The Cabinet Office is the highest administrative authority in the Government of Zambia, operating under the Office of the President (Zambia). It is responsible for coordinating policy implementation, managing the civil service, and supporting the operations of the Cabinet and President of Zambia. As of 2025, the Cabinet Office is headed by Patrick Kangwa, who was appointed as Secretary to the Cabinet in July 2022."Kangwa Appointed Secretary to Cabinet". Zambia Daily Mail. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
Functions The core functions of the Cabinet Office include coordinating the implementation of Cabinet decisions, managing the operations of government ministries, and ensuring adherence to public service standards. It also oversees appointments, promotions, and discipline within the civil service.About Us – Cabinet Office. Government of Zambia. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
In addition, the Cabinet Office facilitates inter-ministerial communication and serves as a secretariat for Cabinet meetings, where it compiles agendas, records minutes, and tracks the execution of executive directives.Zambia National Coordination Council. Cabinet Governance Framework Report. 2021.
Organizational structure The Cabinet Office comprises several divisions that support its broad administrative mandate: Public Service Management Division (PSMD), which oversees human resource functions across the civil service, including recruitment, training, and performance management.Functions and Structure – PSMD. Retrieved 4 August 2025. Management Development Division (MDD), which is responsible for capacity building and reform implementation. Remuneration Division, which manages salary harmonization and job evaluation systems. Policy Analysis and Coordination Division (PACD), tasked with tracking implementation of key policies and inter-ministerial performance. Government Printing Department, which produces official gazettes, stationery, and government documents.
Each division is headed by a Permanent Secretary and coordinated by the Secretary to the Cabinet.
Role in public service The Cabinet Office plays a central role in Zambia's civil service system. Through PSMD and related departments, it supervises thousands of public officers across ministries and statutory bodies. It also ensures alignment of human resources with Zambia’s national development frameworks, including the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP).About PSMD. Public Service Management Division. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
Ethics, accountability, and performance-based management are some of the core values the Cabinet Office enforces in the Zambian public service.Zambia Institute of Policy Studies. Public Sector Ethics Review Report 2022.
Leadership The Secretary to the Cabinet is the most senior civil servant in Zambia and serves as principal advisor to the President on administrative and policy matters. The officeholder also chairs meetings of Permanent Secretaries and oversees the coordination of government programs at the highest level.
Relations with the Presidency As a department under the Office of the President (Zambia), the Cabinet Office works closely with State House (Zambia) and other presidential units such as the Special Division and the Presidential Delivery Unit. It is the administrative link between the executive and government ministries, ensuring effective communication and implementation of presidential decisions.
See also Office of the President (Zambia) President of Zambia Secretary to the Cabinet (Zambia) Civil service State House (Zambia)
References
External links Official website – Cabinet Office of Zambia Public Service Management Division (PSMD)