The follow-up report on public service citizen assistance, released today, about a year and a half after the publication of an initial document with 25 recommendations, highlights the “persistence of critical failures,” particularly in walk-in services, but also “important improvements,” such as digital centralization through the Government’s portal gov.pt.
The Office of the Ombudsman noted progress “in the presentation and transparency of information on public service across some digital channels, as well as the adoption of new in-person service models.”
The report also emphasizes the integration and enhancement of technological solutions for service delivery, along with renovations to improve the physical spaces of public services.
Regarding the persisting issues, the agency points out that walk-in service is not provided consistently, and the fact that digital service is not always guaranteed “creates situations that undermine citizens’ rights against the Administration.”
Long waiting times, “with insufficient and uneven monitoring,” “lacking” and “non-standardized” practices in serving vulnerable individuals, the shortage of human resources, and “the absence of specific training for service roles” are other identified shortcomings.
The report also aims to update information and assess the adoption level of the recommendations from the previous document by the entities analyzed, which remain as follows: Agency for State Technological Reform (ARTE, former AMA), Authority for Working Conditions (ACT), Tax and Customs Authority (AT), Social Security Financial Management Institute (IGFSS), Registry and Notary Institute (IRN), and Social Security Institute (ISS).
