Continuing professional development (CPD) organisations provide services that create added value not only for their members, but for the entire continuing education and training sector. They inform the public about CPD topics and raise awareness of lifelong learning. They coordinate, promote new methods, build networks and contribute to quality assurance and quality improvement in continuing education and training. That is why the federal government supports the organisations financially: the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) provides financial assistance to CPD organisations on request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) conducted an audit to determine whether CPD organisations use the federal financial assistance properly and whether SERI’s supervision of CPD organisations is efficient and effective. That audit contained five recommendations, two of which have since been closed. In this follow-up audit, the SFAO assessed whether SERI has implemented the three remaining recommendations made at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n million in financial assistance for CPD organisations (2025-2028)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n CPD organisations to receive financial assistance between 2025 and 2028<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n criteria determine whether a CPD organisation’s service is subsidised<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n The objectives formulated in the law and dispatch on the promotion of education, research and innovation have been specified by SERI in guidelines and in a criteria matrix.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n In its guidelines, SERI limits financial assistance to 60% of eligible costs, or 80% in the case of justified exceptions. If Parliament approves an amendment to the Subsidies Act with relief package 27, setting the maximum rate at 50%, SERI will have to change its practice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n SERI has implemented the main objective of the recommendation by creating the criteria matrix. However, it needs to tighten the criteria further in the light of more limited funds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n SERI has created the instruments to objectively verify the CPD organisations’ services and accounts. However, it should document the verification procedures better.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","audit_category":[66],"audit_type":[51],"class_list":["post-45163","audit","type-audit","status-publish","hentry","audit_category-education-and-research","audit_type-audit"],"acf":{"audit_lang":null,"audit_numbers":[{"audit_number":"25457"}],"audit_office":[1288],"audit_office_text":"","audit_date":"20260701","bgo":false,"keywords":"","audit_office_local":"SERI"},"yoast_head":"\n17,5<\/h2>\n
8<\/h2>\n
8<\/h2>\n
\n Main conclusions <\/h2>\n \n
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All three recommendations implemented<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n
Confederation’s interests specified<\/h3>\n
Maximum subsidy rate unchanged<\/h3>\n
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Criteria for awarding financial assistance to be tightened<\/h3>\n
Proof of service provision and accounting improved<\/h3>\n