The Federal Chancellery supports and advises the departments in preparing for and managing interdepartmental crises. Based on the Federal Chancellery's evaluations of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Administration's crisis management is currently being optimised. The improvements are to be reviewed with the 2025 Integrated Exercise.
The Government and Administration Organisation Act (GAOA) stipulates that the Federal Chancellor supports the Federal Council in identifying and managing crises (Art. 32 para. g GAOA). In addition, he or she coordinates the interdepartmental measures for the early detection and management of crises at an organisational level (Art. 33 para. 1bis GAOA).
In addition to the provisions of the GAOA, an ordinance on the crisis organisation of the Federal Administration is currently being drafted. The drafting of the new ordinance was decided by the Federal Council on the basis of experience from past crises. The aim is to improve the Federal Administration's crisis management.
In the context of improvements to the crisis organisation, the creation of a Standing Core Unit is planned, which will provide various services to the departments in the event of a crisis, but also in the planning and preparation phase. The unit is to consist of employees from the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), the Federal Chancellery and other federal offices depending on the event, thus strengthening interdepartmental crisis management. The purpose of the Standing Core Unit is to foster continuity and greater uniformity in federal crisis management and better knowledge retention between crisis events.
The Federal Chancellery crisis management tasks include:
The evaluations and reports of the Federal Chancellery, the Conference of Cantonal Governments and the Control Committees of the Federal Assembly on crisis management in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed potential for improvement. A Standing Core Unit, a Policy and Strategic Crisis Management Unit and an Operational Crisis Management Unit are the cornerstones of the Federal Administration's improved crisis organisation. In addition, the involvement of the cantons and the scientific community in the crisis organisation is to be improved and crisis anticipation strengthened.
In future, the Federal Council can call on the Policy and Strategic Crisis Management Unit in order to manage complex crises. Headed by the lead department dealing with the crisis in question, this unit’s task will be to draw up policy proposals for the Federal Council and to coordinate crisis management on an interdepartmental basis, involving all relevant actors. The unit will comprise the secretaries general of the departments concerned, the two vice chancellors and one representative each from the Federal Finance Administration, the Federal Office of Justice and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. If required, the lead department can also form an Operational Crisis Management Unit to ensure coordination between all administrative units and prepare the necessary all information required by the Policy and Strategic Crisis Management.
In future, the crisis units will receive better methodological and administrative support. These services are to be provided by the Standing Core Unit consisting of employees from the DDPS, the Federal Chancellery and, depending on the event, from other federal offices. The Standing Core Unit will ensure greater consistency and continuity in crisis management and improved knowledge retention between crisis events. Its tasks include the involvement of relevant stakeholders and the preparation of regular situation reports. Some of the Standing Core Unit’s services, such as training and further education or crisis anticipation, will also be provided outside of crises.
The cantons and the scientific community, as well as other relevant stakeholders depending on the situation, are involved in the work of the Policy and Strategic Crisis Management Unit and Operational Crisis Management Unit.
A stronger link between federal risk management, early crisis detection, continuous situational and environment analysis and analyses from the departments will improve early warning in a crisis. With improved crisis anticipation, the Federal Council will be in a position to deploy cross-departmental crisis organisation in good time.
The details are currently being worked out as part of a new ordinance, which is expected to come into force in mid-2025.
The Federal Council aims to be better prepared for crisis situations and have more efficient mechanisms in place for dealing with them. At its meeting on 29 March, it decided, based on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, to strengthen the organisation of the Federal Administration so it is better equipped for future crises. In the event of complex crises, the Federal Council will be able to deploy crisis units at both a strategic and operational level. The Federal Council remains the supreme governing authority. In addition, a Standing Core Unit will provide crisis management support to the departmental staff offices. The Federal Council has tasked the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport DDPS and the Federal Chancellery FCh with drawing up core legislation on the new crisis management structure by the end of 2023.
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