What Cadre means

In the public Service, the “cadre” of an officer means:

The professional or occupational group (career line) to which an officer belongs, based on qualification, training, and the nature of duties performed.

In simple terms, your cadre is your career specialization within the service.


What a Cadre Represents

A cadre determines:

  • The type of work you do
  • Your promotion path
  • Your entry grade level
  • Your maximum grade level
  • Your training and posting pattern

Common Cadres in the Civil Service

Here are some well-known cadres:

Administrative Cadre

  • Administrative Officer II, I
  • Senior Administrative Officer
  • Assistant Director, Director
    Duties: General administration, policy coordination, management.

Executive Cadre

  • Executive Officer II, I
  • Senior Executive Officer
    Duties: Office supervision, records, clerical and support functions.

Clerical Cadre

  • Clerical Officer
    Duties: Typing, registry, filing, routine office work.

Secretarial Cadre

  • Confidential Secretary II, I
  • Senior Confidential Secretary
    Duties: Typing, shorthand, correspondence handling.

Accounting Cadre

  • Accountant II, I
  • Senior Accountant
  • Assistant Director (Accounts)
    Duties: Government accounting and finance.

Audit Cadre

  • Auditor II, I
  • Senior Auditor
    Duties: Government auditing.

Executive Officer (General Duties) Cadre

  • Often called EO (GD)
    Duties: Field and office administrative support.

Engineering Cadres

  • Civil Engineer
  • Mechanical Engineer
  • Electrical Engineer

Education Cadres

  • Education Officer
  • Inspector of Education

Legal Cadre

  • Legal Officer
    Duties: Legal advisory and litigation.

Medical Cadres

  • Medical Officer
  • Nursing Officer
  • Pharmacist

Example

If an officer is employed as:

Administrative Officer II (GL 08)
His or her cadre = Administrative Cadre

If promoted to:

Senior Administrative Officer (GL 12)
The cadre remains Administrative Cadre


Difference Between Cadre and Rank

TermMeaning
CadreCareer line / professional group
RankYour current post or grade level

Why Cadre Is Important

Your cadre determines:

  • How fast you can be promoted
  • The highest post you can reach
  • Whether you can transfer to another career line
  • Your eligibility for certain trainings and postings

What Cadre means