Test report on the army – The professional military is so much in the Arge intransparent post-procurement, the lack of young talent and staffing: These defects objected to the financial control in the army.Philippe Reichen3 Kommentare3Viele professional officer posts are vacant, although the defense Department is investing a lot of energy and money in the recruitment. The military Academy Milak officers in a training Exercise.Photo: PD

they are considered to be the backbone of the Swiss army: the 2900 professional military. They form militias, or occupy key operational positions and management functions. However, as a military career is actually? How Items are allocated and wages are fixed? The Swiss Federal audit office (sfao) has, on the basis of 14 Personnel files of military cadres of hierarchy, a sample analysis steps performed. The EFK is now coming to the conclusion that the Swiss army is at the post office procurement less transparent, managers, employees like to pick and choose and ignore and that there are officers in the Profession is a recruitment problem there.

A career in the military is special. Similar as in diplomacy, you can be as a young man from the defense Department to adjust and remains up to the Board with the same employer. In order to keep the Motivation should switch to two-thirds of the professional military in intervals of four to six years the function in the hierarchy to the top work. The reality is somewhat different. The rotation principle is applied, but not everywhere. The militarists remain much longer than the prescribed six years in their Posts, other change, in turn, already after one or two years of your task. The EFK writes: “The motivations that these deviations from the rotation principle, can be systematically identified and analyzed.”

The EFK could not verify in all cases whether attaches a subject to a language test, although such would be required.

Also in the post allocation there is little transparency. A professional officer holds his desire to be a Professional in the rule for meets, if he has attained the rank of Colonel. To get there, stand him in the defense Department specialists “using and career control” to the side. However, the influence of staff experts is limited. In particular, higher-grade officers appoint their subordinates, themselves, without any aptitude test or written notice. An extensive network of relationships, a good reputation and a proactive behavior can affect military careers, the EFK. It requires that in the case of a staffing at least several candidates to the procedure are included. In addition, there is also the appointment of veteran military cadres as military attachés from improvement potential. The EFK could not verify in all cases whether attaches a subject to a language test, although such would be essential. The army holds the contrary, the Attachés would be prepared in a “specific training” on your activity in the future host state, based on the already existing knowledge of the international world.

Higher wages than provided

In the case to be made for professional military also “made to measure”. In their sample, the sfao has determined that for the military just before the end of career a position was created most. A it was described. Was financed by a vacant Post in a different unit. The defense Department argued, it had to find because of the state of health of the person Concerned, a special solution. Special solutions it can also give in the calculation of wages. At the fourteen of the EFK analyzed Personnel files, half of the poor employees got a higher wage paid out, as this is in the job description was provided. “Ad personam” adjusted wages cause costs in accordance with the EFK annually 1.8 million Swiss francs and more. The personnel budget of the military is a total of 250 million Swiss francs.

Although money for additional staff would be present, in the professional officers currently nine per cent of Posts vacant, with the professional non-commissioned officers, 7 percent. In 2019, the army lacked about 140 professional military. The recruitment problem will only get worse, predicts the financial control. The reason is that the Federal Council has decided, 2018, to increase the retirement age for the professional military of today, 60 to 65 years. This Squad stay longer occupied, younger military can less rapidly mounting, what is the entry to the profession in the short term, unattractive power. In order to alleviate the staffing, may be temporarily employed officers from the civilian army as professional militarists, without the appropriate training. However, for the EFK is clear: “in Order to solve the personnel problems, must be the profession more attractive.” The army is holding in an opinion to the audit report, they remained in the recruitment of professional servicemen, although over the years among the targets, they’ve exceeded but 2019 easily. The staffing is not likely to intensify, at least.

army takes position

“The professional military, the Situation at the Moment, is not acute but rather a medium – to long-term challenge,” confirmed army spokeswoman Carolina Bohren on request. The corporate culture to adapt to the social, economic and digital transformation, has launched the project in the professional military 4.0.

The goal was “to develop solutions for the reconciliation of work and family, the forms of mobile work, working time models, the easing of the career forced, and the permeability between civil and military careers,” says Drilling.

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