Our role as Regulators


Who we are and what we do

The Civil Service Commissioners are independent of Government and of the Civil Service.

We are recruited on merit following public advertisement and a fair and open selection competition. From our different careers and interests we bring experience of the public, private and voluntary sectors, and a clear and independent perspective. This helps us to support a Civil Service that is effective, politically impartial, and that builds upon its core values to meet the challenges of today and of tomorrow.


There are short biographies of each of us in the section Meet the Commissioners.

We operate alongside departments and agencies, the Cabinet Office and Ministers. But we are independent of them. We are appointed by Order in Council under the Royal Prerogative.

The First Commissioner works three days a week and the other Commissioners two and eight days a month.

What we do

The Civil Service Commissioners have two primary functions, as detailed in the Civil Service Order in Council, 1995, as amended.
Read more

Working with departments

Each of the main departments and the larger agencies has a Commissioner who is linked to it.
Read more
.