COOP Ethical Standards & Professional Conduct 5

Question 1

An ombuds receives a complaint about their own conduct from a visitor. What is the most appropriate course of action?

Accepted Answer

Refer the complaint to a designated oversight body or the ombuds' board

Answer

Complaints about the ombuds should be directed to the body designated in the charter (often the board or an oversight committee) to protect independence and fairness.

Question 2

Which scenario best illustrates a violation of the informality standard?

Accepted Answer

The ombuds issues a formal written determination requiring a department to change its policy

Answer

Issuing binding determinations or formal rulings violates the informality standard; the ombuds has no decision-making authority.

Question 3

An ombuds working at a corporation is asked by the board of directors to share which business units generated the most complaints in the past year. This request:

Accepted Answer

May be partially fulfilled using aggregate trend data that cannot identify individuals

Answer

Aggregate trend reporting to governance bodies is acceptable under IOA standards as long as data cannot be traced to individual visitors.

Question 4

Under what circumstance may an ombuds ethically break confidentiality without visitor consent?

Accepted Answer

When the ombuds perceives imminent risk of serious harm

Answer

The IOA standards allow the ombuds to exercise discretion to disclose only in cases of imminent risk of serious harm when no other option exists.

Question 5

A visitor who works in the ombuds office's organization asks the ombuds to help them draft talking points for a meeting with their supervisor. The ombuds should:

Accepted Answer

Discuss the visitor's goals and help them think through what they want to communicate, without writing the script

Answer

The ombuds can coach visitors in thinking through communication without writing advocacy documents or acting as their representative.

(COOP) Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner Practice Test

(COOP) Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner Practice Test

COOP Ethical Standards & Professional Conduct 5