The Executive

The Public Service

(Source: Public Service Commission of Canada)

The Public Service is the administrative arm of the Executive Government, accountable to the relevant ministers and the Parliament. The array of government departments and authorities is charged with the responsibility of advising the government of the day and implementing government and parliamentary decisions.

The Public Service is also known as the "civil service" or "bureaucracy". The federal government and the governments of each province and territory have their own public service to serve the needs of their clients. Each of these is independent of each other, but maintains structures for consultation and collaboration.

The role of the Public Service is two-fold:

• to advise the government of the day on policy matters
• to implement government decisions and parliamentary legislation.

Historically, the term Public Service at the federal level refers specifically to those employees employed by the Treasury Board under the Public Service Staff Relations Act, and regulated by the Public Service Employment Act. In Ottawa, the Public Service is generally thought of as the government departments under the control of federal government ministers.

• Role of the Public Service
• Challenges Facing the Public Service
• The Public Service Commission
• Federal Government Departments, Agencies and Authorities