may be endorsed by the country's constitution and created or protected by law.
It generally does not have the power to make decisions that are proper to the government. Rather, it recommends making changes, based on a thorough investigation of the complaint.
The fundamental basis of the Ombudsman's office is its independence from the executive / administrative branch of government. In order for your investigations and recommendations to be credible to the public and government, you must maintain and protect their impartiality and integrity.
The Ombudsman model has been adapted for the use of the private sector as a form of internal resolution of conflicts and situations such as those raised at the beginning of this article, as well as to address complaints from its clientele and other related entities (stakeholders). There may be Ombudsman models for universities, health centers, companies and banks, among others.
In the case of the public sector it is known as classic and for the private sector as corporate. The corporate, is created by a business structure and works informally to help solve problems in the organization.
There is no standard definition for the Corporate Ombudsman and it may have different names (liaison, counselor, communications), but in general, the generic Ombudsman is being accepted.
It is a figure not yet very developed in our environment, but increasingly necessary, especially when it comes to many people and a lot of interaction, internal and external.
He is a neutral and impartial agent within a corporation who can provide confidential and informal assistance and assistance to resolve issues that the formal organization is not prepared to deal with.
It should be reported, and paid for by an independent budget to avoid pressure, and it may be (and is advisable) that it be outsourcing provided by someone recognized by both the internal organization and the business community. They can also be members of the company.
Personal traits should include good repute, prestige, judgment, objectivity, integrity, and recognition.
It does not handle only complaints, but also questions and suggestions. The same system of the corporation must protect the neutrality of the Ombudsman, avoiding subjecting him to pressure; everyone cares for everyone by preserving their figure.
Considering that organizations are designed to interact with their environment, such as clients, suppliers and other interested third parties, the scope of the corporate Ombudsman tends to expand towards clients and suppliers so that they can approach it to raise situations that through the normal channels could not be processed. The mere fact that the figure exists already generates tranquility and trust among employees, customers, and suppliers (handling of tenders).
It tends to become an ethics office, and to generate documentation on the "soft" side of the procedures, which are its base and reference.
As can be seen, there is not a single line of situations for the Ombudsman's office to handle, but it is very broad, so the experience, security and common sense of the person in charge of the function will be essential to maintain the operation. of business at its best.
You must have access to the highest executive level (without losing independence) and enjoy their trust, as well as have the confidence of the rest of the organization. There must be clear rules and ease of access. There must be a direct line, as well as an identifiable mailing address and office.
You must have secretarial support to the extent that the design profile of your position requires a certain logistics to fulfill your task.
When dealing with people, you will have to deal with feelings and emotions that go through anguish, anger and helplessness; he becomes a listener, and sometimes that just serves to lower conflict levels and restore balance.
There should be a published code of ethics, job description, standards of practice, and operating regulations that give workers a reference on what to expect. Continuous benchmarking with other equivalent offices is recommended to align concepts and exchange experiences (when possible).
For an organization to feel comfortable with the figure, it must spend some time adapting to the new rules of the game.
Although there is no specific product that an Ombudsman must deliver, there are formal metrics related to the number and complexity of cases received / processed / resolved, by period, percentage with respect to the total population, cost reduction achieved, and response to surveys satisfaction, among others.
There is a set of words that can guide the identification of its range of action: facilitator, referee, educator, collaborator, mediator, researcher, negotiator and intermediary, to listen, route and follow up, as well as solve problems with diplomacy.
The implementation of the corporate Ombudsman figure must be a creative and agile reaction to the stimuli of an environment that does not help much to the stability of the businesses.
Origin
The word "Ombudsman" is of Swedish origin and means "representative" (umbodhsmadhr) or "reliable commissioner" or "agent who looks after the interests of a group or a business" or "someone who speaks on behalf of others".
In the classical sense it originated in Sweden in the 18th century despite the fact that, at the same time, a similar figure already existed in Turkey. King Charles XII is credited with creating the Swedish ombudsman and it is speculated that it was as a consequence of having spent several years in Turkey since 1709. Finland created an ombudsman in 1911, Denmark did so in 1953, and several countries and states in the USA did so. they did between 1960 and 70. Today it is a symbol of a modern democracy.
When it was first used, “man” in Swedish did not necessarily imply masculine gender but it was used for both. Although the term is internationally accepted, in some places it has been changed to Ombudsperson, ombudspeople, or simply Ombuds or office of the ombuds.
It can adopt different names such as Defensor del Pueblo (Venezuela case), Médiateur de la Republique, Public Protector, Protecteur du Citoyen, Volksanwaltschaft, Public Complaints, Commission Provedor de Justiça, Difensore Civico, Investigator-General, Citizen's Aide, Wafaqi Mohtasib and Lok Ayukta.
