End of Commitment Report – Creation of an integrated municipal service model

Name of Evaluator

Ricardo Ferreira Reis

Email

[email protected]

Member Name

Lisbon, Portugal

Action PlanAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... Title

Action plan – Lisbon, Portugal, 2024 – 2025

CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action...

Creation of an integrated municipal service model

Title

Creation of an integrated municipal service model

Action

Develop and present a co-created service model based on the suggestions and feedback gathered from citizens and employees through internal and external participatory processes. To achieve this, participatory tools (such as surveys and co-creation sessions where citizens and technicians can express their perceptions of the current service and share their expectations and needs) will be used. Based on the information and guidelines developed during the co-creation phase, a service model will be created that integrates the proposed solutions. The model will be tested in a prototype version. During this phase, simulations of service situations will allow for the evaluation of the model’s functionality and flexibility.

Problem

Misalignment of service delivery with the real needs and expectations of citizens. The Public Citizen Service of the Lisbon City Council has adapted to the needs of citizens identified over the years. Many changes have been implemented, from the centralization of service delivery previously spread across 15 locations in the city into 5 “Lojas Lisboa” (Lisbon Service Centers), the increase of service channels, extended operating hours, and the acquisition of furniture and signage to new IT platforms. In 2020, during the pandemic, a major adaptation was required – the closure of in-person services, and the creation of new channels, procedures, and tools for non-in-person service. Since this milestone, the service paradigm has changed: Citizens tend to use more online platforms than in-person service channels. Appointment-based service has become a standardized practice. Service via Microsoft Teams has become a new service tool. Since 2020, several projects have been developed, involving all employees of the Department of Relations with Citizens and Participation, allowing the collection of information on service delivery. Numerous interviews, surveys, and dynamic sessions with service technicians, managers, and citizens were held, addressing specific topics, but also allowing for a better understanding of the problem. The diagnosis made has, therefore, identified the existence of a misalignment of service delivery with the real needs and expectations of citizens.

1.1 What was the overall level of progress in the commitment implementation at the time of this assessment?

substantial

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment advanced strongly with a participatory and experimental
approach. Tools such as World Café sessions, Oficinas Criativas Lego, citizen questionnaires, and focus groups with frequent service users were carried out. These activities engaged municipal staff across multiple UO, external stakeholders, and citizens.

Key results include: diagnostic of service performance and user expectations (2023–2024); design of a prototype model for integrated service delivery (Jan–Jun 2025); testing of innovative solutions through pilot projects and quick wins (digital channels, workflow redesign, scheduling tools); and strong citizen input via questionnaires (2025) and focus groups (top 10 requesters). While the model has been designed and partially tested, full rollout depends on integration into municipal operations and IT systems.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

Grupo de Reflexão Estratégica para a Administração Aberta (GREAA) 2025 records

DRMP reports, seminar presentations, and prototype testing outcomes.

1.2 Describe the main external or internal factors that impacted the implementation of this commitment and how they were addressed (or not).

Positive factors included wide participation, use of innovative co-creation tools, and strong political support. Challenges included resistance to change from some staff, high expectations from citizens, technical limits of IT systems, and budget constraints for scaling pilots. These were mitigated through gradual prototyping, participatory experimentation, and communication with stakeholders.

1.3 Was the commitment implemented as originally planned?

Most of the commitment milestones were implemented as planned

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

Most milestones were implemented as planned: co-creation, prototype design, testing, and participatory feedback loops. Full institutionalization (scaling to all UO and services) is ongoing.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

‘Pensar o Atendimento’ program documentation.

2.1.1. – Did the government disclose more information, improve the quality of the information (new or existing); improve the value of the information, improve the channels to disclose or request information or improve accessibility to information?

Yes

Degree of result:

Marginal

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

While the focus was on service delivery, information about service performance and citizen feedback is now more systematically collected and discussed. TransparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More improved but remains secondary to participation.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

Citizen survey reports, DRMP diagnostics.

2.1.2. – Did the government create new opportunities to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation inform or influence decisions; improve existing channels or spaces to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation/ inform or influence decisions; create or improve capabilities in the government or the public aimed to improve how the government seeks feedback from citizens/enables participation/ or allows for the public to inform or influence decisions?

Yes

Degree of result:

Outstanding

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

Participation was the strongest achievement: co-creation workshops, focus groups, Lego creative sessions, and questionnaires involved hundreds of citizens, municipal staff, and external stakeholders. This represents a transformation in how service models are designed, embedding participatory culture.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

World Café and Lego workshop outputs, DRMP participation records.

2.1.3 Did the government create or improve channels, opportunities or capabilities to hold officials answerable to their actions?

Yes

Degree of result:

Major

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

By involving citizens and staff in designing solutions and making commitments on improvements (quick wins, prototypes), the municipality increased accountability. Citizens and staff could directly influence reforms and monitor short-term implementation.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

Pilot evaluations, DRMP monitoring reports.

2.1.4 Other Results

Yes

Degree of result:

Major

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

The process fostered a cultural shift toward innovation, experimentation, and user-centered service delivery. It introduced new tools (e.g., Lego prototyping, World Café) and practices that can be applied across the municipality.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

July 2025 ‘Da Ideia à Prática’ presentations.

2.2 Did the commitment address the public policy problem that it intended to address as described in the action plan?

Yes

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment directly addressed the mismatch between existing service models and citizen expectations, identified during the pandemic. Outcomes include better alignment of services with citizen needs, new digital tools, and redesigned workflows. Full institutionalization is still needed for sustainability.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

DRMP reports; citizen feedback questionnaires.

3. Provide at least one lesson or reflection relating to the implementation of this commitment. It can be the identification of key barriers to implementation, an unexpected help/hindrance, recommendations for future commitments, or if the commitment should be taken forward to the next action plan.

The creation of an integrated municipal service model demonstrated how participatory and experimental methods can transform public service deliveryTo ensure that citizens of all groups are better supported by the government, OGP participating governments are working to improve the quality of and access to public services. Commitments in this are... More. Broad stakeholder engagement, innovative tools (World Café, Lego workshops), and citizen questionnaires fostered strong ownership and trust. Barriers included scaling prototypes into institutionalized services, managing diverse expectations, and IT/budget constraints. The next steps should prioritize formal adoption and rollout of the integrated model, sustained investment in digital platforms, continuous participatory monitoring of service performance, and embedding participatory practices across all municipal services.