The Civil Service

The civil service helps the government of the day develop and implement its policies as well as deliver public services. Civil servants are accountable to ministers, who in turn are accountable to Parliament.

The Permanent Secretary is the senior civil servant in Scotland and leads the 5000 plus people working for the Scottish Government.

The government is structured into a number of directorates and their related public bodies. Directorates and agencies are managed by six directors-general.

Permanent Secretary and directors-general

Directors-general and the directorates they govern are responsible for progressing the Scottish Government's five strategic objectives: making Scotland wealthier and fairer, healthier, safer and stronger, smarter and greener.

Leslie Evans

Permanent Secretary
Lesley Fraser

Director-General Corporate
Responsibilities
Communications and Ministerial Support Directorate

Digital Directorate

Financial Management Directorate

People Directorate

Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate
Liz Ditchburn

Director-General Economy
Responsibilities
Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate

Chief Economist Directorate

Culture and Major Events Directorate

Economic Development Directorate

Energy and Climate Change Directorate

Environment and Forestry Directorate

Fair Work, Employability and Skills Directorate

International Trade and Investment Directorate

Marine Scotland Directorate

Scottish National Investment Bank Directorate
Alyson Stafford CBE

Director-General Scottish Exchequer
Responsibilities
Budget and Public Spending Directorate

Internal Audit and Assurance Directorate

Performance and Strategic Outcomes Directorate

Taxation and Fiscal Sustainability Directorate
Caroline Lamb

Chief Executive of NHS Scotland and Director-General Health and Social Care
Responsibilities
Chief Medical Officer Directorate

Chief Nursing Officer Directorate

Digital Health and Care Directorate

Health Finance, Corporate Governance and Value

Health Performance and Delivery Directorate

Health Workforce, Leadership and Service Reform Directorate

Healthcare Quality and Improvement Directorate

Mental Health and Social Care Directorate

Office of the Chief Executive NHS Scotland

Population Health Directorate

Primary Care Directorate
Joe Griffin

Director-General Education and Justice
Responsibilities
Advanced Learning and Science Directorate

Children and Families Directorate

Early Learning and Childcare Directorate

Justice Directorate

Learning Directorate

Safer Communities Directorate
Paul Johnston

Director-General Communities
Responsibilities
Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights Directorate

Housing and Social Justice Directorate

Local Government and Communities Directorate

Social Security Directorate
Ken Thomson

Director-General Constitution and External Affairs
Responsibilities
Constitution and Cabinet Directorate

Covid Co-ordination Directorate

External Affairs Directorate

Legal Services (Solicitor to the Scottish Government)

Organisational Readiness Directorate

Parliamentary Counsel Office

Non-executive directors

Non-executive directors (NXDs) support the Permanent Secretary, directors-general and other senior managers in the leadership of the Scottish Government.