<P> An ombudsman, ombud, or public advocate is an official who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration or a violation of rights . The ombudsman is usually appointed by the government or by parliament, but with a significant degree of independence . In some countries an inspector general, citizen advocate or other official may have duties similar to those of a national ombudsman, and may also be appointed by a legislature . Below the national level an ombudsman may be appointed by a state, local or municipal government . Unofficial ombudsmen may be appointed by, or even work for, a corporation such as a utility supplier, newspaper, NGO, or professional regulatory body . </P> <P> The typical duties of an ombudsman are to investigate complaints and attempt to resolve them, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation . Ombudsmen sometimes also aim to identify systematic issues leading to poor service or breaches of people's rights . At the national level, most ombudsmen have a wide mandate to deal with the entire public sector, and sometimes also elements of the private sector (for example, contracted service providers). In some cases, there is a more restricted mandate, for example with particular sectors of society . More recent developments have included the creation of specialized Children's Ombudsman and Information Commissioner agencies . </P>

A legislative ombudsman is an independent agency that assists in
find me the text answering this question