Though the organizational ombudsman's role may sometimes be regarded as only a facilitator of individual problem solving, in fact the ombudsperson is ideally situated within the organization to make recommendations for systemic change, based on patterns of complaint brought to the office. Indeed, the ombuds is obligated to take steps to prevent future recurrence of a problem, as well as to resolve the problem at hand. Furthermore, because of the ombuds’ broad understanding of the organizational culture, the needs of its leaders and other stakeholders, the ombuds office ‐ in addition to being a vital component of the organization's conflict management system ‐ may also participate in designing, evaluating and improving the entire dispute resolution system for the organization.

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2000
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