Key facts
As the national weather and climate service and a critical infrastructure for Switzerland, MeteoSwiss provides essential services for Switzerland, such as flight weather information, severe weather warnings and analyses of the spread of pollutants. With the RZPlus programme, MeteoSwiss plans to increase the resilience of its services by establishing geo-redundant configurations for its business-critical solutions and ICT resources, and adjusting ICT processes. Owing to a large number of external and internal challenges such as budget cuts, the scope and objectives of RZPlus have had to be substantially reduced.
The SFAO welcomes the fact that MeteoSwiss is standing by RZPlus despite these challenges. However, it notes the risk that the adapted programme objectives may not bring the expected savings as regards operating costs of on-premises computer centres. Thus, over the long term, less will be achieved with the same money.
34.3 mn
CHF in funding approved in 2021 with the dispatch on RZPlus
16.6 mn
CHF in total cuts to MeteoSwiss budget for 2024-2026
24/7
availability of forecasts and warnings to be ensured by MeteoSwiss
~ 66 %
of MeteoSwiss’s annual budget are operating costs
Main conclusions
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RZPlus objectives only achievable through collaboration
Owing to the tight budget, external consultants have been dispensed with both inside and outside the programme. This means that achieving a key objective of RZPlus, namely ensuring 24/7 availability of operation without interruption, will be delayed.
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RZPlus covers only part of the need for action
MeteoSwiss should manage responsibilities, processes, resource planning and priorities more holistically, rather than only within RZPlus.
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Strategy review required
MeteoSwiss should review the official and ICT strategy and adapt it to the new framework conditions. This coincides with the periodic strategy review.
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Causes and consequences of adjustment are known
The programme head transparently informs senior management and the GS-FDHA via RZPlus. They inform about the causes and medium- and long-term impact of savings targets and changed framework conditions.
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Stalled cultural change and new operating organisation
To achieve the desired objectives of RZPlus, office-wide cultural change and a new comprehensive operating organisation are required. Both aspects have stalled.
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Recommendations from 2023 implemented or being appropriately ad-dressed
MeteoSwiss has implemented four of the seven recommendations from SFAO audit 23623. The risks highlighted in the outstanding recommendation continue to exist.