Smarter Policy support USING ai: ITCILO and ECOP launch an interactive chatbot

On 15 April 2025, the launch of NaviGate — a pioneering AI chatbot developed by the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO) and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) — marked the launch of a digital policy lighthouse in the Philippines. Designed to be an intelligent conversational assistant for the workplace, NaviGate helps employers navigate complex labour policies with greater confidence, transforming how engages with regulations by providing accessible, real-time trustful support.

Accessing up-to-date and relevant labour policy information can be time-consuming and often too technical for many employers. NaviGate simplifies this process by offering a smart, AI-driven solution that provides straightforward answers and relevant documentation within seconds.

Designed specifically for employers, the chatbot offers an intuitive interface and conversational guidance. It represents a significant innovation in workplace compliance and policy guidance, as it equips employers, especially those in small and medium-sized enterprises, with the appropriate guidance. It helps when consulting lengthy documentation or reducing the wait for responses from a helpdesk.

In light of the growing pressure to comply with international sustainability standards, the LLM-chatbot NaviGate provides businesses with a powerful tool to enhance their capabilities in areas such as sustainability, labour standards, and responsible digital transformation. Developed as part of the ILO’s broader initiative to strengthen employer and business membership organisations (EBMOs), the project supports the responsible adoption of AI, particularly in policy development, compliance, and digital transition.

The chatbot acts as an intelligent guide, simplifying access to complex policy information and helping users in the Philippines navigate topics such as occupational safety and health, labour regulations, and industrial relations.

Employers were facing the challenge of needing fast and reliable access to labour policy information. A common question was:

“How can we find the right answers without digging through files or waiting for helpdesk replies?”

In response to this issue, the Employers' Activities Programme (ACTEMP) at the ITCILO collaborated with ECOP to develop the AI-powered solution that:

• Uses ECOP’s official documentation for training – ensuring trust in the responses received,
• Built using advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology, in this way the solution provides accurate and contextualised responses,
• It is available 24/7 on any device, ensuring instant support whenever it is needed.

After undergoing testing with real users, the first version was successfully launched in April 2025. The result of this innovative project is a scalable, user-friendly tool that empowers employers to access trusted labour policy information efficiently and independently.

To gain a better understanding of how this tool works, we should take a closer look at the technologies that enables it. The core of this innovation lies in the combination of two cutting-edge components: ChatGPT-based natural language processing and the Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) framework.

The AI—chatbot provides natural-language answers based on ChatGPT and a RAG module that retrieves information from a database of documents. The yellow arrows on the left show the steps towards Internal knowledge database building and indexing; the grey arrows on the right show the steps in the query process., as evidenced by the Figure 1 below.

The chatbot doesn't rely on static or generic AI answers. Instead, it:

• Uses a custom-built database of ECOP’s internal documentation,
• Retrieves relevant extracts in real time to support every response with verifiable sources,
• Ensures cybersecurity and data integrity, with no user data retained or processed,
• Is easily scalable and adaptable to new content and user needs.

The result is an AI system that delivers context-specific answers that are both accurate and transparent — bridging the gap between institutional knowledge and everyday queries.

• Fast: Instant answers to complex queries on labour policy,
• Reliable: Every response is traceable and verifiable - backed by trusted ECOP documents to ensure reliability.
• User-friendly: No special training is required, just natural language questions
• Secure: Hosted by the ITCILO, with plans to migrate to the ECOP domain in future. This robust architecture is designed to allow future growth and adaptation, while ensures compliance and integrity as no user data is stored or used to train the model.

Navigate is a smarter, faster, and more equitable way to access institutional knowledge.

Initially rolled out to a core group of ECOP members, the chatbot is part of a broader vision to transform ECOP’s helpdesk into a digital-first knowledge platform, powered by AI and designed to grow with the needs of its members.

The relevance of this innovation extends beyond the scope of the project itself. The project is tied to ITCILO’s innovation strategy, alongside past innovations such as the AnswerMate projects demonstrating ITCILO commitment to its role as an innovation.

AnswerMate is an in-house collaboration product developed by the ITCILO, with valuable technical guidance from the ILO Research Department. It is exclusively trained on internal documents, such as statutes, regulations, rules, circulars and information notes, ensuring both relevance and data security. The success of AnswerMate directly inspired NaviGate, demonstrating the replicability and adaptability of this particular digital innovation.

Both AnswerMate and NaviGate exemplify how AI tools can support inclusive, efficient, and well-informed workplaces, particularly through features such as multilingual capabilities and user-centred design. Their development sets a clear precedent for the responsible use of AI within institutional settings. Grounded in the principles of the ethical use of AI in the United Nations system and UN DATA privacy. It provides knowledge dissemination about internal governance and offers a better user experience, improving access to relevant information.

This model of innovation is both scalable and highly modular, enabling adaptation across different countries, sectors and organisations. By leveraging these AI tools, institutions can foster transparent and accessible environments that align with global ethics and privacy standards. In other words, NaviGate has set a new compass for digital innovation that supports inclusive and well-informed workplaces.

Team: Dani Reyes, Emanuel Bechis, Maria Vittoria Franceschelli, Rachida Zingara, Sandro Pettineo 

References/Links:

• Philippine employers launch AI-powered tool to support sustainable and responsible business practices

• AI chatbot for Knowledge Management

• Workers' and Employers' Organizations in the Philippines