List of Victorian government agencies

The agencies of the Government of Victoria are collectively described as the Victorian public sector. By convention, and similarly to other jurisdictions with Westminster systems of government, the public sector is organised into the public service and public entities. The public sector is also collectively known as the machinery of government. In Victoria, the public sector is defined by the Public Administration Act 2004.

The Victorian public service is composed of eight departments, the head of each being a secretary. Each department can consist of a number of portfolios, each of which is the direct responsibility of a minister, who collectively form the ministry. A number of other bodies perform specific roles within the public service. For example, the Victorian Public Sector Commission oversees and reports on the public sector as a whole; Administrative Offices established in relation to departments and undertake clearly defined tasks while reporting directly to the secretary and the responsible Minister; and various other bodies which are described in legislation as public service employers.

Public entities are formed in various ways: they may be statutory authorities, formed by legislative instruments which define their role and purpose; state-owned enterprises with a commercial purpose; or other advisory bodies performing a public function. Public entities are granted varying degrees of autonomy but are ultimately responsible to the relevant minister. For that purpose, each is assigned to the portfolio of the department supporting the minister. Departments, therefore, are responsible for both the public service bodies and public entities which fall within their purview.

Transfers of responsibility between public sector bodies, and the creation or abolition of these bodies, are known as machinery of government changes. The Public Administration Act provides the mechanisms by which such changes are made.