First "Sharpening Your Teeth"-Training in the I.O.I. General Secretariat

A first round of training for staff members of ombudsman institutions has started today at the I.O.I. General Secretariat in Vienna. The educational program is based on the format “Sharpening Your Teeth” that was successfully invented by the Ontario Ombudsman André Marin in 2005.

The specific I.O.I. edition is held in English and offers a three-day training on systemic investigations. It brings together administrative watchdogs from 18 different countries from all over the world. Altogether, 40 participants will be briefed on principles of excellent investigative work, conducting interviews, assessing evidence, report writing and communicating with the public.

“This successful training format is a concrete benefit for our member institutions that profit from this education program free of charge. I am specifically happy that the I.O.I. was able to fund five scholarships for participants from Burkina Faso, Djibouti, The Gambia, Maliand Zambia. The training was very soon overbooked and I am glad to announce that there will definitely be a second ‘Sharpening Your Teeth’ edition at the I.O.I. General Secretariat in 2011”, said the I.O.I. General Secretariat Dr. Peter Kostelka at the opening ceremony of the training.