Vol. 09   December 16, 2009 OMBUDSMAN'S GUIDE DESIGNED TO MAKE APPEALS EASIER New Guide Will Help Tribunals Serve the Public Today, Saskatchewan’s Ombudsman, Kevin Fenwick, announced the release of Practice Essentials for Administrative Tribunals, a new guide that will help tribunals improve their processes for the thousands of Saskatchewan citizens who come in contact with them each year. For many citizens a tribunal is where they go when unhappy with a decision of a government ministry or agency. Administrative Tribunals – also called boards, commissions or appeal committees – are to be the affordable, effective and timely alternative to the courts and government bureaucracy. Like the courts, administrative tribunals are decision-making bodies and their decisions can profoundly impact the lives of the individuals who appear before them. For example, they can decide whether you can be evicted from your home or whether your vehicle should have been impounded or whether you ought to have been paid out for a crop insurance claim. Read the news release. See the guide. WORKSHOP OPTIONS EXPAND New Guide Means More Targeted Workshops for Tribunals With the rollout of the new guide, appeal bodies in the province have new workshop options. In addition to the "Fine Art of Fairness" workshop that Ombudsman Saskatchewan offers, they can now also take the more targeted course for  tribunals, based on the new guide: Practice Essentials for Administrative Tribunals. This course is targeted to new members and existing members who want to brush up on how to run their tribunals fairly - and whether they have attended the workshop or not, the guide is also useful as a desktop reference. For more information about workshops for tribunals, contact the Dispute Resolution Office at 787-5747. For more information about "Fine Art of Fairness" Workshops, visit the Ombudsman Saskatchewan website.	"FINE ART OF FAIRNESS" WORKSHOPS IN DEMAND Attend One of Our Workshops in Regina or Saskatoon this Spring The word is getting out:  "Fine Art of Fairness" workshops are making a difference! The purpose of the workshops is to teach what fairness is and how to apply it when serving the public. Although it sounds simple, there is often more to fairness than meets the eye.  The course includes such topics as: Understanding Fairness Interpersonal Conflict Communication Skills About the Ombudsman Employees from a wide range of government organizations have taken our course and told us they found it useful. As a result, we are offering two more "Fine Art of Fairness" workshops this spring for government employees - one in Regina and one in Saskatoon. There is no charge to attend. Visit our website for details. ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER Comments Welcome This electronic newsletter for Ombudsman Saskatchewan comes out whenever we have news to share. If you have any suggestions or comments, you are welcome to contact Leila Dueck at ldueck@ombudsman.sk.ca.
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