{"id":27882,"date":"2022-07-11T16:19:40","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T20:19:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/?page_id=27882"},"modified":"2023-05-10T11:21:47","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T15:21:47","slug":"standards-and-foundational-documents","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/cofo\/standards-and-foundational-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"Standards & Foundational Documents"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-blend-mode: overlay;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Standards and Foundational Documents <\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>COFO endorses the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) 2016 recommendations on the use of ombuds in federal agencies, which include the universally recognized ombudsman professional standards of independence, impartiality, and confidentiality. In addition, COFO recognizes the three ombudsman “definitional characteristics” of informality, credible review process, and fairness discussed in ACUS’ accompanying report. Federal offices which do not adhere to the three professional ombudsman standards of practice outlined by ACUS should not use the “ombudsman” title.<\/p>\n<p>Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) Recommendation 2016-5: The Use of Ombuds in Federal Agencies – <a href=\"https:\/\/protect2.fireeye.com\/v1\/url?k=e2e28aea-be895ae1-e2e5ae0f-0cc47adc5fd8-df27000212e5e086&q=1&e=e7dc41ec-d3da-4ba5-90af-bb993945a1d7&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fprotect2.fireeye.com%252Fv1%252Furl%253Fk%253D91845085-cde8b945-91837460-0cc47adca7dc-f3b1449f7bcd33a2%2526q%253D1%2526e%253D762f4e57-b53f-4508-ae80-7cc448ea8f71%2526u%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.acus.gov%25252Fresearch-projects%25252Fuse-ombuds-federal-agencies%26data%3D02%257C01%257CPaul.Sotoudeh%2540USPTO.GOV%257Ca29efdeb849545e141f008d7d816df3a%257Cff4abfe983b540268b8ffa69a1cad0b8%257C1%257C0%257C637215465073190990%26sdata%3DYsL4cClB1AwUFVCi3F4yCgSDQNq2CfHm%252FzYjPMdu9YQ%253D%26reserved%3D0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.acus.gov\/research-projects\/use-ombuds-federal-agencies.<i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i><\/a> Extensive report and recommendations for agencies to use in establishing and maintaining ombuds offices. ACUS is the independent federal agency responsible for recommending improvements to administrative process and procedure. Recommendations were adopted by the full conference, consisting of representatives from across the federal government, on December 14, 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/COFO-Endorsement-and-Practice-Commentary-ACUS-2016-5.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COFO Endorsement and Practice Commentary for ACUS Recommendation 2016-5 <\/a>– COFO\u2019s endorsement of the ACUS report and additional guidelines and standards for agencies to use in conjunction with the ACUS recommendations when establishing and maintaining ombuds offices.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/A_Unified_Model_For_Developing_An_Ombudsman_Function.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Unified Model for Developing an Ombuds Function <i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i><\/a> – Extensive guidebook developed by COFO in 2006 to assist agencies in creating and developing ombuds offices.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ABA-Confid-Guide-Final-Jul05.doc\">ABA Guide to Confidentiality Under the Federal ADRA<\/a> \u2013 Report produced by ABA Ad Hoc Committee on Federal ADR Confidentiality in March 2005<\/p>\n<p>International Ombudsman Association (IOA) Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics – <a href=\"https:\/\/protect2.fireeye.com\/v1\/url?k=0a215299-564a8292-0a26767c-0cc47adc5fd8-6543b5fe64165310&q=1&e=e7dc41ec-d3da-4ba5-90af-bb993945a1d7&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fprotect2.fireeye.com%252Fv1%252Furl%253Fk%253D7d9af322-21f61ae2-7d9dd7c7-0cc47adca7dc-7343eade3752afce%2526q%253D1%2526e%253D762f4e57-b53f-4508-ae80-7cc448ea8f71%2526u%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ombudsassociation.org%25252Fstandards-of-practice-code-of-ethics%26data%3D02%257C01%257CPaul.Sotoudeh%2540USPTO.GOV%257Ca29efdeb849545e141f008d7d816df3a%257Cff4abfe983b540268b8ffa69a1cad0b8%257C1%257C0%257C637215465073200986%26sdata%3DElf5Co0YxIzuQPBx6p%252FXIF8TlCdHCaN67DCOg6XBOac%253D%26reserved%3D0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.ombudsassociation.org\/standards-of-practice-code-of-ethics <i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i><\/a> – Core practice standards, tenets, and ethics for the organizational (internal) ombudsman model.<\/p>\n<p>United States Ombudsman Association (USOA) Governmental Ombudsman Standards – <a href=\"https:\/\/protect2.fireeye.com\/v1\/url?k=e9d6f90e-b5bd2905-e9d1ddeb-0cc47adc5fd8-9e719cc4c7c82758&q=1&e=e7dc41ec-d3da-4ba5-90af-bb993945a1d7&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fprotect2.fireeye.com%252Fv1%252Furl%253Fk%253Df9c57285-a5a99b45-f9c25660-0cc47adca7dc-d4814779bca9474a%2526q%253D1%2526e%253D762f4e57-b53f-4508-ae80-7cc448ea8f71%2526u%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.usombudsman.org%25252Fusoa-governmental-ombudsman-standards%25252F%26data%3D02%257C01%257CPaul.Sotoudeh%2540USPTO.GOV%257Ca29efdeb849545e141f008d7d816df3a%257Cff4abfe983b540268b8ffa69a1cad0b8%257C1%257C0%257C637215465073200986%26sdata%3D9KbRZSOuZyb5Ah9Fk0onzT2%252Fj2LuW9%252FAkowK2gHFuP0%253D%26reserved%3D0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.usombudsman.org\/usoa-governmental-ombudsman-standards\/ <i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i><\/a> – Core practice standards, tenets, and ethics for externally-facing governmental ombuds.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/104\/plaws\/publ320\/PLAW-104publ320.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Administrative Dispute Resolution Act (ADRA) of 1996 <i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i><\/a><b> <\/b>defines “alternative means of dispute resolution” to mean any procedure that is used to resolve issues in controversy, including but not limited to conciliation, facilitation, mediation, fact-finding, mini-trials, arbitration, and use of ombuds, or any combination thereof. ADRA contains specific provisions for Confidentiality that apply to all federal Ombuds.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.epa.gov\/publicinvolvement\/web\/pdf\/adr_ombuds.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">“A Guide for Federal Employee Ombuds: A Supplement to and Annotation of the Standards for the Establishment and Operations of Ombuds Offices Issued by the American Bar Association.” <i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i><\/a><b> <\/b>Developed by the Coalition of Federal Ombudsman (COFO) and the Federal Interagency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group (IADRWG) Steering Committee, building upon the <a href=\"https:\/\/view.officeapps.live.com\/op\/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usombudsman.org%2Fsite-usoa%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FABA_Standards.doc&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Standards For The Establishment And Operation Of Ombuds Offices. <i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i><\/a> Issued February 2004 by the American Bar Association (ABA), and is intended only for use by federal employee Ombuds in connection with their functions for the federal government.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}<\/style><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-1{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}<\/style><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":242,"featured_media":0,"parent":27826,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"side-navigation.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27882"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/242"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27882"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28020,"href":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27882\/revisions\/28020"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adr.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}