Research in Swiss Government Departments

Administering with skill and mastering complex situations requires a broad range of knowledge. To acquire and develop this knowledge, the federal administration carries out research activities commonly known by the German name "Ressortforschung" or research in government departments. The advantages derived from this research consist not only of the possibility of implementing public policies based on facts and a solid appreciation of the risks involved, but also of the capacity to anticipate problems which will face Swiss society and of the skill of the state to act as an intelligent partner.

Responsibilities

In view of the diversity of problems involving the state, the primary responsibility of research in government departments can only fall to those bodies which monitor social need: the various specialised offices. Only they are able to break down an issue into areas of research where answers can be found.

Responsibility for coordination lies in the hands of the State Secretary for Science and Research and the Director of the Federal Office of Professional Education and Technology (OPET). They head a steering committee which brings together the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI), the Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) and directors of various federal offices that participate in research in government departments.