EMPOWERING THE ADB COMMUNITY AND BEYOND
KNOWLEDGE SHARING
Apart from its role in helping address workplace conflict management cases, the Office of the Ombudsperson (OOMP) undertook a range of activities in 2024 to raise awareness, share knowledge, educate, and strengthen engagement within the ADB community.
These included targeted outreach to different groups at the headquarters and in field offices to introduce OOMP and its services, awareness-raising events, and participation in other organizational initiatives.
Empowering Women’s Voices
Recognizing the many different challenges women face in the organization, the Ombudsperson sent out an Ombuds Letter to members of the ADB community, highlighting the barriers women encounter both in the workplace and in various aspects of their lives. This letter was released in March 2024 to align with ADB’s International Women’s Month celebrations. It featured an Odible1 (case study in audio format), titled Because She’s a Woman, designed to encourage reflection on gender bias. To further amplify these discussions, OOMP collaborated with ADB’s Gender Equality Division to host an Ombuds Live session, titled Because She’s a Woman: Gender Barriers in ADB. During this session, a panel of gender champions shared valuable insights on how we can #InvestInHer. Additionally, in another collaboration with the Gender Equality Division, the Ombudsperson presented OOMP’s data and analysis of women’s issues in ADB at the Annual Gender Specialists Workshop held in October 2024.
Throughout the year, OOMP continued to observe various gender-based challenges that women face in the organization. This prompted the Ombuds Team to commence a qualitative data gathering effort by conducting a series of focus group discussions and key interviews, held in December 2024 until the first quarter of 2025. Key findings from these conversations and in-depth analysis from an ombuds lens will be presented through a special report that is expected to be available in early 2026.
Internal Communications and Outreach
Field outreach and in-person engagement were a strong focus in 2024. The Ombudsperson visited field offices in the Southeast, Central and West, and South Asia regions to make ombuds services directly accessible to all members of the ADB community. During those visits, the Ombudsperson met with colleagues, delivered training, and discussed workplace challenges in their specific contexts.
In July 2024, OOMP used creative engagement to spark conversations on workplace culture, distributing approximately 4,000 pieces of Ctrl + Alt + Del greeting cards across ADB.2 The card and its message were very well received by ADB staff, so much so that many sent messages of appreciation to the Ombuds Team while other colleagues spontaneously put them on display. It is not uncommon when walking through the halls to see these cards in full display in people’s work area.
OOMP celebrated Ombuds Day in October 2024 by hosting an open house event, titled Brewing Solutions. Most attendees were new to ADB and found the activity an excellent opportunity to learn about OOMP and its work.
During the year, OOMP maintained an active presence across the institution, contributing inputs to strategic initiatives such as the Staff Engagement Survey, Internal Justice System Review, Mental Health Week, and the Country Director Resource Book, among others. The office also supported new staff transitioning to ADB through presentations at induction programs.
OOMP observed a steady increase in the use of its Resource Room by staff. The small but carefully curated collection features materials on leadership, communication, and culture, among other topics, and continues to provide practical support to staff seeking to strengthen their conflict management skills.
External Knowledge Sharing
OOMP actively engaged in external knowledge sharing by participating in international conferences, professional forums, and collaborative events with peer organizations. These activities showcased the office’s commitment to professional exchange of innovative practices, strengthening networks, and its role as thought leader to the global ombuds community and profession.
Among these activities was the Ombudsperson’s presentation on The Value of Contextualizing Case Categorization to Elevate Your Ombuds Program, a pre-conference workshop of the 19th Annual Conference of the International Ombuds Association held in March 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. In September 2024, the Ombudsperson represented ADB at two major international events: the annual meetings of (i) the International Ombuds Association – Asia Pacific Regional Advancement Community, and (ii) the Network of Ombudsmen and Mediators of the United Nations and Related International Organizations. These engagements provided opportunities to share ADB’s perspectives on ombuds practices with peers from the region and other international organizations.
December closed the year on a high note, with the Ombudsperson participating in the IOA Summit 2024 and the Hong Kong3 Ombudsman 35th Anniversary Reception, strengthening professional networks and exchanging ideas with classical and organizational ombuds practitioners from around the globe.
Throughout 2024, OOMP reinforced its role as a trusted and accessible resource for the ADB community. Through strategic outreach, targeted training, creative engagement initiatives, and active participation in both external and internal forums, the Office continued to foster constructive dialogue and support effective conflict resolution across the institution.
1
OOMP’s collection of Odibles: Stories of ADB Personnel is available at https://www.adb.org/who-we-are/office-ombudsperson#odibles.
2
OOMP produced the Ctrl + Alt + Del greeting cards to serve as a reminder to practice self-control (“Ctrl”), shift perspectives (“Alt”), and foster positivity or delete negativity (“Del”). The card also reinforced the message that reaching out for support is important, especially when work-related stress becomes overwhelming.
3
ADB recognizes “Hong Kong” as Hong Kong, China.