Canada Ombuds Promote the Fairness Triangle

As previously posted, I attended the International Ombudsman Association Annual meeting last month and wanted to share the Canadian understanding of Fairness. A panel of four Canadian Ombuds shared the stage and noted that as government ombuds, each had a mission to promote fairness for citizens served. As a result, the concept of the Fairness Triangle was developed to help people understand what being “fair” means.

Here’s some material from the Saskatchewan Ombudsman explaining how fairness is defined in terms of Substance, Procedure, and Relationships.  Based on the “satisfaction triangle” presented by Christopher Moore, The Mediation Process, the Canadian Fairness Triangle provides a tool for considering fairness.

While the NC State Faculty Ombuds Office is not a governmental agency like the Canadian Ombuds, nonetheless, fair process is important. I want to think more about the Fairness Triangle and determine how it can support the work of this office.