Data Speak
AN ANALYSIS OF CASES IN 2023
scroll
scroll
The Office of the Ombudsperson acts as a confidential resource within ADB, meticulously collecting and analyzing aggregated data to identify organizational issues and inform decision-makers for systemic improvements while ensuring confidentiality.
cases
issues
individuals met
activities and events
CASES
67% initiated by women
37% raised by international staff
80% originated from ADB headquarters
30% initiated by new staff (with 0-5 years tenure)
ISSUES
28% ADB’s organizational climate
22% supervision-related concerns
15% safety, health, and physical environment
13% peer and colleague relationships
13% services and administrative concerns
09% others
TOP ISSUE:
GROUP CLIMATE
Like in 2022, the top general area of concern in 2023 was group climate. As defined by the Office of the Ombudsperson, group climate encompasses issues related to a group’s morale and/or capacity for functioning as a team. A group may be a department, division, resident mission or representative office, unit, etc.
Issues under group climate were most frequently raised by ADB headquarters personnel, particularly women. These included team dynamics (31.3%), workload (19.4%), and respect and/or treatment (13.1%).
The largest number of issues was brought forward by international staff (37%) and by those who have been with ADB for less than 5 years (40%).
Interconnectivity of Issues
The following interactive data visualization tool depicts how, in many instances, issues are related to at least one or more other issues. The circles represent issues, and the lines represent cases. The size of the circle illustrates the number of issues, while the thickness of the line represents the number of linked cases.
The circles are color-coded based on general areas of concern and their related issues. Hovering on the circles allows the user to explore the intersectionality of each issue in relation to others. Clicking on the general areas of concern at the bottom of the diagram eliminates their related issues, allowing viewers to focus on the issues that interest them.
Issues and Interventions
This diagram is a graphic representation of the direct correlation between the issues raised by members of the ADB community and the services provided by the Office of the Ombudsperson. The drop-down menu at the upper left corner lists the various general areas of concern. The left panel shows the issues related to the chosen area of concern, while the right panel displays the services provided by the Office. The curves connecting the issues and the services illustrate how the Office of the Ombudsperson may help members of the ADB community in managing specific issues. The thickness of the curves represents the number of corresponding cases.
2023 Data Dashboard
This dashboard is an information management tool that displays data and other information from the Office of the Ombudsperson’s 2023 cases. It provides quantifiable measures of key organizational insights drawn from issues raised by members of the ADB community and others.
The information is presented through interactive visualization allowing viewers to change fields based upon their interest. In addition, hovering the cursor over graphs provides additional information.
Insights
Based on an analysis of the aggregated data, several key perspectives and implications can be drawn.
1. Persistent group climate issues
- The high frequency of issues related to group climate, such as team dynamics, workload, respect, and communication, suggests systemic challenges in creating a supportive and cohesive work environment.
- Women, particularly those at the ADB headquarters, are disproportionally affected, indicating gender-specific challenges.
2. Work–life balance concerns
- Work-related stress and work–life balance, including elder-care concerns, remain major issues, highlighting the need for better support systems and policies to help manage staff’s professional and personal lives effectively.
- Despite a decrease in overall issues related to safety, health, and physical environment, the prominence of stress and struggles with balancing between professional and personal life underscores the ongoing impact of organizational shifts on employee well-being.
3. Supervisory challenges
- The increase in issues related to supervision, including managers seeking help and conflict avoidance, points to potential gaps in leadership skills and conflict-resolution capabilities among supervisors.
- Effective management training and support systems are necessary to address these supervisory challenges and improve leadership quality.
4. Rising peer and colleague relationship-related concerns
- The notable rise in issues related to peer and colleague relationships may suggest increasing friction associated with decisions made on staff movements due to the NOM, perceived imbalances of resources, and tensions arising from people asserting for greater responsibilities and power. Additionally, some individuals may have struggled to adjust to their new teams after being moved as part of the NOM.
- It may also suggest dissatisfaction with the unmet expectation of reduced bureaucracy and administrative processes and ensuing interpersonal interactions. Enhancing administrative processes and fostering a culture of respect, accountability, transparency, and effective communication among peers may be critical areas of improvement.
5. Demographic and tenure-specific trends
- The data reveal that newer staff (i.e., those with less than 5 years of tenure) and long-term employees (particularly, those with 11–15 years of tenure) experience significant challenges, indicating a need for targeted interventions to support both new and seasoned employees.
- The high case volume from international staff, especially women, points to distinct challenges faced by demographic groups, necessitating tailored strategies to address their unique concerns.
A Further Note on Group Climate
From the results of the aggregated data analysis, the major issue to highlight is group climate. This is because of the following factors:
1. It has the highest frequency of concerns.
- This was the most frequently raised category under the general areas of concern, indicating systemic challenges related to team dynamics, workload, respect, and communication.
2. It has an impact on the overall work environment.
- Issues under this category affect the foundational aspects of the workplace, influencing employee morale, productivity, and satisfaction. Weak team dynamics, poor communication, and lack of respect can lead to a toxic work environment and can have a negative ripple effect on overall organizational health.
3. Gender-specific challenges exist.
- The data show that women, particularly at the ADB headquarters, are disproportionately affected by group climate-related issues. This points to a potential gap in addressing gender-specific challenges.
4. It is interconnected with other issues.
- Many concerns under group climate are interconnected with other issues, such as supervision, work–life balance (including elder care), and peer and colleague relationships. For example, poor team dynamics may also exacerbate work-related stress and can contribute to conflicts between peers and supervisors.