Video "Allow the Ontario Ombudsman into Municipalities!" Please click here to go directly YouTube
Just one item today --a HUMUNGOUS entry --most of it directly from the Ontario Ombudsman's Office.
Yesterday I noticed that Mr. Marin's office is offering a must-attend conference (I signed up).
Admittedly the announcement starts with "Managers and staff who conduct administrative and oversight investigations" but I'm certain Mr. Marin would be delighted as well as supportive, if he attracted some "just-this-citizen" attendees.
I'm encouraging just-citizens to attend and I hope to see you there. I especially love the part about "Advanced" Investigative Training. It sounds like attendees will hit Investigative Training 407 without needing 101, 203 or 303 as prerequisites.
So. Here goes.
"Attn Administrative Watchdogs
Sharpen Your Teeth with Advanced Investigative Training
Managers and staff who conduct administrative and oversight investigations are invited to attend a four-day course on advanced investigative techniques.
Developed at the request of the Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman, this course is based on the highly successful methodology used by Ontario’s Special Ombudsman Response Team in conducting systemic investigations.
The course will be held in Toronto from December 3-6, 2007. Click here for the syllabus.
Space is limited. Contact Gareth Jones, the Director of SORT as soon as possible if you or members of your staff are interested in attending.
I decided to cut-and-paste the Syllabus to this Blog with [Ed. commentary]
Page 1:
SHARPENING YOUR TEETH: ADVANCED INVESTIGATIVE TRAINING FOR ADMINISTRATIVE WATCHDOGS SYLLABUS
Toronto – December 3-6, 2007
At the request of the Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman, the office of the Ombudsman of Ontario has developed an intensive 3 1/2-day training course devoted to planning, conducting, writing and releasing major administrative and oversight investigations, based on the proven and highly effective methodology used by the Special Ombudsman Response Team. While the course will focus on systemic investigations, the principles and practices discussed are applicable to virtually any type of administrative or oversight investigation.
[Ed. "virtually any type of" --surely that means this course will prove a must-attend for serious researchers of municipal governance.]
The course is targeted at managers and staff who conduct investigations at ombudsman offices and similar oversight agencies.
[Ed. If you're just-this-citizen who's interested in attending and that statement intimidates you, don't let it. Remember that Bill 130, passed just back in December, shields municipalities from the attentions of the real Ontario Ombudsman by letting them appoint their own "ombudsmen". You might even get to meet the "ombudsman" your municipality will have in place by then. And more importantly you'll be taking the identical course that individual will.]
The course will be held in Toronto from December 3-6, 2007. It will be delivered by a combination of Ombudsman of Ontario staff, including the Ombudsman, senior operational managers, senior counsel and lead investigators from the Special Ombudsman Response Team, as well as outside experts. It will include seminars, case studies, group discussions, lectures, exercises and presentations by students. In order to establish a forum for discussion of best practices and different approaches to similar problems, everyone will be encouraged and expected to participate and contribute throughout the course.
[Ed. Ombudsman Andre Marin will be there and speak. Plus there's certain to be some heavy municipal players there. Regarding everyone being "expected to participate and contribute throughout the course" don't be intimidated by that either. Just don't say "I'm just-this-citizen and I'm here to learn" --you'll draw stupendous attention to yourself. Just mumble something with "trust, quality, excellence, accountability, and transparency" in it and you'll be cloaked just fine.]
Topics will include:
Why We Investigate: A discussion of why we conduct investigations, including the principles that underpin investigations and the challenges that investigators engaged in administrative and oversight investigations must overcome.
[Ed. Can't wait for this one. Just to see if it's the same "challenges" that I face when trying to investigate stuff.]
How We Identify What to Investigate: A detailed review of a very successful case assessment tool developed by Ombudsman Ontario which assists investigators in identifying issues that warrant investigation, including potential systemic cases. It will help you determine if the complaint is appropriate or ready for investigation, target any compelling circumstances that may factor into your decision and provide an evidence-based and defendable rationale for investigating or not.
[Ed. Keep in mind, one major restriction to the Ontario Ombudsman's office is The Province severely limits what he can investigate. He's not allowed into the MUSH sector, for example. (Municipalities, Universities, Schools, Hospitals, and other publicly-funded institutions). The MUSH sector has impenetrable "zones of immunity" --shielded-- from the Ombudsman's oversight thanks to blanket protection legislated by The Province.]
Investigative Planning: How to structure and prepare an investigative plan that will act as a road map throughout the investigation and ensure the investigation is completed on time and on budget. We will cover how to avoid “issue creep,” develop an effective investigative strategy, pinpoint sources of evidence, anticipate potential roadblocks, use resources efficiently and set realistic milestones and timelines.
[Ed. "issue creep" --I think I already know what that is... his investigation into one thing finds holes and problems in another area and another and soon... he has to refocus himself on just The One thing. Bin There. Done That.]
Page 2:
Witnesses and Interviewing: How to identify and prioritize witnesses – and interview them. We will dissect how best to prepare for and conduct interviews, including a review of general principles, choosing the best location, putting witnesses at ease, dealing with less-than- co-operative witnesses, developing comprehensive questions, structuring the interview to get maximum information, and assessing whether or not the interview was successful. We will cover note-taking, tape-recording, transcription and consent, as well as how to deal with common problems, and the most common errors made by investigators when conducting interviews.
