Data Monitoring Local Communities in Switzerland

Within the framework of a national research project ‘Monitoring of the Swiss Local Authorities’ (Schweizer Gemeindemonitoring), the development of Swiss municipalities has been monitored for almost three decades, focusing on performance, reform, and the political system. To this end, a survey on the Swiss municipal secretaries (Gemeindeschreiber/-innen) and local politicians in the council (executive members) has been conducted periodically at intervals of approximately six years. Over this long period of time, several institutions were involved in the survey process (University of Zurich, University of Bern, University of Lausanne, Swiss Institute for Public Management and ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences). Thanks to a high response rate (more than 80% in 2017), a comprehensive and meaningful database on the development of Swiss municipalities has been created which benefits associations involved in local and regional governance, state institutions, the research community, and the public.