Board, corporation, office... definitions and roles
In Québec's public administrative system, every government
instance is identified based on its main role. There are two main
kinds of instances:
- Instances other than corporations (committees, advisory bodies,
boards, agencies…)
- Government corporations and their subsidiaries
Instances other than corporations
Advisory committees provide ministers or government
agencies with opinions primarily concerning certain aspects of
implementation of specific policies (Comité sur le civisme).
Advisory councils provide ministers with opinions on the
overall policy pertaining to a specific activity sector (Conseil
consultatif du travail et de la main-d'œuvre, Conseil supérieur de
l'éducation).
Commissions are primarily tasked with inquiry,
examination, arbitration, study, assessment, verification and
monitoring in areas of government jurisdiction (Commission de
l'équité salariale).
Agencies are mandated to oversee activities other than
commercial, industrial or financial (Office des personnes
handicapées du Québec).
Boards harmonize the exercise of private activities by
enforcing legislative standards. They ensure compliance with these
standards and authorize activities based on socio-economic or
technical considerations (Régie de l'énergie).
After hearing the parties concerned, administrative
tribunals hand down or amend decisions by a body regarding a
right granted a citizen in an area of the law outside the
jurisdiction of regular courts or procedure (Tribunal administratif
du Québec).
Government corporations and their subsidiaries
Government corporations are entrusted with the
commercial, financial or industrial management of instances based
on the goals of profitability and self-financing
(Hydro-Québec).
Administrative companies are entrusted with commercial,
financial or industrial management based on the goals of efficiency
and effectiveness. Examples are retirement or insurance plan
management bodies (CSST), development or infrastructure
corporations (Société des traversiers du Québec), financial or
technical assistance corporations (Investissement Québec), and
service corporations (Télé-Québec).