Wikipedia:Ombudsmen Committee
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The following is a proposed Wikipedia policy, guideline, or process. The proposal may still be in development, under discussion, or in the process of gathering consensus for adoption. Thus, references or links to this page should not describe it as "policy". |
An Ombudsman Committee is important to any sort of academic or government project which reaches a certain size. When the administrative bureaucracy reaches a certain size there comes a point where individual citizens (or in this case, editors) need to have an official forum where their individual voices are coalesced into an official opinion. This holds more weight than individual editors/citizens who can simply be passed off by the bureaucracy as whining, annoying, etc. Thus, an official, internal, introspective, consultative, non-admin body with parity to ArbCom would be in parallel to those already in existence at all the large academic and government bodies around the world.
[edit] Why and What?
Administrators are human. They make mistakes. Additionally, there can be a culture of no wrongdoing and common handwashing. Wikipedia is not immune and makes the role of ombudsmen important.
Thus, there exists the need for a non-administrator based committee to investigate and issue official findings of fact.
Universities and governments have ombudsmen which are internal and conduct investigations in response to public concern and request. This committee would be similar to those.
[edit] Role and scope
Not designed to have any actual administrative abilities or the ability to assign punishment, the role of ombudsmen is respected and official. Upon request and acceptance (similar to ArbCom) the Ombudsmen Committee investigates situations and issues official opinions which are often separate and disparate from official organizational opinion. The findings of the Ombudsman Committee may be opposite to that of administrators or ArbCom, but the opinion is sovereign and official. However, since the Ombudsman Committee has no muscle to flex it cannot issue judgements, but rather opinions on fact.
[edit] Selection
Members of the Ombudsmen Committee are selected by a nomination and popular vote process. The term lasts for a period of one year. In the event of an Ombudsman/woman being unable to serve out the full term a special election will be held for a replacement ombudsman to serve out the remainder of the term.
The number of members of the Ombudsman Committee is undetermined, subject to discussion and consensus.
