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).