The African Development Bank's (AfDB) Ombudsman, Amabel Orraca Ndiaye, visited the AfDB's Ghana Field office (GHFO) from 11 to 13 July, 2012 as part of an annual outreach and sensitization program of the Office of the Ombudsman.

The objectives of the visit were to sensitize staff on resolving work place grievances using the resources available within the AfDB, and to make staff aware of their role in creating a more respectful and productive work environment.

In a plenary session on the first day of the visit, the AfDB's resident representative in Ghana, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, welcomed Mrs Orraca Ndiaye, and said the visit would be an opportunity for GHFO staff to fully understand the Ombudsman's role.

Mrs Orraca Ndiaye in turn, gave a presentation themed 'Creating and Sustaining a Civil and Respectful Workplace Environment at the Field Office'.

The presentation and ensuing discussion centred around topics including reviving the AfDB's five core values; dealing with working relationships in the face of the increasing diversity in the AfDB; understanding various types of work place conflicts as well as the AfDB's Conflict Resolution Mechanism; and knowing the grievance procedures available for field office staff in the AfDB's informal resolution system.

Mrs Orraca Ndiaye also had one-on-one meetings over the three-day period to discuss issues raised by staff members and consider possible solutions. The visit was widely perceived as a success, and Mrs Orraca Ndiaye took away some useful feedback from GHFO.