Suggested Topics and Research Tips
Here is a list of suggested topics for the Fairness Week contest.
The topics have been chosen based on what is likely to be most relevant for the subject and grade, but you are not limited to these. For example, if you are in Social Studies 20 you may choose a topic that was suggested for Law 30 or History 10.
If you would rather choose your own topic, make sure that it is related to ombudsman work.
(Please note: If your teacher assigns you to a particular ombudsman-related topic, then we recommend you follow those instructions.)
To see details and research tips for a topic, click on the + sign beside it.
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What is Fairness? (suggested for Grade 9 Social Studies)
How do ombudsman offices decide what fairness means? When someone complains about an unfairness, how would an ombudsman find out if what happened was fair or unfair? If an ombudsman decides the government was unfair, what happens next?
Find an example or story from an ombudsman website about a complaint, what the ombudsman did and how it ended.
Research Tips: Some ombudsman offices put information about fairness on their websites. At Ombudsman Saskatchewan (www.ombudsman.sk.ca), check out the “Fine Art of Fairness Workbook” and “Fairness: A Brief Explanation.” Ombudsman offices often put stories and examples in their annual reports and these are usually posted online.
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Fairness in _______ and ______ (suggested for Grade 9 Social Studies)
Choose two different places in the world and compare the work of the parliamentary ombudsman in both places. What kinds of complaints are people taking to each ombudsman? Give examples. How do these examples show the issues that each society is dealing with? What kinds of ideas may be changing?
Research Tips: Search online for different ombudsman offices and look at their annual reports for stories about the complaints people have brought them. Another way to find stories about issues at different ombudsman offices is to search news websites such as www.reuters.com.
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Fairness Across Canada (suggested for Social Studies 10)
What does it mean to be a provincial or territorial parliamentary ombudsman in Canada?
Compare the nine offices across the country. What kinds of complaints do they take? What options do they use for dealing with complaints? If an ombudsman finds that a situation is unfair, how does he or she convince government to make changes? What powers and approaches appear similar among these offices? What is different?
Research Tips: You can search for Canadian ombudsman offices online. Once you find one, check the links page for connections to more Canadian ombudsman websites.
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A FAIR Resolution (suggested for Social Studies 10)
When a government ombudsman receives a complaint of unfairness, how does he or she determine what happened and what is fair?
Use a real life example from each of four government ombudsman offices from anywhere in the world. (That’s four examples altogether.) Each example should illustrate one of the following: investigation of one person’s complaint, investigation into an issue that affects many people, negotiation or mediation, and a quick resolution (one where the government quickly agreed to make a change even before the investigation, negotiation or mediation was complete).
Research Tips: Search online for different ombudsman offices and look for information about how they resolve complaints. Look at their annual reports for stories about the complaints people have brought them and how these were resolved.
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The Fairness Lens (suggested for Social Studies 20)
How do parliamentary ombudsman offices look at fairness? What is their process when they receive complaints about unfairness in government? What kinds
of questions do they ask so they can find out what really happened and how it could be resolved? Why is it important for an ombudsman to be impartial (not taking sides)?
Research Tips: Some ombudsman offices share general information about what they mean by fairness and how they do their work. Ombudsman Saskatchewan, for example, has a resource for Teachers and Students called “Under the Fairness Lens” that may be useful. Some other ombudsman websites that may be helpful in this area include those in
Canada, the UK and Australia.
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Human Rights in Ombudsman Work (suggested for Social Studies 20)
What kinds of human rights issues do parliamentary ombudsman offices deal with in Canada compared to the rest of the world?
Compare issues that a Canadian ombudsman office deals with and those in three other countries. What do these examples tell us about the advancement of human rights in these
locations?
Research Tips: Search online for different ombudsman offices and look at their annual reports for stories about the complaints people have brought them. Another way to find stories about issues at different ombudsman offices worldwide is to search news websites such as www.reuters.com.
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Accountable for Fairness (suggested for Social Studies 30)
What role do parliamentary ombudsman play in holding governments accountable for fairness? How do ombudsman use dialectical evaluation and conflict resolution to press governments for change? Why is this important? Provide examples from ombudsman offices in Canada or around the world where ombudsman recommendations have resulted in changes to legislation.
Research Tips: Check ombudsman websites for historical records of past successes and for special reports. Special reports often contain significant recommendations, some of
which require legislative changes. It may also be useful to look for government responses to these recommendations so you can tell whether the recommendations were accepted (and changes made).
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Sharing Fair Ideas (suggested for Social Studies 30)
The concept of ombudsman work started in 1809 with the decision of the Swedish parliament to introduce a parliamentary ombudsman. Now, we have not only parliamentary ombudsman, but many other kinds of ombudsman.
How has the concept of keeping government fair shifted to other areas? What other kinds of ombudsman are there? How do they define fairness? What are the similarities and differences between these other ombudsman and the parliamentary ombudsman?
Research Tips: General online searches should reveal information about various ombudsman offices (parliamentary and otherwise) and what they do.
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What's Fair Behind Bars? (suggested for Law 30)
When someone is sentenced to a prison term, they can expect some restrictions and challenges, but how much is too much? What kinds of complaints do prisoners take to ombudsman in Canada and in other countries? What role do ombudsman play in ensuring fairness for prisoners?
Research Tips: Search ombudsman websites and news websites. While there is no national ombudsman in Canada, the provincial (parliamentary) ombudsman take complaints about provincial jails and the National Corrections Ombudsman takes complaints about national jails.
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Sifting Stories and Tracking Down Facts (suggested for Law 30)
When people take a complaint to a parliamentary ombudsman, there are often conflicting stories about what happened and why. There are also varying expectations about what government should or not do.
What skills does an ombudsman need when sorting through these different stories? When would alternative dispute resolution methods such as negotiation or mediation be
helpful? Use examples.
Research Tips: Search online for ombudsman offices that offer alternative dispute resolution or services such as negotiation or mediation. You may also want to search legal or other websites for information about alternative dispute resolution.
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Fairness Then and Now (suggested for History 10, 20 & 30)
What were the powers and responsibilities of the first ombudsman, appointed in Sweden in 1809? What are the powers and responsibilities of a parliamentary ombudsman now? Compare the kinds of issues the first ombudsman would have dealt with compared with a modern-day ombudsman.
Research Tips: Search ombudsman websites for information about their powers and responsibilities. Search for information about Sweden in 1809 and the first parliamentary ombudsman, Lars Augustin Mannerheim.
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The History of the Parliamentary Ombudsman (suggested for History 10, 20 & 30)
When and where was the first ombudsman appointed and where did the idea come from? How has that idea changed and developed over time?
Research Tips: Search for information about Sweden in 1809 and the first parliamentary ombudsman, Lars Augustin Mannerheim. Also look for information about Charles XII of Sweden.
