The follow-up report released today highlights the “persistence of critical failures” in areas such as digital services and in-person services without appointments, while also identifying “important improvements” like the digital centralization through the government portal gov.pt.
Titled “Citizen Service in Public Services: An Analysis of the Current Situation,” the initial report, concluded in December 2023, evaluated post-pandemic citizen service practices across six Central Administration entities, chosen based on complaint frequency and service significance to citizens.
The analyzed entities include the Agency for State Technological Reform (ARTE, formerly 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).
The recommendation to measure real-time spent by citizens until service, including wait times and unanswered phone calls, remains the most delayed in adoption a year and a half after the first report.
None of the six entities have adopted this practice; it is in the implementation phase at four of them, while ARTE and AT have yet to adopt it.
Promoting walk-in services, strengthening both scheduled and walk-in services in major urban centers, providing wait time information, utilizing resources for foreign language services, and renovating facilities are other recommendations with insufficient adoption.
ACT failed to provide wait time information, AT did nothing to enhance services in major urban centers, and ISS showed no progress in promoting walk-in services.
The Ombudsman’s analysis grid shows significant progress in at least three out of 25 areas: Reliability and identification of public service websites, resolving physical accessibility issues in facilities, and generalizing Telephone Translation Service via the Migrant Support Line. The latter two recommendations have been adopted by all entities.
The Ombudsman’s analysis, which resulted in twenty-five recommendations, focused on eight thematic areas – citizen service information, technology and public service, in-person service, wait times, vulnerable groups and priority service, preferred public service, foreign language service, and human resources, training, and facilities.
The follow-up report identifies exclusive digital citizen services, excessive wait times, lack of human resources, inadequate training, and poor facility conditions as the main “critical failures.”
There have been improvements in presenting and transparency of public service information through some digital channels, as well as in adopting new models of in-person service.
The integration and enhancement of technological solutions for services are also highlighted, along with efforts to improve the physical spaces of public services.
