- An interdepartmental steering body should ensure the uniform, overarching coordination and architecture of digitalization in the Federal Administration.
- A lack of shared vision and central management risks uncoordinated projects, wasted resources and unused innovation potential.
- The Federal Council emphasizes digitalization as a management task in departments; relies on existing structures and consistent implementation instead of a new body.
Submitted text
The Federal Council is instructed to draw up a interdepartmental organizational unit to appoint a competent person to take the lead for an innovative and uniform integration of the digital technologies within the federal administration to take over. This unit should be located at a level that allows it to take an overall interdepartmental view of the needs and the individual projects in the area of digitization. At the same time, it should be able to coordinate the entire architecture from above, based on a common interdepartmental vision.
Justification
The benefits and progress attributable to digitization are widely recognized in both the private and public sectors. The new technologies make it possible to simplify administrative processes, thereby reducing bureaucracy to a good extent, increasing work productivity and simplifying relations with the cantons, citizens and companies. On the one hand, various projects related to the integration of digital technologies are underway in the federal administration. On the other hand, more and more parliamentary motions have recently been submitted on the subject of digitization of the administration. These often relate to individual processes and topics. What is missing is a common vision, a steering bodythat can implement digitization quickly and in a coordinated manner at all levels of government and as a cross-cutting issue. Without a dedicated, competent organizational unit that communicates a shared vision, there is a risk of not fully exploiting the innovative potential of digitization, implementing individual projects in an uncoordinated and ineffective manner, and wasting both human and financial resources.
Statement of the Federal Council of 14.9.18
Digitization is a current and important topic that is also regularly discussed in the Federal Council. The federal administration faces important challenges in this area that must be overcome; this requires efforts at all levels of the administration. Accordingly, numerous projects and initiatives are underway in the federal administration, not least as a result of demands from parliament.
The digital transformation is a Management task in each department and office. The ongoing work on the digital transformation of the federal administration is currently being managed and coordinated within the existing structures, by the organizational units with specialist responsibility within the scope of their capabilities and competencies. An important role is played here by the Federal information technology management body (ISB) in the FDF, but numerous other organizational units from all departments and the BK are also involved.
The Federal Council is aware that various models are conceivable for organizing and coordinating work with regard to digitization in the federal administration. It is of the opinion that there is currently no need for a specific body, but that the strategies adopted are to be implemented consistently. However, he would like to give the administrative units leeway in their respective business areas to explore innovative ideas in the context of digitization. Accordingly, the departments are tasked with showing where there is a need and what prerequisites are necessary to realize innovation spaces.