Public bodies and their role in government

There are two main types of public body – which can be further divided.

Non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are funded by departments and carry out functions on their behalf – but they are kept at arm’s length to ensure they remain objective and unbiased. There are four kinds of NDPB:

• Executive NDPBs, such as the Environment Agency, carry out administrative, executive or regulatory functions on behalf of the government.
• Advisory NDPBs, such as the Low Pay Commission, provide expert advice and input into policy making.
• Tribunal NDPBs, such as the Pensions Ombudsman, have jurisdiction over the rights and obligations of private citizens in relation to a department or authority.
• Independent monitoring boards act as watchdogs for prisons, young offenders’ institutes and immigration removal centres.

Public corporations, such as the Audit Commission, have a higher level of independence and are also ‘market bodies’. This means that they derive more than half of their income from selling goods and services or by charging for regulatory activities.

Getting a graduate job in a public body

Public bodies tend to run their own recruitment systems. The larger organisations (such as the Audit Commission) tend to have graduate schemes that recruit large numbers each year, while smaller employers (such as the Electoral Commission) are more likely to recruit for specific vacancies.

To get a feel for what these roles are like, read about graduates who have already done the job:

• Bethan Evans, research officer, Office for National Statistics
• Lynda Vesco, associate, Financial Services Authority