HERMES project management for SMEs and municipalities
HERMES is the project management method of the Swiss Federal Administration. It has existed for more than 50 years. It is published by the Federal Chancellery, Digital Transformation and ICT Steering sector. The current version is the 2022 edition, whose reference manual was last reissued at the end of 2025. HERMES is an open standard and is published as eCH standard 0054. All documents and templates are available free of charge on HERMES Online.
HERMES is not only used in the Federal Administration. Cantons, cities, municipalities and companies use the method for IT projects, organisational changes and the development of services or products. According to the Federal Chancellery, around 30,000 people visit the HERMES Online platform every month. Large users such as the City of Zurich or the cantons of Zurich and Bern also run their own HERMES platforms.
What HERMES defines
HERMES is outcome-oriented. The method defines which outcomes a project must produce, when they are due and who is responsible for them. These include:
- Phases: Every project begins with initiation and ends with closure. In between, the traditional approach has the phases concept, implementation and deployment. The agile approach has only one phase, execution.
- Milestones: There is a decision at the beginning and at the end of every phase. Only with the release does the project sponsor make money, staff and infrastructure available for the next phase.
- Roles: Three roles must be filled in every project: project sponsor, project manager and user representative.
- Scenarios and modules: Five standard scenarios cover typical types of project, for example the introduction of a purchased IT solution or an organisational adjustment. They are made up of modules with tasks and outcomes.
- Templates: There is a template for every document, from the project order to the acceptance report.
What HERMES does not define is the how. The reference manual assumes that those involved already have project management training or sound practical experience. HERMES gives that experience a common framework and common terms.
Why this pays off for SMEs and municipalities
- Clear responsibilities. It is defined who decides, who manages and who is responsible for the business requirements. This reduces ambiguity and delays in decisions.
- Traceable decisions. Every milestone is documented. This helps in dealings with the municipal council, the board of directors, auditors or supervisory authorities.
- A common language with partners. Many suppliers and public bodies know HERMES. Using the same terms saves coordination effort.
- No licence costs. The method, the manual and the templates are freely available.
When HERMES is too much
The full scope of HERMES is designed for large and complex projects. The reference manual says so itself. The Federal Chancellery itself acknowledges that HERMES is less suitable for very small undertakings. There are two aids for this:
- Sizing: On HERMES Online you enter a few details about your project. From these, the tool determines the size of the undertaking and provides a suitable scenario with reduced templates.
- HERMES One: A simplified variant for very small undertakings, for example organising an event or a small app.
What a method cannot do
In the foreword to the reference manual, the Swiss Federal Audit Office points out that even the consistent application of a method is no guarantee of project success. Among other things, it names these points:
- The project sponsor should steer the project by the expected benefits and align reporting with them.
- Key people must be secured early and their responsibility clearly confirmed.
- The user representation needs both specialist knowledge and decision-making authority.
- No project should start without quality and risk management.
These points apply to a municipality or an SME just as much as to the Federal Administration.
My support
I am IPMA Level C certified, have worked with HERMES for years and sit on the board of the HERMES Connect Hub. I take on the project management or support your project management in using HERMES appropriately: in tailoring the method, in setting up the project organisation and in the decisions at the milestones. The aim is for your organisation to be able to apply the method itself afterwards.