About public bodies

Put simply a public body is generally an organisation which receives at least 50 percent of its funding from central government. Within this framework, some public bodies operate to a greater or lesser extent at arm’s length from Ministers and are not part of a Scottish Government Directorate. These specific bodies are generally referred to as Non Departmental Public Bodies and are managed by a Board whose members are appointed by the Minister. There are five main categories of NDPB:

• Executive NDPBs normally deliver a particular public service on behalf of Government (such as administration, commercial, executive or regulatory). They employ their own staff (who are not civil servants) and manage their own budgets. Visit Scotland and the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care are examples of Executive NDPBs.
• Advisory NDPBs offer expert independent advice to Ministers and others that will shape policy and decision-making in a particular area. They do not employ their own staff (admin support is normally provided by Scottish Government staff). They are not normally responsible for budgets. The Scottish Law Commission and Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland are examples of Advisory NDPBs.
• Tribunals are responsible for tasks and advice relating to specialist areas of law, carry out judicial functions but are separate from the formal court system. They do not employ staff or have responsibility for budgets. Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland and Parole Board for Scotland are examples of Tribunals.
• Public Corporations are industrial or commercial enterprises under government control. They employ their own staff, who are not civil servants. They manage their own budgets. Scottish Water, Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), David MacBrayne Ltd, Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, and Scottish Futures Trust are the five public corporations which the Scottish Government is responsible for.
• National Health Service (NHS) Bodies provide management, technical or advisory services within the NHS. They normally employ their own staff, who are not civil servants. They normally manage their own budgets. The 14 NHS Boards, NHS 24, Scottish Ambulance Service Board and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland are examples of NHS Bodies.

Information on the contact details, staffing, chief executive name and salary and levels of Scottish Government funding of public bodies is available from the National Public Bodies Directory.

For all the current opportunities, click here.

There are also a number of public bodies in Scotland that are associated with the UK government. To find out more about them and how you can get involved, click here.