Brief summary
To accelerate progress in the digitalisation of public services, the Federal Council and the cantonal governments established the coordinating organisation Digital Public Services Switzerland (DPSS) on 1 January 2022. The DPSS is responsible for the strategic management and coordination of federal, cantonal and communal digitalisation activities.
Current status
The public-law framework agreement on Digital Public Services Switzerland entered into force on 1 January 2022. It regulates the cooperation between the Confederation and the cantons on the digital transformation of their public services.
BBl 2021 3030 – Public-law framework agreement on Digital Public Services Switzerland (in German)
Peppino Giarritta, the Digital Public Services Switzerland Officer for the Confederation and cantons, manages the DPSS in line with policy requirements. In particular, he heads the Operational Management Committee, the Assembly of Delegates and the DPSS Office, which is administratively part of the GS-FDF.
The DPSS performs its tasks within a four-year strategy cycle. For operational activities, a rolling implementation plan is used, in which projects and performance milestones are defined. The implementation plan is updated annually.
Principles
Since 2008, the Confederation, cantons and communes have been working together to establish digital public services in Switzerland. For this purpose, they defined a joint eGovernment strategy, implementation of which was coordinated by the tripartite organisation eGovernment Switzerland until the end of 2021. Until the DPSS strategy is approved, the 2020-2023 eGovernment Strategy Switzerland will continue to serve as a guideline for Digital Public Services Switzerland. Other organisations such as the eCH standardisation association promote the use of information and communication technology in public administrations. As a result, in recent years the Confederation, cantons and communes have laid a great deal of groundwork and set up a large number of electronic government services.
Harmonisation task
In an international comparison, the digitalisation of services and processes in Swiss public administrations is proceeding rather slowly. In addition, new challenges are emerging, such as the once-only principle in data management and the widespread automation of administrative procedures. The Federal Council and the CCG therefore took the view that it was necessary to better coordinate activities across the three levels of government in a new organisation. At the beginning of April 2020, they issued the mandate for the phased creation of this new organisation.
| Milestone | When |
|---|---|
| The Federal Council instructs the FDF, in collaboration with the CCG, to clarify potential legal foundations that are more binding for cooperation between the Confederation, cantons and communes. | November 2018 |
| The Plenary Assembly of the CCG and the Federal Council approve the project. | March 2019 (CCG) and April 2019 (Federal Council) |
| Final report of the FDF and the CCG on the digital public services project. | October 2019 |
| The Federal Council and CCG approve comprehensive project to strengthen cooperation between the Confederation, cantons and communes in the area of digital public services. | April 2020 |
| The Confederation and cantons appoint Peppino Giarritta as Digital Public Services Switzerland officer. | August 2020 |
| Initiation of political consultation on DPSS principles at federal, cantonal, ASC and SVC level. | Spring 2021 |
| Decision on financing for the DPSS agenda and political decision in principle on DPSS implementation by the Federal Council. | 11 June 2021 |
| Political decision in principle on DPSS implementation by the cantonal governments (Plenary Assembly of the CCG). | 25 June 2021 |
| Approval of the public law framework agreement at the CCG plenary meeting and at the Federal Council meeting | 23 and 24 September 2021 |
| Representatives of the Confederation in the bodies of the DVS are appointed. | 3rd december 2021 |
| Ratification of the framework agreement by the cantons and designation of the cantonal representatives in the DPSS Political Management Committee. | 17 December 2021 |
| DPSS operational. | From 1 January 2022 |
Further development
The DPSS will be established in phases. In the first phase, running from 2022, a political platform is planned as a standard development. A new legal framework is required in order to develop the DPSS further as a political platform with binding standards (second phase). In the third phase, an authority will be set up, with a broad mandate and associated powers. At the end of each phase, the Federal Council and the Plenary Assembly of the CCG will assess what has been achieved, and decide on the next phase.
Documentation
Last modification 23.02.2023
