The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) have trained 20 Call Agents to receive and handle complaints from the public during the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC).

A statement issued by the Ministry and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the two-day workshop, held for agents in Accra, would enable participants to gain an understanding of the PHC and Case typology.

It will also equip them with tools to effectively log in cases into the web-based Unified Case Management System (UCMS).

The GSS is leveraging on the MoGCSP Single Window Citizen Engagement Service (SWCES) Helpline of Hope Call Centre for grievance redress management of the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC).

Addressing participants on behalf of Ms Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Gender Minister, Dr Rita Owusu-Amankwah, Director for the Social Protection Directorate at the Ministry, said the collaboration was the Ministry's effort to support census implementation and ensure complete coverage of all households and persons in the country.

She explained that such collaborations were necessary for development, ensuring effective resource allocation and avoiding duplication of efforts.

Resource persons from the Ministry and the Statistical Service took participants through extensive presentations on Grievance Management, Customer Service, Communication Skills and UCMS.

Dr Owusu-Amankwah said the Single Window Citizen Engagement Service-Helpline of Hope Call Centre established in 2017 aimed at strengthening systems and improving coordination among the five flagship Social Protection Programmes under the Ministry namely: Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty Programme, Ghana School Feeding Programme, National Health Insurance Scheme, Labour Intensive Public Works Project and Education Capitation Grant.

"The Single Window Citizen Engagement Service provides a single-entry point for citizens to report grievances for redress in relation to the implementation of these flagship Social Protection Programmes, using the Toll-Free lines 0800 800 800 and 0800 900 900," she stressed.

On behalf of Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, Government Statistician, Mr Victor Owusu, a Demographer Statistician, said the basic motive of a census was to count and know the number of people living in the country, as well as structures to inform decision making.

He said the training would, therefore, enlighten call agents to handle complaints professionally and understand the basic rudiments of the PHC.

The single window service is a system designed to provide a single-entry point for the major Social Protection programmes to enable citizens to file complaints, register for services, make enquiries, or update information on their households on the database.

A key pillar of the single window system is an integrated UCMS, providing a single platform for citizens to log, manage, resolve, monitor, and escalate their grievances, as well as to disseminate relevant information on behalf of the major Social Protection programmes.

The UCMS will be used to register, track, and resolve grievances and will help in collating citizen’s grievances and channelising their problem-solving.

The mechanism also enables the Ministry to identify emerging issues and help to facilitate remedial action for them.

The Helpline of Hope Call Centre is also being used by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit, Department of Social Welfare and other institutions to resolve complaints reported to them on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Child Custody, Child Marriage, Child Trafficking and other related issues.