ILO promotes training for the redesign of INSS complaint management, mediation and communication services
This training was carried out within the scope of the project "Expansion of Social Security to Support the Formalization of the Angolan Economy (ESSAFE Angola)", funded by the European Union.
30 May 2025
Luanda, Angola (ILO News) – In the scope of institutional modernization of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) of Angola, the Workshop on the Redesign of Complaint/Complaint Management, Communication and Mediators Services was held in Luanda from 26 to 30 May. The initiative was conducted by the INSS with the technical support of the International Labour Organization (ILO), bringing together 30 technicians from some provincial delegations of the INSS, specialists in institutional communication, service managers and social security mediators.
This training was carried out within the scope of the project "Expansion of Social Security to Support the Formalization of the Angolan Economy (ESSAFE Angola)", funded by the European Union, and allowed to address active listening to citizens, conflict mediation and citizen communication, aiming to make services more inclusive, empathetic and focused on the rights of users.
The workshop was divided into two main blocks of activities — "Mediator Model" and "Communication Strategies" — with a practical, participatory and results-oriented methodological approach.
On the mediation, the participants discussed the main challenges faced by users in the relationship with the INSS, mapped the stages of the service process and designed new journeys for the management of complaints. Training proposals were also developed for social mediators and professionals who work on the front line of services, with an emphasis on active listening, empathy and conflict resolution.
The module also included the redesign of the mediators' action flows, as well as the enhancement of their performance as facilitators of dialogue between the INSS and the companies and citizens linked to the INSS.
"Mediators are the face of social security, they bring social security to the homes of all users, so we talked about internal communication and how mediators can better communicate with the different departments of the INSS, to provide a better service to taxpayers", said facilitator Mariana Monteiro.
For mediator Irad Neto, working in Luanda, it is hoped that the concerns and proposals presented during the workshop will be considered, to improve the work of mediators in order to achieve greater results in their work with taxpayers. "We want to improve communication and permanent feedback between the Institute and the mediators", he shared.
On the communication strategies, the focus was on the diagnosis of existing channels, internal and external, and the construction of innovative strategies for disseminating information on rights, duties and services. The team worked on the elaboration of messages with simple language, adapted to different audiences, with special attention to clarity, accessibility and inclusion.
The importance of aligning institutional communication with the principles of good public administration was highlighted, promoting transparency, trust and strengthening the State-citizen relationship. The group has also developed new internal communication protocols and defined optimal channels for each type of information, based on the experience of users.
"If all the proposals presented by the teams are implemented, we will have less delay in responses and less bureaucracy and our work will flow better, because user satisfaction is our main objective," said Lemba Gongo, INSS Call Center technician.
The working week was marked by interactive activities, such as mapping user journeys, identifying pain points, brainstorming sessions and developing actionable solutions to improve services. All the proposals were consolidated on the last day into concrete action plans that will be proposed for the ongoing modernization process.
"We want to put into practice everything we learned in this session for our daily activities and that has a direct impact on the lives of our users," said Estanislau Lindo, a technician from the INSS quality department.
This capacity building represents an important step forward in building a more effective, fair and citizen-centred social protection system, and is part of the ILO's ongoing support to the Government of Angola to strengthen social security.
Relevant projects
Project
Expanding Social Security to Support the Formalization of the Angolan Economy (ESSAFE Angola)