New perspectives on the role of the deputy minister
Authors: Plumptre Timothy 
Published: January 2008

Abstract: This article examines the nature of the top departmental job, reviewing the context within which deputy ministers (DMs) work, and identifying four key functions that they must perform: policy advice, expenditure planning and control, organizational leadership, and special assignments for the collectivity. Next, it considers the qualifications required of deputy ministers, and how these are changing. It then compares the job of the deputy with that of the chief executive officer (CEO) of a large business enterprise.The article argues that although the basic functions of the DM's position are the same as they have always been, some, such as policy development and expenditure control, have been changing in response to the demands of big government. Others, such as organizational leadership, may have not received sufficiently explicit recognition. While recognizing the many pressures to which the deputy minister is subject, the article notes that the responsibility of organizational leadership is not susceptible to delegation. It contends that in the turbulence that characterizes today's public service environment, there is a great need for DMs to give priority to this aspect of their job.SommaireCet article analyse la nature du poste le plus élevé dans un département ministériel, le contexte dans lequel travaillent les sous‐ministres (SM), et les quatre principales fonctions qu'ils doivent remplir, à savoir: donner des conseils sur les politi‐ques planifier et verifier les dépenses, diriger l'organisation, et exécuter des tâches spéciales pour la collectivité. L'article se penche ensuite brièvement sur les capacites que Ton demande aux sous‐ministres d'avoir, et sur les changements qui sont en train de se produire à ce niveau. II compare enfin le poste de sous‐ministre à celui deThe author is a partner with the management consulting firm William M. Mercer Ltd., and a research associate with the Institute for Research on Public Policy. This article is adapted from the author's book on management in government, Beyond the Bottom Line, to be published in 1987 by the Institute for Research on Public Policy. The author wishes to thank the two anonymous reviewers of this article for their helpful comments. The article is based upon three sources: first, a review of the literature on permanent secretaries and deputy ministers; second, the author's experience as a consultant to several deputy ministers and heads of government agencies on matters of organization and policy development over sixteen years; and finally, interviews with six British permanent secretaries, several Canadian deputy ministers and central agency officials in Canada and the U.K. conducted over the period 1984 to 1987. président‐directeur général (PDG) d'une grande entreprise pour mettre au jour les principales différences existant entre les deux.Selon l'article, bien que les fonctions fondamentales du sous‐ministre soient tou‐jours les mêmes, certaines, toutefois, comme l'élaboration des politiques et la vérification des dépenses, connaissent une évolution en raison des besoins des gouvernements, dont la taille s'est considérablement accrue. D'autres fonctions, comme la direction de l'organisation, n'ont peut‐être pas reçu suffisamment d'attention. Tout en admettant que le sousministre est soumis à de nombreuses pressions, l'article fait remarquer qu'il ne peut déléguer en aucun cas la responsabilité du leadership organisa‐tionnel. La fonction publique etant aujourd'hui un milieu très mouvementé, il est absolument necessaire que les sous‐ministres soient capables et disposés à accorder la prioritéà cet aspect de leur travail.