#IOA2021: Call for Presentations

Submit Your Proposals by Monday, 21 December 2020.

The International Ombudsman Association is currently working on plans for 2021 educational events. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are negotiating with the Indianapolis JW Marriot to potentially postpone our in-person Conference to 2023. However, our team is excited to announce that we are planning to provide a fully virtual and immersive program in Mid-March 2021.

IOA warmly invites you to submit a presentation proposal or speaker suggestions for our 2021 event, Bridging the Distance: Paving the Way for Equity and Justice. This event is scheduled for 22-24 March 2021 and will be a virtual gathering. Additionally, we are not soliciting proposals for pre-conference stand-alone half or full-day courses this year, although we encourage presentations to include components that could occur before or after the 22nd-24th window.

Learn more about the event and the requirements for submissions below.

The window for submissions has closed.

The Planning Committee is currently reaching out to those who submitted proposals.

About the Event & Our Attendees

IOA events draw in attendees from diverse sectors around the world. Participants and presenters represent professionals in academia, corporations, government, non-profits, healthcare, faith communities, the dispute resolution field, and many others. At #IOA2021, we hope to engage with both experts and co-learners in order to share ideas, collaborate, and explore new theories, concepts, and practices.

The #IOA2021 event is shaping up to be the most connected and well-attended event the International Ombudsman Association has ever held. To build on our theme “Bridging the Distance: Paving the Way for Equity and Justice,” we invite ombuds and ombuds friends worldwide to propose learning opportunities for a global audience interested in ways the ombuds profession can connect people and be an agent for change. 

We are looking for inspiring content that engages attendees through creative means and across multiple time zones. Presentations can vary in length and may include live content, recorded material, online content, or a mixture of all three.

To support our presenters, IOA will soon be rolling out a sophisticated virtual hosting platform that will be the backbone of #IOA2021. We think you will be excited about all of the possibilities available through this new medium. We promise you, #IOA2021 will not be just another series of video calls.

This call for proposals invites you to explore new and innovative ways to “Bridge Distances". Distances to be bridged might include physical, cultural, political, sexuality, gender, ability, ethnicity, neurological, or any other distances perceived in the world today. Proposals should use the theme to help attendees consider:

  • How the ombuds field can expand its reach and impact,
  • How ombuds can be “thought leaders” as well as conflict navigators in an increasingly polarized world
  • How ombuds work plays a role in framing equity and justice issues for the constituents we serve.

It is IOA's goal to continually improve the content we offer attendees. Based on evaluations of past conferences and upon feedback received from IOA’s 2020 “Community Connections” series, we have developed a list of requested topics and areas of interest for #IOA2021. Again, we are particularly focused upon innovative, non-traditional formats and offerings to connect with attendees across the world synchronously and asynchronously.

Please be sure to review the list of the required information to prepare your proposal. You are welcome to submit more than one proposal and encouraged to share this call for proposals widely in your networks.

What are we looking to present at #IOA2021?

We are calling for presentations and suggestions related to: 

  • How the ombuds field can expand its reach and impact,
  • How ombuds can be “thought leaders” as well as conflict navigators in an increasingly polarized world, and
  • How ombuds work plays a role in framing equity and justice issues for the constituents we serve.

General topics of interest include:

  • all aspects of conflict engagement and ombuds practice
  • new and/or alternative means of providing ombuds services
  • maximizing ombuds’ positive impact on organizations
  • sector-specific constituent issues
  • ombuds as coaches, facilitators, and trainers
  • working with others within an organization, including legal counsel, human relations, compliance, and risk management officials
  • the ombuds role in preventing and addressing sexual harassment
  • updates on relevant legal and regulatory frameworks
  • the value of CO-OP certification
  • welcoming new IOA members

Required Information for Your Proposal

Please prepare this information before completing the proposal form.

Lead Presenter & Co-Presenter Details

All correspondence/communication will be addressed to the primary contact who submits the form. The following information will also be requested for the lead presenter and co-presenter(s).

  • First & Last Name
  • Employer/Affiliation
  • Position/Title
  • Mailing Address
  • Email Address
  • Phone Number
  • Presenter Biography
  • Professional Photo (Headshot)
  • Knowledge / Experience Level

Presentation Information

  • Presentation Title
  • Full Presentation Description
  • Brief Description (for conference publications)
  • Learning Objective 1
  • Learning Objective 2
  • Learning Objective 3
  • Expertise in Topic
  • Presentation Format (see types listed above)
  • Presentation Focus
  • Relevance to IOA Sector(s)
  • Has the presentation been presented before?
  • Content Domains and Level

IOA welcomes and encourages your suggestions and feedback via email. 

Back to top