Key facts
The principle of checking the effectiveness of the measures undertaken by the Swiss Confederation has been enshrined in Article 170 of the Federal Constitution since 1 January 2000. More than a hundred different laws and ordinances contain what is known as an “evaluation clause” requiring the Federal Administration to assess the effectiveness of its programmes and measures. The main purpose of this status report is for the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) to examine whether these clauses are actually being implemented and their compliance monitored. It also attempts to answer the question whether the evaluations have led to recommendations and whether the findings are published. The review finishes with some SFAO comments on the benefit of evaluation clauses.