Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a
secretary (person in charge). It is used in the
executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is also used in other organizational settings.
In government, the position may be a junior
government minister (e.g. a
parliamentary secretary) who assists a
secretary of state. In other cases, the position may be a senior government official, frequently a career
public servant
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
, who typically acts as a senior administrator. The senior administrator may be considered a
second-in-command
Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation.
Usage
In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, ...
to a politically appointed
cabinet minister
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, â ...
or other government
official
An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their ...
(e.g. in the United States), or they may be considered a head or
chief executive of a government department (e.g. a
permanent secretary
A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day ...
). Some systems of government have both types of position, as in the United Kingdom where the title has been in use since the 17th century.
Holy See
In the
Holy See, undersecretary is a title given to senior administrative officials working in the
dicasteries of the
Roman Curia.
Hong Kong
In
Hong Kong, undersecretary is a position created in 2008 to work closely with bureau secretaries and top civil servants to implement the
Chief Executive's policy blueprint and agenda in an executive-led government. The appointment of undersecretaries and political assistants is an extension of the
Principal Officials Accountability System into today's
Political Appointments System.
India
In
India, undersecretary is an officer level secretariat post in central ministries, tenanted by officers of various civil services, usually promoted officers from the Group 'B' (section officers) of the
Central Secretariat Service, or the newly appointed officers of the
Indian Administrative Service, or other Group 'A' services on deputation in the central government in early stages of their careers with a minimum of 7–8 years of service.
Officers in this capacity further manage desk or section officers within a ministry or central regulatory body. Undersecretaries occupy gazetted civil service posts in India, unlike in some Western democracies, where they are political appointees. An undersecretary will typically report to a deputy secretary, or a director to the
Government of India.
Italy
In
Italy, Undersecretary is a second-in-command to a politically appointed Minister. In particular, he/she is appointed with a President of the Republic Decree, on proposal of the Prime Minister, who previously agreed such proposal with the relevant Minister.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, a State Secretary ( nl, staatssecretaris) is the title of a junior member of the
Cabinet of the Netherlands; they are sometimes referred to as Undersecretaries. They take over part of the portfolio of a certain minister and fall under the responsibility of that minister, but are at the same time also separately responsible to the
States General of the Netherlands
The States General of the Netherlands ( nl, Staten-Generaal ) is the supreme bicameral legislature of the Netherlands consisting of the Senate () and the House of Representatives (). Both chambers meet at the Binnenhof in The Hague.
The States ...
. They do not attend the weekly
Council of Ministers unless specifically invited. Some are allowed to use the title "minister" in meetings with foreign colleagues who are responsible for the same topic area (who may be ministers).
Portugal
In Portugal the level of undersecretary is not a pro-forma echelon in the executive hierarchy. Such posts are created on an ad hoc basis as required. It is the lowest rung in the executive power. There is currently only one undersecretary of State in the present government.
Spain
In the Spanish Government, the Undersecretary is a political appointee charged with the daily representation of a ministry, the management of the common services and personnel. The position is equivalent to the British
Permanent Secretary
A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day ...
. The Undersecretary reports to the Minister, and is appointed by the King on the advice of the
Council of Ministers.
United Kingdom
The title of Under-Secretary is used in two different contexts in the
British political system. A
''Parliamentary'' Under-Secretary of State is a junior member of the government, always an
MP or a
Peer
Peer may refer to:
Sociology
* Peer, an equal in age, education or social class; see Peer group
* Peer, a member of the peerage; related to the term "peer of the realm"
Computing
* Peer, one of several functional units in the same layer of a net ...
from the governing party, who is appointed to assist a
Secretary of State or other government minister. They rank between a
Minister of State and a
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom who acts as an unpaid assistant to a minister or shadow minister. They are selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the minister in the H ...
; the rank is usually seen as a stepping-stone to higher political office. The title originated in the 17th century.
In contrast, a ''Permanent'' Under-Secretary of State is the full title of a
Permanent Secretary
A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day ...
, a senior
civil servant
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
employed to head a government department and oversee the implementation of policy.
United States
In the
United States executive branch
The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state.
In poli ...
, an undersecretary is a senior official in a government department, junior to a departmental Secretary such as the
Secretary of State and usually junior to a Deputy Secretary as well. An Undersecretary is typically a political appointee. They may head specific sub-departments or agencies such as the
Defense Intelligence Agency, or be responsible for a specific area of policy within the department, e.g. the Undersecretary for Management within the
Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
. Before 1972, "Undersecretary" (also spelled "Under Secretary") signified the senior deputy to a cabinet Secretary, especially of State and Treasury. The office of
Under Secretary of State was replaced by the
Deputy Secretary of State and the office of Under Secretary of the Treasury was replaced by the
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.
See also
*
Secretary (title)
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
*
Parliamentary secretary – a junior minister who may be titled undersecretary
*
Permanent secretary
A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day ...
– a senior civil servant who may be titled undersecretary
References
{{Authority control
Government occupations
de:Staatssekretär