A report from a special audit revealed various shortcomings at the vocational training center (BBZ) in Biel. On the one hand, the organization of the school is not appropriate and, on the other hand, adjustments are needed when it comes to employment.
This was announced by the Bern Education and Culture Directorate (BKD) on Thursday. The special audit was requested by the BKD from the financial control department. The first measures to remedy the deficiencies are already being implemented.
The report states that the organization of the BBZ is not appropriate. The various tasks such as finance, human resources, IT, housekeeping and secretariat are not bundled in one department as is the case at other vocational schools. As a result, duplication and inefficiency cannot be ruled out.
Furthermore, the tasks, competencies and responsibilities of the various management positions and committees are unclear and not coordinated. These structures would only work for financial control in good times, but not in crises.
70,000 francs severance payment
The BBZ has been going through a crisis for a good two years. First with the appointment of a new director. When she was hired, the director did not fully meet the requirements for the position.
According to the report, the deficits of the new director became apparent no later than six to twelve months after taking office. Therefore, from the point of view of financial control, she should have been terminated earlier than it was actually done.
The director was released from July 2022. She received her salary until the end of January 2023. In addition, she was paid a severance payment of CHF 70,000, according to the financial control. At this point, the BKD states that from their point of view the separation agreement was permissible and that it was a process buyout.
During these turbulent times, the IT department also had to be outsourced to an external company. Financial Control considers this solution to be the most optimal. The BBZ Biel was no longer able to run an IT service because all IT employees had resigned and the management of this department was bad.
The special test also points to deficiencies in the middle school and vocational training office (MBA). This did not take enough notice of its supervision of the BBZ Biel.
Proposed Actions
In order to improve the situation, Financial Control proposes various measures. With a merger of schools per location or region, synergies could be used and administration improved.
To this end, tasks, competencies and responsibilities should be simplified and clarified. In this area, the MBA should fulfill its non-transferrable tasks, according to the report.
New software was introduced at the beginning of this year, which centralizes the cross-divisional functions of finance and human resources at the BKD. Thus, synergies can be used. In addition, the management of the MBA is involved in the recruitment of the new directorate, according to the communiqué of the BKD. The MBA is supported by an external company. (SDA)