Notes from the Federal Palace SwissInTouch promotes discussion and relations with Swiss official bodies and your Swiss representation abroad, is open to your needs and grants you direct and user-friendly access to important consular services and information. More and more Swiss people are settling down abroad and are registering with embassies and general consulates. The country’s representations always endeavour to address the community’s concerns and share important information with them. The everyday work of Switzerland’s representations abroad and various crises such as the Covid pandemic have meant that the need for a central instrument for information and communication for the community of the Swiss Abroad has become greater than ever. The information has always been available, but it used to be a matter of sourcing it from a variety of different channels, by which time it was no longer up to date anyway. This led to permanent representatives or consulates being contacted more frequently in order to obtain the necessary information. The FDFA has acknowledged the needs of the Swiss Abroad The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has acknowledged this need and shown the political will to promote communication with the Swiss Abroad even more strongly and to use digital media. The Consular Directorate of the FDFA was commissioned to create a new digital instrument for improving efficiency. The aim was to develop a communication and information platform that would allow regular contact with the community Switzerland in your pocket: SwissInTouch, the app for the community of the Swiss Abroad of the Swiss Abroad and where official information could be obtained directly from Switzerland. The Swiss Abroad should also be able to find all the information and services relevant to them on a single platform, in a simple and straightforward manner. An app for the Swiss Abroad by the Swiss Abroad In order to create the best possible product and meet all the relevant requirements, Swiss Abroad from all around the world were involved with the project. The requirements of the Swiss Abroad were documented via a series of fascinating interviews and served as a basis for the app’s development. The people chosen for the task were granted regular insights into how the project was going and could test the various functions on offer. Their feedback was taken into account directly by SwissInTouch when they developed the app. As well as providing useful functions and information, SwissInTouch is aimed at anyone interested in remaining in contact with Switzerland and keeping a little corner of their home country in their pocket at all times. Download SwissInTouch free of charge and get access to all its handy functions! 32 Swiss Review / December 2022 / No.6
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