What is a Civil Service Administrator?
Civil Service Administrators carry out government directives and provide essential services to the public. They make sure that the country runs smoothly every day.
Civil service is the main, permanent administrative branch of the government. It is made up of people who work for government ministries, departments, and agencies. It consists of employees who manage daily operations as well as provide advice on, develop, and implement government policies and programmes. The civil service, on the other hand, is not always understood to be the same thing as the public service, which includes the military, the police, teachers, health professionals, and public enterprises.
Civil Service Administrators make up a sizable portion of the government workforce. The majority of the day-to-day management of government ministries and their departments falls under their purview. As a Civil Service Administrator you’ll be an integral part of a government department or agency in this front-line position and might offer the general public crucial services.
Civil Service Administrators may work directly with people and have the chance to make their lives much better, or they may do research, put together reports, and write policy documents.
Responsibilities
Some of the responsibilities that you may have as a Civil Service Administrator include the following:
- Dealing with service users such as other civil servants, members of the public, and other organisations.
- Interpreting and applying complex written policy and procedure information
- Creating high-quality materials and reports.
- Ensuring that required or requested information is provided to the public or requesting parties in a clear and complete manner that does not explicitly withhold information.
- Assisting in the formulation and implementation of policies.
- Researching and conducting analysis relating to specific areas of economic or political interest.
- Using a variety of communication channels, such as verbal, handwritten, digital, and telephonic communication, to construct and share ideas or information.
- Organising and categorising records of prepared reports and correspondence related to completed work, as well as task progress records
- Providing evidence based on research and delivering findings to senior staff members, which may eventually feed into future policy work.
- Working efficiently with and managing resources, often on a limited budget
- Using oral and written communication skills to explain complex information to colleagues and members of the public.
- Achieving and delivering results within deadlines.
- Working quickly under pressure, often adhering to complex rules and procedures.
- Ensuring that administrative systems, processes, and databases are efficient and well-managed, providing a solid foundation for collaboration with other departments.
- Liaising with government officials who hold important political and legislative roles in order to ensure productive communication and relationship building.
- Overseeing the daily operations of various units. Coordinating programme/project activities to ensure cost and time compliance.
- Selecting relevant documentation related to ongoing or completed work and taking steps to ensure its future accessibility.
- Responding to inquiries and information requests from other organisations and members of the public.
- Taking an unbiased interest in economic and political issues.
Salary
The salary for Civil Service Administrators is primarily influenced by experience, sector and employer.
The UK national average salary for a Civil Service Administrators is £22,921, ranging from £20,000 to £29,000 per year. The average additional cash compensation amounts to £200.
As a Civil Service Administrator, you would typically work 36 hours per week, Monday through Friday. Depending on the department, you may be required to work shifts that include evenings, weekends, and public holidays. Part-time work, job sharing, and temporary work are all options.
As a Civil Service Administrator, you’ll frequently work in an open-plan office that is open to the public.Administrative officers in the Civil Service can work in a variety of government departments. The full list of government departments, agencies, and public bodies can be found here.
Administrative officers can be given a wide range of responsibilities and play a crucial role in formulating policies and strategies for a range of economic, financial, international, environmental, and social issues. These positions require a diverse set of skills, and administrative officers may work in areas like critical analysis, policy formation, and drafting, as well as research. For this position, it’s crucial to have strong attention to detail, solid administrative abilities, and strategic thinking.
Civil Service Administrators are committed to promoting and ensuring workplace equality and diversity. The department and whether or not the position is customer-facing determine the dress code. In general, you should dress professionally, but smart casual may be acceptable for some jobs. The job can be difficult at times. Some jobs necessitate meeting tight deadlines, dealing with complaints or difficult questions, or adjusting to new systems or ways of working on a regular basis. Some jobs require travel during the workday, for example, to attend meetings or conduct site visits. Some jobs may require overseas work or travel, such as those with the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Offices.
Qualifications
Although a degree is not required to work as an Civil Service Administrator, the skills you acquire while pursuing your degree may be helpful. You must possess a high level of education, typically at least five GCSEs (or an equivalent number), as well as literacy and numeracy abilities.
Success Profiles, the new Civil Service recruitment framework, are used in the selection process. Your behaviours, strengths, and experiences are evaluated during the process, along with your aptitude and any relevant professional expertise or credentials.
You might be qualified to apply to the Civil Service Fast Stream, a leadership development program, if you do have a degree. Additionally, some government agencies provide graduate hiring programmes. Additionally, you can apply for a Civil Service Apprenticeship to join the government.
