BackThe Dean, Faculty of Laws, University of Malta, a former Senior Investigating Officer with the Office of the Ombudsman in Malta and author of “The Ombudsman: too soft a take on the public administration?” (BDL 2020) is currently working on another, somewhat more ambitious work, this time considering the ombudsman institution from a global perspective.
Dr Ivan Mifsud’s starting point is the variety of roles different ombudsmen assume, influenced by the political, economic, possibly even historical circumstances they operate under. Thus, for example, the ombudsman in a mature welfare state encounters different issues than their counterpart in a war-torn country; both ombudsmen face yet different issues from those the ombudsman in a young, emerging democracy would face. This has prompted the question of how effective ombudsman work is when measured against such scenarios. What kind of meaningful impact do ombudsmen actually have, the more so in particularly trying scenarios?
As part of his research, the author is seeking to understand the diversity of ombudsman-like institutions in different countries, their remits, the type of cases they handle, their impact in their respective societies, and to what extent they bring about meaningful change. In this regard he has prepared a survey, seeking to gather responses from a variety of ombudsman globally. This survey is being circulated by IOI; questions posed are aimed at triggering an honest self-reflection on the respondents’ part. It may be filled in either by an ombudsman directly, or by a senior representative of their institution.
Responses in the English language are preferred; the author is willing to hold an online meeting with respondents, if this proves to be a preferred method of response. In case of questions / queries, you may contact Dr Ivan Mifsud via email on ivan.mifsud@um.edu.mt.
Replies by the end of November 2024 are greatly appreciated.
Kindly refer to the download section below to access the survey.
Source: The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta
