Key facts
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) carried out around 450 procurements per year from 2022 to 2024 for goods and services, with a total contract value of around CHF 186 million. At 47%, contracts for IT services, contract staff (external specialists) and temporary staff accounted for around half.
The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) has audited the FOPH’s entire procurement process for the first time. The main aim was to assess whether the FOPH had organised its procurement system appropriately. Its organisation should ensure its procurement is lawful and economical, taking office-specific risks into account. IT services and contract staff were a particular focus because of their large share of the office’s procurement figure.
The FOPH has established good requirements for lawful and orderly procurement. The SFAO did not identify any significant shortcomings in the procurement management or organisation. However, a relatively high number of cases deviated slightly from the defined specifications and some cases contained significant shortcomings. As such, the FOPH needs to take some measures.