Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P. (Portuguese Social Security Institute)
A government institution that provides social security services to Portuguese citizens, including support for unemployment, pensions, and various social welfare programs.
Challenge
To improve the resolution of citizens’ requests during their first point of contact with Segurança Social. The primary objective was to increase efficiency, reduce delays, and standardize responses across multiple service channels, ensuring consistency and quality in citizen interactions.
Outcome
The project culminated in the creation and validation of 4 prototypes, alongside a comprehensive UX audit of the Segurança Social Directa portal. Over 200 improvement opportunities were identified to enhance the digital user experience. Additionally, guidelines for a conversational system were developed, including decision trees, style recommendations, and language frameworks. A detailed roadmap for ongoing digital transformation was also delivered to ensure continuous progress.
We streamlined Segurança Social’s service experience by identifying inefficiencies, prototyping user-centered solutions, and developing a roadmap for digital transformation. Our work improved first-contact resolution, fostering trust and efficiency.
Our role and goal
Enhancing Citizen Experiences with Service Design and User-Centered Solutions
Our role involved recurring Service Design to study and systematize the experience across Segurança Social’s various service channels, identifying inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. In addition, we focused on prototyping & validation, developing practical, user-centered models that offered immediate value to citizens while ensuring long-term benefits for the institution’s culture and operations.
Our goal was to create a more resilient and responsive system that enables the effective resolution of citizen issues during the first contact. We also aimed to lay the groundwork for a sustainable and user-friendly service that fosters trust between citizens and the institution.
Research
With validated prototypes and over 200 UX improvements, we enabled faster, clearer, and more accessible citizen support. Initiatives like 'Resposta Agora' and a new chatbot significantly improved service efficiency, setting the stage for lasting transformation.
Results
Key insights revealed several challenges, including a lack of resources in some departments leading to delayed responses, high pressure on workers due to citizen demand, and inadequate time for employees to stay updated on evolving regulations and tools. Multiple departments worked in silos, resulting in disjointed service delivery. Barriers to first-contact resolution were identified, such as inconsistent responses due to non-standardized processes across channels, and time constraints preventing employees from resolving complex issues quickly.
To design a solution supporting both ISS’s future growth and citizens’ needs, we focused on creating a two-way relationship between the institution and its users. We built a value framework for citizens, aiming to foster trust and encourage active participation in the social security system. The key strategic insight was that the future growth of ISS must balance organizational goals with citizens’ needs, ensuring efficiency, clarity, and responsiveness. Our approach sought not only to address existing issues but also to create sustainable systems that enhance trust and citizen engagement.
The project resulted in the creation and validation of four prototypes, each designed to improve different aspects of the service experience. These prototypes focused on making the process smoother, quicker, and more transparent for citizens. The prototypes created included a visual practical guide for new parents, an independent workers’ chatbot, a streamlined service support channel (“Resposta Agora”), and conversational system guidelines with decision trees and language recommendations.
Impact
The impact of these initiatives included significantly improved response times, with the “Resposta Agora” channel resolving 79% of requests within 15 minutes and 88% within 30 minutes. The digital transformation of the ISS website and tools was enhanced with over 200 suggestions for improvements. Successful pilot projects, including the new parent guide and chatbot, are being scaled nationally to improve service delivery. Additionally, the focus on user-centered design and digital competencies has laid the foundation for sustained cultural change within ISS.
Next steps include nationwide implementation of the “Resposta Agora” channel, expanded integration of the chatbot into the ISS website, and Figma workshops to empower workers in creating user guides and better-supporting citizens moving forward.
