Future directions for ombudsman offices - four trends, two reflections

This paper provides an important opportunity to reflect on the work, achievements and future direction of ombudsman offices in Australia and New Zealand. The large number of government and industry ombudsmen and staff signifies the rich ombudsman culture and the strong collaboration that exists in our region. This paper focuses on the challenges facing ombudsman offices in the next ten years. I will do so by drawing from both my earlier seven years' experience as Commonwealth Ombudsman, and my present four-years' experience as Australian Information Commissioner. The paper takes a high level look at the future, noting four possible trends, and offering two reflections on current ombudsman challenges.