HSP-XXX: Establishment of the HoS Ombuds Office
- DachaOP 2
hsp: 006
title: Establishment of the HoS Ombuds Office
description: Creation of an independent Ombuds Office to handle community conflicts, conduct issues, and mediation within the House of Stake governance ecosystem.
author: HoS Governance Operations Unit
discussions-to: https://gov.near.org/t/hsp-006-establishment-of-the-hos-ombuds-office/
status: Proposal
type: Structuring
category: Governance Integrity
created: 2025-10-12Abstract
This proposal establishes the House of Stake (HoS) Ombuds Office — an independent, neutral body for informal conflict resolution, mediation, and coaching within the NEAR governance ecosystem. The Ombuds Office follows the global Ombuds principles of independence, neutrality, confidentiality, and informality, aiming to restore trust and strengthen community self-governance through dialogue rather than punishment.
Situation
As HoS activity and participation grow, disputes increasingly surface across working groups, delegates, validators, and contributors. Today, HoS lacks a neutral, confidential, and standardized channel for early resolution. Issues tend to escalate publicly (forums/Telegram), consuming moderator time, harming trust, and distracting from governance work. There is also no consistent way to surface systemic patterns (recurring miscommunication, role ambiguity, COI concerns) back into governance improvements. An Ombuds function addresses these gaps by offering low-friction intake, impartial listening, informal mediation, and anonymized reporting of trends to governance.
Context & Alignment
The Ombuds Office aligns with HoS Constitution principles:
- Transparency & Accountability
- Fairness & Inclusion
- Decentralized Conflict Resolution
It complements (not replaces) moderation and formal sanctions. It is independent from NF, NF contractors, and HoS Core/Foundation teams.
Mission
Objectives
- Enforce the HoS Code of Conduct policy through coaching and restorative practices.
- Provide a confidential and independent mediation process.
- Coach members in constructive dialogue and non-violent communication (NVC).
- Detect governance tensions early and suggest improvements.
- Model fairness and neutrality across HoS operations.
Quantified Outcomes (6-Month Pilot)
- 100% of reports acknowledged within 48 hours.
- ≥ 70% of logged cases resolved informally within 30 days.
- ≥ 30% reduction in public conflict incidents (forum/Telegram) vs. baseline.
- 2 anonymized quarterly transparency reports published.
Approach
Action Area Description Deliverables Governance Setup Ratify Ombuds Charter and recruit 5 members Approved charter + public roster Training & Tools Mediation/confidentiality training + encrypted storage Training certificates + data vault Operational Launch Confidential form + email + workflow SOP Live intake system Reporting & Evaluation Quarterly anonymized report Metrics + recommendations Continuous Improvement Track systemic issues & recommend policy updates Governance improvement proposals
Milestones
Milestone Target Date Deliverable Success Criteria Charter Approval Nov 2025 HoS vote passed ≥ 60% “Approve” Member Recruitment Dec 2025 5 members appointed Diversity + no COI Training Completion Dec 2025 Mediation training finished 100% trained Portal Launch Jan 2026 Confidential intake live Tested + secure Pulse Integration Feb 2026 View-only dashboard access Data feed active Report #1 Apr 2026 1st anonymized report Published on gov.near.org Evaluation & Renewal May 2026 Council review + renewal KPIs ≥ 70% met
Implementation Timeline
Phase Period Focus Activities Phase 1 – Setup Nov–Dec 2025 Charter ratification, recruitment, training Phase 2 – Launch Jan–Feb 2026 Portal launch + Pulse integration Phase 3 – Operate Mar–May 2026 Handle reports + publish 1st report Phase 4 – Review Jun 2026 Evaluation + renewal proposal
Team & Accountability
Role Function Accountable to Ombuds Coordinator Leads operations, training, reporting HoS Screening Council 4 Ombuds Members Intake & mediation Coordinator + Council Appeals Panel (3 rotating) Independent case review Community mandate Administrative Support Scheduling & records Coordinator Primary Accountability: The Coordinator reports monthly to the HoS Screening Council and publishes quarterly anonymized summaries for public review.
6-Month Budget & Resources (USD)
Item Amount (USD) Notes Ombuds Stipends $15,000 5 members × $500 × 6 months Coordinator Compensation $1,800 $300 × 6 months Tools & Software $1,200 Secure form host, encrypted vault, Notion workspace Training & Certification $900 Online mediation/confidentiality courses Appeals Panel & Contingency $1,100 Reserve for legal review / replacements TOTAL REQUESTED $20,000 6-month pilot (Dec 2025 – May 2026) Funding Source: HoS Foundation Treasury
Disbursement Schedule: 50% up-front (Dec 2025) + 50% after mid-term review (Mar 2026).
Success Metrics (KPIs)
Indicator Target (6 Months) Measurement Method Avg. acknowledgment time ≤ 48 h Intake logs Informal resolution rate ≥ 70% Case tracker Avg. resolution time ≤ 30 days Ombuds records Public escalations −30% vs baseline Forum & chat data Appeals processed on time 100% ≤ 30 days Appeals register Transparency reports 2 / cycle gov.near.org archive
Financial Impact Summary
- Total Requested: $20,000 USD
- Pilot Length: 6 months
- Scale: < 0.005% of HoS Treasury assets
- Risk Level: Low (off-chain administrative project)
- Expected Impact: High procedural value — reduces friction, builds trust, improves participation
Reporting & Accountability
- Monthly internal reviews of active cases + KPIs
- Quarterly public report (anonymized aggregates)
- Post-pilot evaluation with renewal vote by HoS Security Council
Risks & Mitigations
Risk Mitigation Bias perception Strict COI policy & rotation Privacy breach Encrypted storage + minimal logging Low utilization Awareness campaign during delegate calls Budget overrun Fixed cap + Council approval for changes
Security Considerations (Optional)
The Ombuds Office is an off-chain function. It does not touch keys, funds, or protocol logic. Data handling follows least-data principles and encrypted storage. No moderation or censorship powers are granted; escalation to sanctions remains under established HoS governance.
Backwards Compatibility
Fully off-chain; no impact on NEAR protocol or smart contracts.
Conflict of Interest
I’ve read and agree with the House of Stake Conflict of Interest Policy.
Copyright
All rights waived under CC0 License.