Many people and organizations do not understand what organizational ombuds are and how they work. When confronted with requests to create these programs, those in charge often raise questions about the need for yet another overhead expense that does not produce revenue. They want to know what value these programs really add, and they frequently express skepticism about ombuds' claim of confidentiality and how these programs can operate independently within an organization when an ombuds may be an employee of the organization.

This book is a practical guide for anyone with questions about what ombuds programs are and how they operate. Part I responds directly to the many difficult questions that the author has been asked over the years - questions about what organizational ombuds offices are, why they fill a need that other functions cannot address, why confidentiality is important, and why the office's structure is important to achieving that confidentiality. Part II consists of stories that provide actual examples of what ombuds do. These are real, anonymized examples provided by real ombuds - not composite or hypothetical. Better than any abstract discussion, these examples make plain the unique value that ombuds programs provide.