Malfunctions in cantonal schools (HEP, HEMU, ERACOM), lack of places in EMS and prison, understaffing in some areas of administration, outdated or misused IT equipment. These are some of the main points of the 2023 report of the Management Commission of the Grand Conseil Vaudois (COGES).
In this report, “HR issues come up very regularly,” Monique Raiff, president of Causes, admitted to the press on Thursday. And recall the crises experienced in recent months by the High School of Music (HEMU), the High School of Education (HEP) and the French-speaking School of Arts and Communication (ERACOM), as well as other institutions such as the Group. The body responsible for investigating influence peddling, work conflict and harassment within the administration.
While each case is specific, the problems “often occur at the management level,” said Nathalie Jaccard, vice president of Causes. He said that if the State Council has the ability “not to let these matters fester”, then it is now up to it to ensure that the situation improves.
“The scope of maneuver of the State Council is nevertheless limited,” he added, recalling that, in the case of higher education institutions, it is a Foundation Council that oversees these institutions.
Kozes also questioned “the sufficiency of the means useful for the proper functioning of the administration.” For Ms Raiff, if the Grand Council currently “talks a lot” about the number of state employees, “too high according to some representatives”, the sector remains “understaffed”. This is the case, for example, within the secretariats of educational establishments or even with professional supervision and curatorship, Kouzes noted.
Jail and EMS
Like every year, the Causes Report also mentions overcrowded prisons. Monique Ryff particularly highlighted delays in work at the Tuileries women’s prison in Laonay. It required an “urgent response” from the State Council to ascertain whether the current situation “still remains problematic” in terms of the progress of this work, security and detention conditions.
The EMS also remains short of places, with the investment program for 2017-2021 being “underestimated”, Jacques-André Hauery, another member of the Caucus, indicated. The 2022–2027 program aims to partially address this shortcoming, but would still not be recognized as being in the public interest without including EMS. He asked, “Why deprive yourself of these private EMS?”
For Causes, the State of Vaud also needs to improve access to some state services. On this aspect, it was another Commissioner, Arnaud Bouvert, who cited means of electronic identification (MIE) as an example. This, particularly useful for completing tax returns, should be “better explained and promoted” to the public, he said.
Responses are expected in late May
Other delegates who are members of the Caucus came to present some comments addressed to the Council of State. Orien Sarasin called for “better anticipation” of communication on the subject of PFAS (“perpetual pollutants”), knowing that European standards will soon be implemented in Switzerland.
As for Celine Misiego, she addressed the question of amateur sports clubs, for which Cogès would like to know what plans the Council of State has to encourage them to encourage travel by public transport.
At 106 pages long, the 2023 Cozes report lists 24 observations (plus several commentaries) on which the Council of State must take a position by the end of May. These responses will be discussed and voted on in Parliament before the end of June.