Areas of focus
The areas of focus result from the framework agreement (section 4.2) and are part of the DPSS's performance mandate. Alongside the projects, they form the DPSS implementation plan and also contribute to the fulfilment of the fields of action and strategic priorities defined in the Digital Public Services Switzerland strategy for 2024 to 2027, in particular the priority "Strengthening cooperation and acting as a networked overall system". They promote interdisciplinary professional networking and cooperation across the different levels of government. The respective services are provided jointly for the benefit of all parties involved and are designed to create added value for the population, the economy and public administrations in a specific area of responsibility (e.g. procurement).
Overview
DPSS areas of focus
Promoting the standardisation and harmonisation of technical and specialist processes
Together with its partner organisation eCH, the DPSS promotes standardisation, namely in the interoperability and joint use of technical solutions by multiple administrative offices. The activities of eCH aim to facilitate electronic cooperation between authorities, as well as between authorities and third parties. To this end, new areas for standardisation are identified and prioritised, and standards are developed, adopted and maintained. Standardisation forms a necessary basis for various projects, is one of the DPSS's areas for action, and affects almost all other areas for action in the Digital Public Services Switzerland strategy for 2024 to 2027, either directly or indirectly. Under the implementation plan, the highest level of standardisation possible is encouraged. This should reduce the burden on the implementing authorities.
Basis: Framework agreement section 4.2 para. 1c; DPSS strategy section 4.3
Contact: Florian Steffen, DPSS Office
Partner organisation: eCH Association (Dominic Müller)
Promoting innovative solutions
As part of its implementation plan, the DPSS provides funds every year to support innovative solutions. Innovations are projects which use new technologies, for example, or promote regional cooperation. These should send a signal and later be adopted or used by other projects or administrations.
Basis: Framework agreement section 4.2 para. 1b; DPSS strategy section 5.6; section 4.6 (section 4.5)
Contact: Isabelle Grünig, DPSS Office
Strengthening networking, cooperation and knowledge exchange and promoting a cultural shift
An awareness of digitalisation or the changes in administration with regard to digitalisation is important so that eGovernment projects, which often entail changes to familiar procedures, are supported within the administration and by all stakeholders. An understanding of new technologies also helps to adapt new digital working methods. The aim is to support specific projects that promote individual skills in the use of digital technologies in Swiss public administrations, such as training and courses, or other ways to share knowledge about digitalisation and eGovernment with administration employees in a targeted manner.
Basis: Framework agreement section 4.2 paras. 1f and 1h; DPSS strategy section 4.5
Contact: Marcel Kessler, DPSS Office
Strengthening the trust of the general public and businesses in electronic public services
The Swiss population has a very high level of trust in the administration. In order to strengthen trust in digital public services, information about the administration's digitalisation projects should be provided transparently and in a target group-oriented manner through a variety of channels. To this end, the DPSS provides open information tailored to the intended audience about ongoing digitalisation projects and makes background knowledge available.
A transparent dialogue with users about the opportunities and risks of digital public services raises awareness of security-related measures and strengthens trust.
Basis: Framework agreement section 4.2 paras. 1f and 1h; DPSS strategy section 4.5 (section 3 Principles of digital public services)
Contact: Vanessa Eugster, DPSS Office
Offering advice and coordination in legal matters
A central coordination centre for eGovernment legal issues supports the proliferation of the most important framework conditions for implementing eGovernment in Switzerland, and facilitates the transfer of specific knowledge between public authorities. Easy and swift access to legal expertise boosts the quality and sustainability of eGovernment implementation in Switzerland. The DPSS Office answers questions on eGovernment legal issues in its legal blog.
Basis: Framework agreement section 4.2 para. 1b; DPSS strategy section 4.2
Contact: Florina German, DPSS Office
Mandate: eJustice.CH Association (Urs Paul Holenstein)
Promoting and consolidating an overall architecture across the administration
The Confederation, the cantons, cities and communes agree on an overall architecture across the administration. They are developing and consolidating the structures and commitments which are necessary for forward-looking collaboration. The DPSS provides a platform for interdisciplinary professional networking between public bodies. The aim is to implement digital public services as a networked overall system.
A core architecture team works on the content of architecture topics and develops joint architecture principles in line with the aims of the DPSS implementation plan. A DPSS Architecture Board with representatives from public services, research, business and the public ensures open architecture and standards, especially for application interfaces, meaning that existing digital government services from all public bodies can be integrated into a common basic infrastructure.
Basis: Framework agreement section 4.1 para. 1; DPSS strategy section 5.6
Contact: Florian Steffen, DPSS Office
Mandate: Federal Chancellery (FCh DTI) (Jürg Bulling-Wüst)
Using and supporting working groups
Technical specialists from public administrations use working groups to exchange information and knowledge on specific digitalisation topics. Working groups address specific topics as part of the DPSS's performance mandate. When needed, they are used by operational management committees or by representatives of the Confederation or the cantons to provide content support to the political and operational management committees.
The following working groups are active (as at June 2025):
- Telecommunications Working Group
- Voice Working Group
- Cyber- and Information Security Working Group
- Identity Management and eID Working Group
- National Data Management Coordination Committee
- Data Science and AI Committee
- Cloud Governance and Workplace Working Group
- iSVC Working Group
- Architecture Working Group
- Cloud Infrastructure Working Group
- Procurement Working Group
Basis: Framework agreement section 6.1 para. 1; DPSS strategy section 5.6
Contact: Andreas Burren, DPSS Office
Organisation responsible for performance: DPSS Office
Statement of terms and conditions
The DPSS supports the participating public authorities by providing advice, coordination and recommendations, as well as by representing their interests to ICT providers, especially as regards common framework agreements and undertakings on terms and conditions for the participating public authorities. Thanks to agreements with ICT suppliers and ICT service providers, public administrations benefit from better purchasing conditions and minimise their procurement expenses in the area of ICT.
The DPSS's GTC for ICT services provide a widely accepted procurement standard. The GTC ensure that tenders from ICT providers are comparable and offer added value to the administrations.
Basis: Framework agreement section 4.2 para. 1e; DPSS strategy section 5.6
Contact: Greg Hernan, DPSS Office