The Office of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) is a recourse mechanism for projects supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of the World Bank Group. It was established in 1999 and is based in Washington, D.C.[1] Its formation was a concession to the anti-globalization movement to ensure accountability for World Bank-financed projects.[2] The Mission of the CAO is to address complains of people affected by IFC and MIGA projects, and to improve the accountability of both institutions
In 2014, the CAO reported that IFC funding was tied to the murder of Indigenous peoples in Honduras. Later in 2014, Osvaldo Gratacós became ombudsman. In September 2020, the CAO intensified its sexual assault investigation of the IFC-funded Bridge International Academies's schools in Kenya. In October 2020, Gratacós was replaced by Janine Ferretti.