[Ed. Remember about "bum-backwards research"? Bum-backwards applies here as well. If you don't ever intend on interviewing witnesses, consider the possibility that at the very least, this section might help you become a better witness yourself.]
Documents: Which documents to obtain and how to get them? Tips for drafting effective “wish list” letters when requesting documents. How to organize, review and disseminate large quantities of documentary evidence amongst the investigative team, including dealing with security issues. We will also cover what to look for when examining documents.
[Ed. BINGO!]
Physical Evidence: What it is, how to identify it and why it may factor into your investigation.
[Ed. Ever see someone pull away with a full Tim Hortons cup on the car's roof?... I think instead of coffee, if it was a government file with documents that you needed and they spilled onto the hood of your car, that's "Physical Evidence".]
Assessing Evidence: How to sift through and weigh the evidence gathered during the investigation to identify patterns, themes and possible solutions which will result in well-crafted, evidence-based and practical recommendations. This session will include discussion on how to get your recommendations accepted.
[Ed. Sorry. No-can-believe. From my own observations, it ain't gettin' the recommendations accepted that's the problem. "Move that Council receive these recommendations. Moved, Seconded, Passed... Item Numberrrrr..." However, I intend on listening politely.]
Report Writing: A master class in how to draft compelling, persuasive and highly readable reports. A Professor of Law who is a prolific author, highly regarded for his clear and succinct writing style, will lead this session.
[Ed. Ho Boy, do I need "clear" and a major dose of "succinct".]
Systemic Investigations: This session will deal with the challenges and benefits of conducting systemic investigations. What specific criteria should be considered when determining whether or not to launch a systemic investigation? We will discuss how to put together and manage investigative teams, including a review of how SORT was created and how it works in practice. We will cover how to select and train top-quality investigators and keep them motivated, how to oversee a systemic investigation, and how to deal with the inevitable roadblocks that emerge as the investigation unfolds. Also discussed will be how to integrate systemic investigations into day-to-day operations with minimum impact on normal workflow. In particular, we will focus on practical approaches to systemic investigations for smaller offices, based on the hypothesis that virtually any office of any size can conduct successful systemic investigations.
[Ed. This "Systemic Investigations" one sounds like a university course in itself. I wish humans had skulls like oil tanks in cars. You just unscrew the cap, insert the funnel and pour...]
From Launch to Lessons: How do you deal with confidentiality of whistleblowers or threats of retaliation? How do you keep track of lessons learned during your investigation and how to manage equipment and resources? This session will cover a wide range of issues that might be factors in your investigation, including announcing an investigation, the provision of information to various parties during and after the investigation, following up on the implementation of recommendations, what to look for when reviewing someone else’s investigation and dealing with difficult organizations.
[Ed. No Comment]
Page 3:
Communicating Your Findings: An in-depth discussion led by experts in the field on how to showcase your work: How to announce investigations, how to put together and market special reports, how to deal with the media during and after an investigation and the do’s and don’ts of the public release of a report. The session will include a segment devoted to how to create an annual report that incorporates and highlights investigations and success stories, resulting in a report that resonates, is relevant, readable and demonstrates your value to all your stakeholders.
[Ed. OUCH. I hate seeing that word "stakeholders" coming from the Ombudsman's Office. Last time I saw it was in the Mississauga "Town Hall Meeting" announcement, "Each official party will be invited to attend a town hall meeting, held in the City of Mississauga Council Chambers, with an invited audience of key Mississauga stakeholders as observers..." I'm not a "stakeholder", I'm a citizen. OUCHOUCHOUCH.]
Fees and registration:
The course is being hosted by the Ombudsman of Ontario on a cost-recovery basis. There will be a fee of approximately $500 per person for the course only, though details are still being confirmed and the cost may vary. Some meals will likely be included.
[Ed. Yeah. I know. Many of the people who'd need this course the most won't even able to afford to go. This course is my combination anniversary, birthday and Christmas present. If they let me video, I'll YouTube it. If they let me only record the audio, I'll still YouTube it. If they only let me keep notes, I'll still share the lot. This is important for citizens and I believe in Freedom of Information.]
Space is limited. Anyone with an interest in attending the course or who would like more information is asked to contact Gareth Jones, Director of the Special Ombudsman Response Team, at 416-586-3329 or gjones@ombudsman.on.ca by September 15, 2007.
[Ed. The operative word is "Anyone". It'll feel really great if this Blog convinces even one -just-this-citizen to attend, "SHARPENING YOUR TEETH: ADVANCED INVESTIGATIVE TRAINING FOR ADMINISTRATIVE WATCHDOGS".]
If you're readin' down this far? You got two prerequisites for this course. Motivation. Attention Span. Now you just need five hundred bucks....
Signed,
The Mississauga Muse
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"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear"
---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24)
"Edward R. Murrow --My Hero". To Go Directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)
"Mississauga Saga". To Go Directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)
"A Flag named The Andre Marin". To Go Directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)
FURTHER READING
Click here for John Stewart's Blog, RANDOM ACCESS
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Comments (1)
I would like to know about the systematic investigation of ombudsman institution, Practice of any country.
Posted by Feruz Asamnew | September 19, 2007 7:34 AM
Posted on September 19, 2007 07:34