The top management structure of the Public Service contains five levels: those of the Principal Permanent Secretary, Permanent Secretaries, Directors General/Chief Information Officers, Directors and Assistant Directors.

The Principal Permanent Secretary is the Head of the Public Service. This position is established by the Public Administration Act.

Permanent Secretaries represent the second level of leadership in the Public Service. Each ministry normally includes a single Permanent Secretary who serves as its administrative head, although in certain cases there may be more than one Permanent Secretary in a ministry.

Directors General may be appointed to head large divisions in a ministry. They may also be appointed as heads of large departments of Government.

Directors head directorates in a ministry under the responsibility of the Permanent Secretary, or else of a Director General. Directors also head directorates in large departments which are under the overall direction of a Director General. Directors may also be appointed as heads of small departments of Government in their own right.

Assistant Directors are usually assigned responsibility for sections of a certain importance in ministries and in departments of Government.

The top management structure in the Public Service also includes some heads of department with special titles, such as the Superintendent of Public Health who is equivalent to a Director General.