Ombudsman
The position of Ombudsman was created at Clan, and filled by Sir Goldcrest. It is “a point of contact to address those issues affecting the player’s enjoyment of Amtgard that require confidentiality and/or are beyond the scope of their local officials to handle. The Ombudsman is empowered to investigate and assist with the resolution of said issues by working with the appropriate level of existing Amtgard authority. Specifically this should address sexual harassment, aggressive physical contact outside of the bounds of normal play and inappropriate relationships between adults and minors. The Amtgard Ombudsman practices are consistent with the Ethics and Standards of Practice published by the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) http://www.ombudsassociation.org.”
The Circle of Monarchs voted to implement an Ombudsman program in July of 2013.
What is an Ombudsman? The International Ombudsman Association defines an Ombudsman as “a designated neutral who is appointed or employed by an organization to facilitate the informal resolution of concerns of employees, managers, students and, sometimes, external clients of the organization.”
What the Amtgard Ombudsman is: The Amtgard Ombudsman is a point of contact to address those issues affecting the player’s enjoyment of Amtgard that require confidentiality and/or are beyond the scope of their local officials to handle. The Ombudsman is empowered to investigate and assist with the resolution of said issues by working with the appropriate level of existing Amtgard authority. Specifically this should address sexual harassment, aggressive physical contact outside of the bounds of normal play and inappropriate relationships between adults and minors. The Amtgard Ombudsman practices are consistent with the Ethics and Standards of Practice published by the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) http://www.ombudsassociation.org.
What the Amtgard Ombudsman is not: The Ombudsman is not a replacement for the official channels that already exist. The Ombudsman provides each and every member an unbiased point of contact that is familiar with the organization and willing/able to assist its members in working towards resolution of their concerns. Amtgard members are encouraged to use their existing leadership when possible to seek formal resolution to their concerns. When confidentiality is a concern or there is an interest in pursuing matters in an informal setting, the Ombudsman should be a consideration.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the Ombudsman? a. Provide a welcoming presence to any issues brought to their attention by members of Amtgard. b. Maintain an active online presence via email, Facebook, and any other means they deem appropriate to be accessible to the members of Amtgard. c. Actively promote a culture of awareness, accountability, and safety for issues outside the scope of normal gameplay through the use of social media, in-person behavior, awareness campaigns, etc. d. Maintain the confidentiality of all communications unless required by law to do otherwise. e. Refer issues below the scope specified above to the appropriate local officials.
What are the powers of the Ombudsman? a. All Amtgard groups will be required to cooperate with the Ombudsman’s investigation within the bounds of the rulebook, their corpora, and the law. b. May escalate issues to any level required to get fair, unbiased resolution. c. Has no other powers, and exists to facilitate the resolution of issues within the existing framework of Amtgard government.
How do I contact the Amtgard Ombudsman? a. Email: [email protected] b. Facebook: Amtgard Ombudsman c. Phone: TBA
Who does the Amtgard Ombudsman report to? In keeping with the International Ombudsman Association’s Standards of Practice,” the Ombudsman is independent from other organizational entities.” At most, the Ombudsman may provide feedback to the Circle of Monarchs on trends, issues, policies and practices but this will only be done in a manner that maintains confidentiality. In keeping with the IOA’s standards of practice
My Kingdom/Land is considering starting its own Ombudsman program. This is a noble effort however care should be taken to ensure there are no competing programs while the inter-kingdom community works to establish this program. Conflicting programs could quickly undermine the effectiveness of everyone involved.
How can I help the Ombudsman program? The best way to help the Amtgard Ombudsman is to assist in educating fellow Amtgard members of the program’s existence and encourage those with concerns to use the Ombudsman as a resource. If you want to help more, contact the Amtgard Ombudsman and make them aware of your willingness to volunteer. As projects come up or if the program expands, they are likely to seek additional assistance.
Please post questions about the program here but if you would like to contact the ombudsman program, please use the [email protected] email address.
