Executive Summary

The Federal Financial Audit (FFA) has been reviewing key federal administration projects in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) since 2013, which involve high resource deployment and strategic significance. A new synthesis report shows: Ten years after the first report in 2016, significant deficits persist. Administrative units and departments have not sustainably anchored improvements in their organizations or follow-up projects.

Persons

  • Federal Financial Audit (FFA) (Audit Authority)

Topics

  • Project management in federal administration
  • IT governance and risk management
  • Administrative reforms and organizational development

Clarus Lead

The persistence of these control deficits over a decade indicates systematic implementation weaknesses – not isolated project errors. This creates pressure to act for the Federal Council, department heads, and office directors: Previous recommendations have not reached organizational culture. A mere repetition of audit recommendations will not suffice without structural adjustments.

Detailed Summary

The FFA has conducted over 20 audits of ICT projects since 2013, documenting patterns and findings. The first synthesis report in 2016 identified central weaknesses in project control. The current report shows that these deficits – despite known problems – have not been remedied.

The central problem does not lie in missing insights, but in implementation: Administrative units have initiated improvements in part, but have not systematically integrated them into their organizational structures or subsequent projects. This points to hurdles in change management, resource allocation, or prioritization.

The report specifically addresses clients, office directors, and secretariats-general – that is, decision-makers with control competency. This underscores that the FFA sees governance failures, not operational errors, as the core problem.

Key Statements

  • Ten-Year Deficit: Significant control problems from 2016 still exist in 2026
  • Implementation Gap: Known improvements were not sustainably anchored in organizations
  • Governance Focus: Problem lies in control and organizational development, not in individual projects

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Data Quality: Which specific deficits from 2016 are documented in the new report as persisting? Are there quantitative comparative data (e.g., cost overruns, delays)?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: To what extent do departments have incentives to ignore negative audit findings when consequences are limited?

  3. Causality: Are the persistent deficits a result of resource scarcity, lack of prioritization, resistance to change, or insufficient audit recommendations?

  4. Feasibility: What specific measures does the FFA recommend this time to ensure that improvements are actually implemented?

  5. Alternatives: Were alternative governance models (e.g., centralized IT control, external project management) evaluated?

Source Directory

Primary Source: Federal Financial Audit (FFA): Key Projects of Federal Administration – Synthesis Report 2026 – https://www.efk.admin.ch/prufung/schluesselprojekte-der-bundesverwaltung/

Verification Status: ✓ 08.07.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 08.07.2026