Working for the public sector

Note: the links on this page refer mostly to pages in Dutch.

Government
The government consists of three layers: the central or national government, the provinces and the municipalities. Other parts of the government are primarily classified according to their function.

•             Rijksoverheid (regering, ministeries, Eerste en Tweede Kamer)
•             Provincies
•             Gemeenten
•             Hoge Colleges van Staat
•             Adviesorganen
•             Waterschappen
•             Openbare lichamen voor beroep en bedrijf
•             Zelfstandige bestuursorganen

Semi-governmental
These are organisations affiliated with the government. They serve a public interest and are funded by the government. Examples include housing associations, hospitals and special education institutions (public education falls under the government). Independent administrative bodies (ZBO's) of the government such as the CBR, CBS, Kadaster, SVB and UWV are also considered semi-governmental. These are private institutions between the government and society.

It is difficult to talk about the government as a whole. Every organisation/department has a different mission and culture. When looking for a job, it is important to consider whether the mission and culture of a specific department within an organisation suit you. These can be very different from those of another department within the same organisation.