The Office of the Ombudsperson was established in October 2020 by the Chairperson as an independent, impartial and confidential body to assist employees in addressing and resolving concerns regarding unfair or inappropriate conduct in the workplace. The Office of the Ombudsperson replaces the Office of Integrity previously established in 2015.
The Office is completely independent from IRB divisions and their members and reports directly to the Chairperson.
The Office of the Ombudsperson is responsible for a number of internal matters, including:
- Resolution of Conflict in the Workplace
- Wrongdoing in the Workplace
- Conflict of Interest Issues
- Political Activities
- Values and Ethics Codes, Codes of Conduct
Complaints Against Members
As an independent and objective arbiter, the Office also investigates complaints against members to determine if there has been a breach of the
Code of Conduct for Members of the IRB and reports the findings directly to the Chairperson of the IRB.
The Office of the Ombudsperson will post an annual report on the IRB website listing all complaints and their outcomes. To protect individual privacy, the report will omit any information that could identify specific individuals.