PART III The ombudsman office must offer a multi-disciplinary approach. The ombudsman office needs a recruitment strategy to appoint staff with the requisite skills, including being proactive in relation to persons from minority communities. Links with organizations and universities should be maintained to aid with staff training. As noted above, the integrity of the minority ombudsman institution will be enhanced by developing a reputation for competence and, indeed, excellence. This is enhanced through good staffing/recruitment policies, including the development of clear and measurable appointment criteria, an appropriate policy on conflicts of interest, the prohibition of nepotism, and so forth. As has been made clear from the description of the functions of the institution in Part I above, the institution has a range of functions, and therefore needs a range of skills to discharge these functions. The protection of minorities has many aspects, from legal, to sociological, to economic, to political, and often these aspects will interact. It is essential that the body has skills in all these areas, and can also ensure that cross-cutting competencies are brought to bear on all minority issues. With respect to some functions, particularly those relating to investigations, staff with both the requisite technical skills and competence in different languages will be required. The institution will therefore have to develop a recruitment strategy appropriate to these ends. In some cases, the process of recruitment may be hindered by the lack of persons from minority communities with the requisite skills. In such circumstances, the institution must be proactive, and should consult and build links with educational and training institutions, particularly universities, to ensure that persons are being trained to develop the requisite skills and that they are aware of employment opportunities with the institution. Even where persons with the requisite skills are recruited, it is crucial that the institution develop a strategy for in-service skills training. Relevant legal standards – both domestic and international – can change dramatically, and research techniques, good operating procedures and so forth can evolve over time. The institution should therefore work in close coordination with practitioners in relevant fields, NGOs, professional organizations, and university departments that deal with the same sorts of issues to develop training courses, and should regularly undertake a skills audit of staff. Exchanges of staff from relevant intergovernmental organizations, ombudsman institutions or universities is possible, however, conflicts of interest must be considered. An exchange or secondment of staff from other ombudsman institutions, from colleges and universities, or from international organizations should, in principle, be possible for the minority ombudsman institution. Indeed, as it may lack staff with particular skills or experience, the ability to obtain such services from a person employed at another institution through a secondment can be very valuable for the institution. Upon the return to their organizations, the staff bring back valuable information which can usefully be disseminated within the organization, raising awareness about minority issues, good practices, and so forth. The person seconded should enter into a confidentiality agreement with the ombudsman institution, under which they agree not to divulge any sensitive information to which they may have had access while at the ombudsman institution. 54