Key facts
Federal information and communication technology (ICT) plays a central role in many audits carried out by the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO). However, it is not easy to keep track of the results and maintain a holistic and orderly overview due to the variety of topics covered and the decentralised structure of the Federal Administration. This summary report is intended to help with this.
Reports by the SFAO do not tend to be bearers of good news. This is due to the approach taken by the SFAO for selecting the topics. It is a good result for the SFAO if there are no major issues raised about the area being audited. However, if this is a common occurrence, this is also not a good sign for the SFAO’s risk-based approach. Audits are carried out wherever relevant risks are identified that could endanger the effective use of taxpayers’ money, the reputation of the Administration, or trust in the state institutions. Even though the summary report is primarily based on over 80 individual audits from 2021 to 2024, this does not necessarily mean the results are representative of the entire Federal Administration. The federal ICT is too complex and decentralised to allow a sweeping judgement. Yet the problems arise too frequently in too many places to be considered individual cases. Although the desire for improvement is palpable, substantial work still lies ahead.
