The NGA Ombudsman is an informal resource to help answer questions and resolve concerns from employees and external consumers of NGA products. 

Ethical Standards 

• Independent - The Ombudsman operates independently and is authorized by the Director of NGA to have direct access to all personnel and information necessary to address issues.  

• Confidential - The Ombudsman holds all communications with those seeking assistance in strict confidence and takes all reasonable steps to safeguard both anonymity and confidentiality.  

• Impartial - The Ombudsman is NGA's designated neutral third party and does not advocate on behalf of any individual. Impartiality does not preclude the Ombudsman from advocating for positive organizational changes. 

• Informal - As an informal resource, the Ombudsman does not serve as part of any formal grievance or complaint process; accept or provide official notice of an alleged violation; serve as a witness or testify in formal proceedings; or conduct formal investigations or issue investigative reports. 

• Informally handle cases that do not implicate violations of law, rule, or regulation. 

• Assist customers seeking explanation on policies and procedures. 

• Explore non-adversarial approaches for resolving concerns. 

• Receive and provide real-time feedback. 

• Address complaints regarding politicization or distortion of intelligence products. 

• Raise awareness of and responsiveness to internal priorities. 

• Serve as an early warning mechanism. 

• Facilitate diplomacy in the most complex and sensitive situations. 

• Focus on systematic issues and conflict-prevention strategies. 

• Foster atmosphere of trust, fairness, equity, and respect. 

• Contribute to improvements in program integrity, efficiency, and cost effectiveness. 

• Increase professionalism in the workplace. 

• Improve leadership effectiveness and accountability.  

• You can contact the NGA Ombudsman at ombuds@nga.mil or 571-557-4777.