The International Ombudsman Association (IOA) is a member-led, professional association committed to supporting organizational ombuds worldwide. At the most fundamental level, an organizational ombuds is one who assists individuals and groups in managing conflicts and raising concerns in service of a highly effective and healthy organization. There are a number of different titles or names for this position: “ombudsman,” “ombudsperson,” “ombuds,” or “ombud” among others. There are different types of ombuds with different roles, functional responsibilities, and standards of practice including: organizational ombuds, classical ombuds, and advocate ombuds. IOA members are the heart and the heartbeat of our association. Membership is important to us, and we strive to foster meaningful member engagement throughout the association.

Mission: The mission of IOA is to advance the profession of organizational ombudsman* and ensure that practitioners are able to work to the highest professional standards.

Vision: The vision of IOA is to work having an ombuds office in every organization.