Archive:Ombudsman/Archive 1
| Citizendium Ombudsman | ||
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| Decisions | Referrals | Appeals | Guidelines | Archive |
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Role
The role of Ombudsman is established by the following articles of the Charter:
Article 28 The Ombudsman shall be nominated by the Combined Councils and appointed by majority Citizen vote at the same time that the Editorial Council elections occur. Any citizen in good standing may be nominated for Ombudsman.
Article 39 An Ombudsman is available to mediate any dispute. Agreements worked out through mediation shall be binding but may be appealed.
Article 40 Whenever possible, disputes shall be settled informally at the lowest possible level by subject matter Editors. Specifically, the following shall apply:
1.Any party involved in a dispute may contact the Ombudsman for assistance in dispute resolution.
2.When a formal decision is necessary or demanded, the Ombudsman shall facilitate the presentation of the issue to the appropriate body — Editorial Council for content disputes, Management Council for disputes involving violation of the rules.
Article 44 The Management Council shall create a procedure allowing for dispute resolution to be heard privately. Privately heard disputes forfeit their right to appeal on technical grounds, although an appeal will still be possible upon discovery of new information. •In some cases, either at the discretion of the adjudicating council or at the request of a disputant, part of a public dispute resolution process may be removed from public view. Such an exception shall require public justification by the Ombudsman.
Mode of practice
From the above, it is clear that the role of Ombudsman is not that of judge or jury, nor is it to recommend or impose sanctions. My interpretation of the role is a) to offer guidance on existing policy and its interpretation where such guidance can help resolve disputes b) to advise the Editorial Council and c) propose mechanisms for settling disputes, including proposing interim solutions pending relevant policy decisions. Throughout, I expect my guidance to be in accord with the established principles and policies of Citizendium, and particularly with the Charter.