Katana VentraIP

Executive agency

An executive agency is a part of a government department that is treated as managerially and budgetarily separate, to carry out some part of the executive functions of the United Kingdom government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government or Northern Ireland Executive. Executive agencies are "machinery of government" devices distinct both from non-ministerial government departments and non-departmental public bodies (or "quangos"), each of which enjoy legal and constitutional separation from ministerial control. The model has been applied in several other countries.

For other uses, see Executive agency of the European Commission.

Size and scope[edit]

Agencies[1] include well-known organisations such as His Majesty's Prison Service and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. The annual budget for each agency, allocated by HM Treasury, ranges from a few million pounds for the smallest agencies to £700m for the Court Service. Virtually all government departments have at least one agency.

Crown Commercial Service

Government Property Agency

Other countries[edit]

Several other countries have an executive agency model.


In the United States, the Clinton administration imported the model under the name "performance-based organizations."[3]


In Canada, executive agencies were adopted on a limited basis under the name "special operating agencies."[4] One example is the Translation Bureau under Public Services and Procurement Canada.


Executive agencies were also established in Australia, Jamaica, Japan and Tanzania.

Trading fund

Agency of the European Union

Government-owned corporation

Departments of the United Kingdom Government

Non-departmental public body

Independent agencies of the United States government

United States federal executive departments

archived in 2007

Economic Research Council online database of all UK Quangos 1998-2006

2002 Government report into the agencies model entitled "" published by The Prime Minister's Office of Public Services Reform. Contains a list of agencies. (PDF)

Better Government Services – Executive agencies in the 21st century

Civil Service (archived in 2008)