Interim Placements: Ayesha, Annie, & Massimo At The Office Of The Ombudsman

During the election period Ayesha, Annie, and Massimo had the pleasure of working in the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman. The interns enjoyed a truly warm welcome, having the opportunity to engage in many of the Office’s internal events and presentations. While working with our respective teams on individual projects, our coordinators also arranged informative meetings with various branches of the Office, such as the Children and Youth Unit, Legal Services, and Investigations, to name just a few. Through these meetings, we gained invaluable insight into the operations and the meaningful work of the Office. Overall, this experience both deepened and broadened our understanding of the role of independent, impartial bodies of the Legislature, and how they work to hold the government of the day accountable and ensure sound governance.  

Each intern was tasked with their own unique project during their time with the Office. Ayesha contributed to the guiding principles of a framework considering the integration of generative artificial intelligence into work processes and flow at the office. She sends her thanks to Aoife Coghlan, the Director of Organizational Strategy and Operational Support, for her support and guidance on this project. 

Annie worked alongside the Communications Team, supporting the Office’s 50th anniversary initiatives. Annie enjoyed the opportunity to conduct research on the history of the Ontario Ombudsman, focusing on the legislative birth of the Office. This research resulted in the creation of a timeline of the Office’s inaugural year and highlighting areas where the Office has had a significant impact over the last 50 years. Additionally, Annie contributed to the work of the Legal Team, gaining insight into the fascinating legal work the Office undertakes. Annie extends her sincere gratitude to Linda Williamson and Joanna Bull for their support and direction during this experience. 

Massimo joined the French Language Services (FLS) team to contribute to their communication and outreach efforts. He aided in the creation of an internal presentation aimed at enhancing inter-department coordination and educating the rest of the bureau about the efforts of the FLS department. Massimo also did research on how to leverage modern forms of social media outreach in the effort to disseminate information about the FLS more effectively to the Francophone communities across Ontario. He worked on aiding the development of a new strategy of video outreach, utilizing the style of short-form content to provide streamlined information to Ontarians all around the province. 

Annie, Ayesha, and Massimo share a sincere thank you to everyone at the office for being so welcoming, and to Lauren Chee-Hing, Robin Bates, and Sherrie Nicholson in particular for making our experience such a great and educational one.