Office of the Ombudsperson 2025 Annual Report

A safe
space to
be heard.

The Office of the Ombudsperson is ADB’s designated confidential, informal, neutral, and independent resource for workplace concerns. We listen, help people think through challenging situations, facilitate difficult conversations when appropriate, and support early resolution before issues become formal disputes.

We do not investigate, make decisions, advocate for any party, or replace formal processes. Our role is to provide a safe space for candid discussion and to share aggregate trends with ADB Management and the wider community without disclosing sources.

Message from the Ombudsperson

2025
at a glance

OOMP compiles aggregate data and other findings to identify and analyze trends and problem areas that may require attention. This allows us to have a good sense of the “pulse” of the organization to raise awareness around underlying systemic issues embedded in our organizational culture.

417 cases

A case may involve more than one individual, multiple and overlapping issues, and different forms of ombuds support. Women continued to bring forward most cases, a pattern OOMP has observed over many years.

Breakdown

65% initiated by women
76% originated from ADB headquarters
41% raised by technical local staff
35% initiated by new staff (0–5 years tenure)

2,160 issues

Group climate and supervision remained the most common areas of concern, together making up half of all issues raised. Concerns about supervision rose notably, pointing to gaps in how managers set expectations, handle conflict, and support their teams.