Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) Mandates

As part of our effort to support public health agencies in Switzerland, SSPH+ is engaged in fulfilling important public health mandates in Switzerland. Below are two examples of such mandates that were carried out in support of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) in 2022.

COVID-19 Literature Reviews

The available scientific literature on COVID-19 is vast and constantly growing. Authorities should be able to base decisions and policies on the progress of science and therefore depend on the support of academic institutions to take into account the growing knowledge about the pandemic and its health-related consequences.Given the complex multidisciplinary issues that must be addressed in order to manage the pandemic and the future management of its causes and impacts, no single academic institution is able to sift through and summarise the literature for the authorities. As a unique inter-university network, the SSPH+ lends itself to this scientific achievement. National and cantonal authorities can effectively benefit from this original network and its academic facilities. The SSPH+ Directorate has the primary responsibility for the overall implementation of the project. It identifies and commissions experts for literature research (mandates), maintains the SSPH+ COVID-19 platform as an online communication channel (for registered members), monitors literature screening, coordinates and reviews reporting and dialogues, obtains reviews and feedback, implements adjustments and manages contracts and finances with the mandated.

All the reports can be found on the FOPH website

Topics covered:

Knowledge Management Literature Review

In light of the ongoing growth of information in public health sciences, it is essential to have a well-functioning knowledge management (KM) in place to ensure informed-decision making that is based on sound findings and evidence. KM is also essential among academia, particularly for an inter-university network such as the SSPH+. Given this relevance, the SSPH+ Directorate synthesised the available literature on KM practices, experiences, and lessons learnt in public administrations to date into a report for the FOPH. The document addressed theoretical aspects of KM in public administrations and highlighted relevant examples of KM practices. It outlined key components of KM and describes its relevance for public administrations. In support of this, strategic considerations, guiding principles and approaches to KM, as well as tools for implementing knowledge management were presented and discussed with relevance to their use and application for public administrations