Pre Conference Workshops Thursday 8th and Friday 9th of November Sharpening Your Teeth BNZ Centre, Waterloo Quay, Wellington André Marin, Ombudsman for Ontario, Canada This is a two day advanced course designed for professionals employed in investigative and administrative oversight capacities.  Since 2005, the Ontario Ombudsman’s Office, under the leadership of Ombudsman André Marin, has pioneered an innovative methodology for conducting systemic investigations.  The Special Ombudsman Response Team (SORT) which conducts the majority of these investigations has acquired a reputation for tackling issues efficiently and expeditiously.  SYT is designed to demonstrate the unique techniques used by SORT and how they can be easily adapted by other oversight agencies for their own use.  Participants in this course will consider: • The principles of effective investigations • Planning an investigation • Witnesses and interviewing • Using social media • Whistleblowers • Assessing evidence • Report writing Cost to attend - $200 NZD for IOI Members, $400 NZD for Non Members Please click here to view the programme. Register:  Registration is completed via the conference online registration form - please CLICK HERE.  If you wish to attend the Sharpening Your Teeth workshop and not the conference, please register via this LINK Monday 12th November Managing Unreasonable Complaint Conduct  Amora 1, Amora Hotel Chris Wheeler, Deputy Ombudsman for New South Wales, Australia Unreasonable conduct by complainants can take up an inordinate amount of an agency’s time and resources. Developed by the nine Australasian Parliamentary Ombudsmen, this two and a half hour session will provide Ombudsman staff with specific strategies and skills to effectively and confidently deal with unreasonable complainant conduct (UCC).  This half day session is designed for Ombudsman staff who must manage UCC, senior management of Ombudsman Offices responsible for setting complaint handling policy, and Ombudsman staff who provide training or guidance to agencies about complaint handling.   By completing this session, participants will become familiar with the underlying principles for the management of UCC, and with a range of strategies that are available to assist them to better manage UCC. Participants in the session will examine: • the causes of UCC • the range of problems caused by UCC, for example related to resources, equity between current and future complainants, occupational health and safety • strategies for preventing & managing UCC • key messages for complainants and staff, for example to ensure that their expectations are realistic and their rights and responsibilities are clear  • resources that are available to assist case officers and managers to better manage UCC. There is no cost to attend this workshop Register:  Registration is completed via the online registration form - please CLICK HERE.