Ombudspeople Work For Fairness, Resolution

To the editors:

I have been the Harvard Longwood Campus Ombudsperson for the past 12 years. In response to your editorial (“Ombuds and Upwards,” Oct. 24 ), I would like to clarify some points about the work of an ombudsperson. An ombudsperson is an independent, confidential and neutral complaint handler. He or she works outside normal administrative channels, in an informal manner, and has no formal power to dictate change.

The office here was set up to be independent from the pressures and politics of the individual schools and units within the schools. We see faculty, staff, post-doctoral fellows and students from Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health and anyone with a Harvard appointment at the affiliated medical institutions.

The office helps people develop options to deal with their problems in a confidential manner. A visitor’s wish about which option to choose is respected except in extreme circumstances when there is imminent risk of serious harm and there seem to be no alternatives other than the ombudsperson taking some action. How the office functions is made explicit at the on-set of every meeting with a thorough explanation about what the office can and cannot do. The majority of my more than 600 visitors last year chose the option of dealing directly with the parties involved with their concern. Ombudspeople do not discourage people from dealing directly with each other. We help people figure out how they can best do that.

The office is neutral, both in fact and in appearance. An ombudsperson cannot promise any particular outcome, advocate for a person or position or let their own personal prejudices influence a course of events. While ombudspeople do not believe in mandatory mediation, we offer, as one of our tools, mediation as an option if all involved parties agree. Since we are not decision-makers, we do not arbitrate. Neutrality sometimes is hard for people who care deeply about equity and fairness. But letting go of one’s own issues to respect the choice of the person who comes with a concern is at the heart of the ombuds profession, and is a necessary component.

Generic data are collected and passed along to others via an annual report, or through person-to-person feedback when appropriate. This has been helpful at the medical area schools in demonstrating patterns of problems that the faculty and administration have used when considering the development of policies.

Living by the principles of independence, confidentiality and neutrality has resulted in gaining the trust and respect necessary for the ombuds office to make a significant contribution to the medical area’s diverse community.

Linda J. Wilcox

Oct. 29, 2002

The writer is ombudsperson at the Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health.