Key facts
Risk management is a control instrument for the Federal Administration. It aims to ensure transparency regarding the Confederation’s current risk situation, so that the necessary measures can be taken in time to avoid or reduce risks. Risk management helps the Federal Administration perform its constitutional and legal tasks and contributes to achieving the Confederation’s objectives.
Departments and administrative units are responsible for its implementation. The Federal Finance Administration (FFA) has the role, in particular, of setting out the general conditions and coordinating the preparation of reports for the Conference of Secretaries General and the Federal Council.
The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) audited the effectiveness of risk management within the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). In addition to the General Secretariat (GS-DETEC), its audit encompassed the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) and the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM).
The required processes have been put in place in the audited units. However, improvements are still needed, particularly with regard to integration with strategy and the selection of measures to mitigate risks, in order to ensure that risk management is effective.