Civil vs Public Services: Difference and Comparison

Government works for the welfare of society. High-rank officers are appointed to do so. They help maintain law and order in the community. The services provided are – Fire Department, Healthcare Services, Electricity, Transportation, and many more.

Various officials tend to play a vital role in implementing laws and programs launched by the Government.

Key Takeaways

1. Civil services refer to the administrative and managerial services responsible for the execution of government policies and programs.
2. On the other hand, public services refer to the services provided to the general public by the government or other public institutions.
3. Civil services are responsible for implementing laws and regulations, while public services are responsible for meeting the needs and demands of the public.

Civil Services vs Public Services

Civil services are government employees who work in non-military and non-political roles to carry out the day-to-day operations of a country. Civil servants are hired through competitive exams and are bound by strict ethical guidelines. Public services refer to the services the government provides to the public, such as healthcare, education, and law enforcement. Public services are provided by civil servants and political appointees and are funded by taxpayers.

In Civil Services, people used to get paid for their work with a handsome amount. Civil Servants have greater decision-making power. It is also said that all civil servants are called public servants, while not all are called civil servants.

In Public Services, people are not paid for their work. Also, their work is said to be informal and voluntarily done by them. They do not require high-quality qualifications to be a Public Servant.

The individuals working as Public servants do not have any authority in decision-making but have to follow special orders.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Civil Services	Public Services
Definition	Civil Service is a service responsible for the proper functioning of a society and is regulated by the Government.	Public Service is a type of service that is done to serve the commodity.
Qualification Required	To be in civil services, both educational and professional qualifications are required, along with experience.	Educational and professional qualifications are not necessary to be in public service.
Salary	Civil Services provides a fancy amount to their employees.	Public Services does not provide a handsome salary to their employees.
Responsibilities	They have many responsibilities, one of them being to help implement many programs and schemes the government offers.	It is done for a volunteering purpose.
Financing	The Central Government finances civil Services.	The Central Government does not always fund Public Services.

What are Civil Services?

Civil Service can be stated as the services the Government provides to everyone. And is also responsible for implementing the new and already launched schemes, programs, and laws for the proper functioning of society.

Some of the services offered by Civil Servants are – Providing a proper pension system to older people who have retired from their work, issuing a driving license to the right candidate, management of the prison, and representing our Government at various levels – nationally or internationally around the globe, and many more.

Highly qualified officials in academics as well as in profession, along with some prior experience, are required for this kind of pace of work. The officials are also paid a significant sum for their job. And are authorized to make important decision that has to be followed by the juniors.

For proper regulation, these services are governed by the Central Government.

What are Public Services?

Public Service is the services provided voluntarily by any group or individual for the betterment of society and is in the public interest. These services do not require prior experience; no higher academic or professional qualification is necessary.

They focus on how to serve people by providing them with more and more benefits. As the services are provided voluntarily, the individual or groups are not benefitted monetarily always.

These services are not authentically governed by the Central Government always. The individual working as a Public Servant isn’t given any authority/right to decide and act upon it.

They have to follow the orders of their superiors—for Example, Healthcare Sectors, Fire Departments, Ministers, etc. 

The services under this category are said to be received by everyone, and the main aim of the Public Servant must be to provide them with every household.

Main Differences Between Civil Services and Public Services

1. Civil Service is a type of service including some officials who the Government appoints to work in favour of the people. At the same time, Public Service is a service in which the public selects someone to work above them and in the public interest.
2. To be an aspiring employee to work in Civil Service, one must possess academic and professional qualifications and some experience that isn’t necessary for working in Public Service.
3. Individuals working in Civil Service get a handsome salary, but it is not the same for individuals working in Public Service.
4. The part of responsibilities served by Civil Service officials is more significant and critical than in Public Service; in Civil Service, the officials are asked to help implement laws made by the Government. In Public Service, the officer does a thing for volunteering purposes.
5. Civil Service is governed by the officials of the Central Government, while Public Service is not necessarily managed by it.

References

1. https://academic.oup.com/jpart/article/8/3/413/987732?login=true
2. https://academic.oup.com/jpart/article/7/4/499/950586?login=true