Vision, Mission and Values
Our vision, mission and values reflect how we work today and where we’re headed next.
Our vision
The City of Toronto administration treats all people fairly.
Our mission
Ombudsman Toronto is an independent voice for fairness, equity and accountability at the City of Toronto. We listen to people with empathy and curiosity, and recommend practical improvements that help City staff make Toronto a fairer place for all people.
Our values
Our values guide the way we work and how we engage with the public and City staff. They inform how we interpret fairness, exercise discretion and uphold our responsibility to act with integrity and independence. We strive to reflect these values consistently in all aspects of our work.
We uphold fairness and equity in every aspect of our work. We examine how decisions are made, how people are treated and whether outcomes reflect fair process, fair decision or outcome and fair treatment. Internally and externally, we commit to recognizing barriers, questioning assumptions, addressing discrimination and ensuring our conduct reflects the standards expected of the City.
We make our services clear, understandable and easy to access for everyone. This means meeting people where they are geographically, linguistically, culturally and digitally, and reducing barriers that prevent them from coming forward. Internally, accessibility guides how we share information, support colleagues and design processes.
We listen with openness and curiosity. We approach every person with respect for their experiences and circumstances. We look into matters with empathy, ensuring it guides our communications and internal relationships, helping us understand context and work collaboratively toward fair solutions.
We work together to resolve concerns as early and informally as possible. We take initiative, share knowledge and support one another across mandates and functions to serve the public effectively. When we cannot help someone directly, we connect them to someone who can.
We engage honestly and respectfully with City staff, community partners and each other. We communicate clearly, explain our reasoning and work through disagreements in ways that build trust. We foster a culture where questions, critique and diverse perspectives strengthen fairness.
We base our work on evidence, critical analysis and thoughtful judgment. We examine assumptions—our own and others’ and apply consistent standards of fairness and human rights. We strive for clarity, transparency and accuracy while investigating, communicating and making decisions, protecting confidentiality and earning confidence in our work.
We take responsibility for our decisions, actions and the impact of our work. We are transparent about what we do and why, uphold the commitments we make and welcome scrutiny as a tool for improvement. We expect of ourselves the same accountability we expect of the City, modelling the fairness and integrity that underpin public trust.