Submitted text
In view of the need for coordination and harmonization in the course of ongoing digitization, the Federal Council is requested to present in a report what the further development steps of the Digital Administration Switzerland (DDA) project are and what measures are envisaged to increase the binding nature of the measures of the joint organization of the Confederation and the cantons. The scenario “Creation of a digitization article in the Federal Constitution” is also to be presented with initial framework conditions in terms of content.
Justification
Federalism and the departmental principle – vertical and horizontal power sharing – are among the foundations and thus the recipe for success of Switzerland. Recently, however, the state has been confronted with an increase in cross-cutting issues that challenge these two institutions. Particularly in the area of digitization, where networking and interoperability play a central role, state go-it-alone or island solutions represent a practice that must be overcome. It is increasingly apparent that a “digital divide” is opening up between business and administration in Switzerland and that government digital services are also underperforming in a European comparison (Switzerland ranks 28 out of 33 after Poland and ahead of Greece: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/egovernment-benchmark-2022).
The immense benefits of digitization simply cannot be fully exploited if the various levels of government and policy areas do not operate within a coordinated framework. Binding standards are therefore needed so that increased interoperability of administrative systems can be achieved. Master data management (“once only” principle) but also procurement processes can thus be implemented more efficiently. In line with the 2006 education constitution, digitization also requires a binding joint approach by the federal government and the cantons. The already existing cooperation organization Digital Administration Switzerland (DVS) cannot adequately meet this requirement today due to a lack of authority to issue directives. For this reason, the present postulate asks the Federal Council to examine various options on how the DMS can be further developed so that there is more binding force in the digital administrative landscape in Switzerland. The report is to be prepared in close cooperation with the cantons and with the involvement of the municipalities and cities. Should this require a constitutional amendment, the Federal Council is asked to draw up a proposal and attach it to the report.