Our Approach

The way the Office receives complaints, works to resolve issues, and makes objective and evidence-based recommendations to the Minister, the Department, and the Veterans community is guided by the standards of practice of the International Ombudsman Association, our commitment to the fair treatment of Veterans and serving members of the Canadian Forces and the RCMP, and the Ombudsman’s One Veteran theme.

Standards of practice

The standards of practice of the International Ombudsman Association, which are also endorsed by the Canadian Forum of Ombudsmen, are:

Independence;

Impartiality and neutrality;

Confidentiality and informality.

Fairness

The Office is committed to the fair treatment of Veterans and serving members of the Canadian Forces and the RCMP, and views fairness as an outcome that can be objectively measured in terms of adequacy, sufficiency and accessibility:

Adequacy - Are adequate benefits in place to support Veterans?

Sufficiency – Are those benefits sufficient to meet the needs of Veterans and their families?

Accessibility – Are Veterans and family members able to access those benefits easily and quickly?