Québec Public Administration
The Public Administration is the overall administrative authority controlled by the State. It implements policies and programs decided by the Conseil exécutif (Executive Council) also called Conseil des ministres (Cabinet Meeting).
The ministère du Conseil exécutif and the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor form with the departments and agencies the administrative machinery of the Québec government:
- The ministère du Conseil exécutif coordinates governmental action;
- The Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor oversees utilization of human, financial, material and information resources;
- The departments and agencies carry out policies, programs and State interventions and ensure continuity.
Ministère du Conseil exécutif
The ministère du Conseil exécutif is under the direct authority of the Premier. The primary role of the Ministère is to assist the Premier and the Cabinet in their functions, to advise them as they go about making decisions, and to see to it that these decisions are carried out by the departments and agencies concerned. This is why the ministère du Conseil exécutif is at the heart of the State.
The Department is responsible for Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs, relations with Native peoples, youth issues, reform of democratic institutions, and access to information. The government also, on an ad hoc basis, calls on it for special mandates that require the joint efforts of several government departments.
The ministère du Conseil exécutif is headed by the Secretary General and Clerk of the Conseil exécutif. In addition to his responsibility regarding the operation of the Ministry, the Secretary General is the senior public servant of the state and, as such, is the hierarchical superior of all the government’s deputy ministers. Top of page
Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor
The Conseil du trésor is a standing Cabinet committee. It is responsible for Government Administration. The Conseil du trésor administrative machinery is the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor. The latter assists the Conseil du trésor and its Chair in their governance functions and advises them on management resources.
The Secrétariat’s mandate is to provide the departments and agencies with policies on resource management and offer individuals and enterprises information services on government management policies, ways of doing business with the government and the statistics on public service staff levels.
Public administration is subject to a management framework geared to the achievement of results, respect for the principle of transparency and increased accountability of the public administration to the National Assembly. The Public Administration Act adopted in May 2000, reaffirms the role played by parliamentarians with respect to government action. Consequently, a report on the administration of this Act is tabled in the National Assembly every year by the Chair of the Conseil du trésor. This report accounts for the administrative achievements in the improvement of services provided to the public, in the results-oriented management and in the management of resources. Top of page
Government departments and agencies
The administrative machinery of the government du Québec consists of 18 departments, which make up the foundation of government organization.
Certain administrative functions are assigned to autonomous agencies rather than government departments. These may be corporations, councils, bureaus, boards, commissions and administrative tribunals. Each of these agencies is the responsibility of a minister, who is accountable for their management before the National Assembly, subject to judicial and quasi-judicial responsibilities. The size of the agencies varies, from large entities such as Hydro-Québec to councils and committees such as the Conseil consultatif du travail et de la main-d'œuvre and the Comité de révision de l'aide juridique.
It should be mentioned that the establishements of the Health and Education networks are not covered by the Public Administration Act. Top of page
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