Creating Public Value: The Ombudsman’s Office as a Mediator Between Citizens and the State

The project examines how, under what conditions, and to what extent the work of ombudsman institutions contributes to the creation of public value by influencing the relationship between citizens and the state. It is based on a case study of the Austrian Ombudsman’s Office, established in 1977, which supports citizens who feel they have been treated unfairly by a government agency and handles approximately 17,000 complaints annually.