OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN TRAINS STAFF IN COMPLAINTS HANDLING

Monday May 21, 2018

The Office of the Ombudsman has concluded a two-day training of its staff on complaint handling and investigation. The training which involved all the complaint handling officers in the Head Office as well as those in the Provincial Offices, was held at the National Pastoral Centre in Kenema on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th May, 2018.

The training was geard towards actualising Goal 1 of the Ombudsman Strategic Plan for 2018 - 2022, which is to have 'a technically competent, internal cohesive, efficient and effective institution.'

Also, as part of the implementation of the the Strategic Plan, the Office recently recruited twenty (20) staff, most of whom are deployed in the Provincial offices to handle complaints.

Two months ago, the Ombudsman Melron Nicol-Wilson also adopted a new complaint handling manual which he developed together with other Senior officers in the Office. The training was therefore meant to abreast the complaint handling officers, especially the new staff, with the provisions of the manual.

As such, the training  was facilitated by the Ombudsman himself Mr. Melron Nicol-Wilson and the Head of the Investigations Department, Mr. Alhaji Mansaray together with Mr. Ajan Fofana, the Programme Manager in the Office.

The participants were taken through constitutional and legal framework of the work of the Ombudsman, the practical steps in handling complaints, investigation techniques and communication skills.

The training session was climaxed by certification of the participants.