Ombudsperson’s Office

The BNDES instituted the Ombudsperson’s Office in 2003 to intermediate communication between the BNDES System’s companies and society. In collaboration with the internal divisions, the Ethics Committee and the Bank’s other service channels, its mission is to preserve ethics, transparency, strengthen management, as well as simplifying and clarifying norms by valuing social control.

Aligned with the objective of encouraging dialog between the Bank and society, the Ombudsperson’s Office has sought to provide the most complete and diligent information possible to meet citizens’ demands. This is done while respecting legal limits and cooperating with the entire organization, so that the available financial products and resources can reach those requesting it. All this is kept in mind while seeking to provide sustainable development and reduce social inequalities.

Charged with the task of providing service to the outside public and the Bank’s employees, the Ombudsperson’s Office receives complaints, requests, doubts, reports and acknowledgements or compliments through the various means of contact provided, especially those made through the BNDES’ website, and by the toll-free phone number (0800).

Two tasks carried out while dealing with messages stand apart: (a) analysis and preparation of individualized answers to messages, providing information that helps the public overcome possible difficulties when accessing this public bank’s financial support modalities; and (b) assessment of demands in a systemic manner – under a perspective of the organization’s mission, vision, values and strategies – aimed at identifying opportunities to improve internal procedures, and, in partnership with other divisions, building options and suggestions for change and proposals to the BNDES’ Senior Management.

Throughout 2011, the Ombudsperson’s Office received a total of 1,921 messages, of which 10%, once analyzed, were considered to be outside the BNDES’ scope of performance or were sent twice. The 1,728 messages considered valid and effectively treated presented an increase of only 1% in comparison with 2010.

Within the universe of valid messages, the main reason the public contacted the Ombudsperson’s Office was complaints – representing 49% of the total. Doubts came in second with 27% of the total, of which 76% constituted requests for information and assistance with difficulties in accessing the BNDES’ resources.

The remainder are distributed among: (a) requests regarding various subjects – although those regarding operational matters prevail with 14% of the total; (b) accusations concerning allegedly breaking the national law or breaching the BNDES’ operational norms, with 7% of the total; (c) suggestions on several issues, especially the operationalization of financial products or how civil servants are hired (2% of the messages); and (d) 1% acknowledgement messages.

Concerning the profile of those sending messages, as in previous years, the majority of the public that contacted the Ombudsperson’s Office are micro, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, with 59% of requests, while individuals were responsible for the other 41%, an increase in this type of public. A drop in consultations sent by companies can be the result of improved services provided by the Contact Us channel.

Regarding origin, some 58% of the public that sought support from the Ombudsperson’s Office is distributed across the Southeastern Region, 19% in the Southern Region, 11% in the Northeastern Region, 6% in the Central-western Region and 3% in the Northern Region. The other 3% correspond to messages sent from other countries, or to those that did not declare their origin.

With respect to strategic performance, the prevailing view is that the Ombudsperson’s Office’s participation in the workgroups created to develop the 2009-2014 Corporate Planning actions enables the follow-up of proposals on issues with greater occurrence, especially: support provided by the BNDES to micro, small and medium-sized companies; the relationship with financial agents; relations with clients; and the implementation of the social and environmental responsibility policy, approved by the Administration in late 2010.

Participation in these forums increases opportunities to not only disclose information concerning the support services provided, but also present the requests from this public to the BNDES’ divisions, fulfilling the role of the Ombudsperson’s Office in mediating the dialog between society and the BNDES.

In its representation, the Ombudsperson’s Office was called in twice to the Federal Government’s General Ombudsperson’s Office, to reveal its work plan for the next fiscal years and discuss the implementation of the law that regulates access to public information – Law Nº. 12,527, of 11.18.2011 – and the participation of public Ombudsperson’s Offices in this process.