Oct 8, 2020

Manitoba Ombudsman is celebrating international Ombuds Day by releasing Fairness by Design – two documents intended to assist public servants with incorporating fairness into the design and delivery of programs and services.

“Ombudsman offices have an important, proactive role to play in promoting good governance and ensuring citizens are treated fairly in their interactions with public services,” said Ombudsman Jill Perron. “By developing and disseminating practical guidance tools, such as Fairness by Design, we can build a common understanding about fairness that can prevent complaints and help strengthen the delivery of public services for Manitobans.”

Fairness by Design has two parts:

• A backgrounder, developed by Manitoba Ombudsman, that sets out what administrative fairness is and why it’s important. Fairness by Design: An Administrative Fairness Backgrounder is at: www.ombudsman.mb.ca/uploads/document/files/fairness-backgrounder-mb-web-en.pdf
• A self-assessment guide, developed by parliamentary ombuds from across Canada, that can be used to evaluate the fairness of existing or new systems, policies and practices. Fairness by Design: An Administrative Fairness Self-Assessment Guide is at: www.ombudsman.mb.ca/uploads/document/files/fairness-by-design-web-en.pdf

Background

Manitoba Ombudsman, established in April 1970, conducts independent and impartial investigations into complaints about the fairness of government actions or decisions, access to information and privacy matters, and serious wrongdoings that people believe may have occurred. The ombudsman is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

Ombuds Day is celebrated by ombuds offices around the world on the second Thursday of October. Ombuds Day serves as an opportunity to educate and raise awareness about the history and practices of the ombuds profession. “Ombuds” is the general term used to refer to an ombudsman or ombudsperson.