If you make it through the hiring process, you’ll have to go through pre-employment screenings, and some departments will demand security clearance. Additionally, you have to fulfill the civil service nationality requirements.
Areas of study relevant for Civil Service Administrators include:
- English (usually required)
- Maths
- Business
- Administrative
- IT
- Languages
- Social subjects
Skills
Must have skills:
Some of the skills that you will have to possess or acquire in order to become a successful Civil Service Administrator include:
- Excellent customer service skills
- Ability to cooperate well with others
- Good sense of logic
- Creativity
- Ability to work with people from all backgrounds
- IT skills
- Decisiveness
- A mature attitude
- Great communication skills
- Observation skills
- Attention to detail
- Time management skills
- Sorting skills
- Reliability
Work experience
When considering a career in Civil Service pre-entry experience is advantageous. Office administration, customer service, and research work are all examples of relevant experience. Many government agencies provide summer internships and work experience opportunities. These can be an excellent way to gain relevant skills and experience working in the Civil Service.
Most departments will provide on-the-job training as well as a mentor (usually a senior member of the department’s staff) to provide advice and guidance. Learning from experienced employees and attending in-house training courses are examples of on-the-job training.
The Civil Service wants to make sure that all employees have the tools and skills they need to provide better public services. Once you arrive at your post, you will be able to access Civil Service Learning, an online portal that provides access to e-learning, online resources, and classroom courses. All civil servants’ shared skills are what the portal aims to improve.
The government has launched a new Government Curriculum to assist civil servants in planning their training and improving their job performance. There are five strands of courses, with topics ranging from initial induction to working in government, line management training, and specialist courses.
You may be able to apply for the Civil Service Fast Stream. This is an accelerated development programme that will allow you to gain a wide range of experience in a short period of time, allowing you to advance in your career.
To be eligible, you must be working at the higher executive officer grade (or equivalent) or below, and you can apply at the same time as external applicants. The selection process for civil servants is the same as for external candidates, but some schemes may not require a degree. For degree exemptions for civil servants, check with individual schemes. Find out how to become a Civil Service Fast Streamer.
Career prospects
The Civil Service’s ideology is to reward and recognise positive contributions by employees, though opportunities vary by department and agency. Promotion or pay increases that are performance-related can be used to show appreciation.
Moving between roles and advancing to higher levels is dependent on opportunities, but there is usually plenty of room for civil servants to move within departments with clear progression structures in place. Salaries may be limited by fixed pay scales depending on Civil Service grade level.
You can move into a variety of departments and agencies, and as your career progresses, you may develop a specialty. This could be in a field like human resources, finance, research, or policy development.
With the right combination of skills and experience, you could advance to executive officer level in business and policy support. It is possible to advance to the level of senior executive officer/higher executive officer, which includes policy officer roles with specific policy responsibilities. To advance to Grade 6 or 7, you must be a seasoned official with significant policy responsibilities.
The Senior Civil Service (SCS) is the highest level of the Civil Service, accounting for only 1.5% of all civil servants. It consists of the senior management team, who are in charge of their team’s policy work.
There are also opportunities to leave the Civil Service and work for private businesses or charities.
With more experience, you’ll be able to handle more complex inquiries or complaints, as well as take on more specialised work related to your department. You could apply to become a Civil Service executive officer with additional training.
Related Courses
This is a full-time programme offered at the University of the West of Scotland’s London Campus, which is located in the heart of the United Kingdom’s economic core. Students interested in a career in Civil Services will benefit from the one-year program, which will prepare them for work in government and non-profit organisations. This course integrates social science and communication.
The University of the West of Scotland teaches this program at their London Campus, so you’ll be studying at the heart of the UK’s political centre. This one-year, full-time curriculum is for students who have no prior expertise with computers or information technology. The course will help you learn much-needed IT expertise to help you prepare for a job as a Civil Service Administrator.
The University of the West of Scotland in London provides a one-year foundation degree that will prepare you for undergraduate courses and lay the groundwork for a business or accounting related career. You will learn about current research sources and real-world case studies in this class. Students will learn about important business courses while also improving their English language and study skills. With the knowledge obtained through the Business Foundation Programme, you will be well equipped to go to the undergraduate level with confidence.
Students can choose from a variety of start dates for this full-time program given by the University of the West of Scotland London over the course of two years and eight months. At UWS London, students can learn from experts in their fields, guest lecturers, and seasoned professionals. The nicest thing about this course is that it is held on the London Campus, in the centre of the United Kingdom.
