Executive Summary

The Federal Audit Office (EFK) conducted an audit of continuing education organizations (OWB) in 2020 and formulated five recommendations to improve federal control. Two of these recommendations have since been closed. In a current follow-up audit, the EFK assesses whether the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI) has implemented the three remaining recommendations. The OWB receive financial assistance from the federal government and provide services to the entire continuing education system.

Persons

Topics

  • Financial control and governance
  • Swiss continuing education policy
  • Federal control and compliance
  • Continuing education organizations (OWB)

Clarus Lead

The EFK's follow-up audit shows that control mechanisms in the continuing education sector require continuous review. The implementation of audit recommendations is an indicator of the responsiveness of the federal administration to audit bodies and signals how seriously quality assurance is taken in this area. The results are relevant to the trust question between the federal government and continuing education organizations, as they demonstrate whether financial assistance is effectively monitored.

Detailed Summary

Continuing education organizations fulfill a dual function in the Swiss education system: they not only provide services to their members, but also contribute to the entire continuing education system through public awareness of lifelong learning, methodology promotion, network building, and quality assurance. This systemic importance justifies financial support from the federal government: the SBFI grants financial assistance to OWB upon application.

The EFK's 2020 audit examined two central questions: first, whether OWB properly use their federal funds, and second, whether SBFI's supervision of these organizations is efficient and effective. This audit resulted in five recommendations. The status of their implementation is differentiated: two recommendations have already been closed, while three are still pending. The current follow-up audit focuses on whether the SBFI has implemented these three remaining recommendations in practice.

Key Findings

  • The EFK conducted an audit of continuing education organizations in 2020 and issued five recommendations.
  • Two recommendations have already been closed; three remain open.
  • The current follow-up audit evaluates the implementation of the remaining recommendations by the SBFI.
  • Continuing education organizations are significant to the entire Swiss continuing education system.

Critical Questions

  1. Data Quality: What specific criteria did the EFK use to assess the "proper use" of financial assistance, and have these criteria been consistently applied in the follow-up audit?

  2. Implementation Deficits: Why have only two of the five 2020 recommendations already been closed? Are there systemic obstacles to implementing audit findings within the SBFI?

  3. Supervisory Effectiveness: To what extent has SBFI's supervision of OWB shown concrete improvements since 2020, or does the effectiveness of control remain disputed?

  4. Conflicts of Interest: What incentives does the SBFI have to fully implement audit recommendations when it simultaneously finances the organizations being controlled?

  5. Side Effects: Could stricter control mechanisms impair the operational capacity of OWB or lead to increased administrative burden?

Bibliography

Primary Source: Package Switzerland-EU (Bilateral III) – Follow-up Audit of Continuing Education Organizations – news.admin.ch, 01.07.2026

Verification Status: ✓ 01.07.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 01.07.2026