The official routine observed in carrying out functions in the civil service is commonly known as

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the term used for the official routine, or set procedures, followed when carrying out functions in the civil service.

Step 2: Explain the concept Bureaucracy is a system of administration in which government work is done by appointed officials. It is organized in a hierarchy and follows fixed rules, procedures, and routines. Max Weber described its main features:

• Hierarchy of authority
• Division of labour and specialization
• Written rules and regulations
• Impersonality (everyone is treated by the same rules)
• Records kept in writing, and appointment and promotion based on merit

In Nigeria, the civil service works this way. Files move from one officer to another, memos are written, and approvals are given at each level. This formal routine is what people commonly call bureaucracy, and it is sometimes mocked as "red tape."

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Official order: This is not a standard term for civil service routine. It refers to an instruction.
• B. Bureaucracy: This is the system of official procedures and routines in public administration. It fits the question.
• C. Standard order: This is not a recognized term for the civil service routine.
• D. Command: This means an order given by a superior. It is not the routine itself.

Step 4: Answer The correct answer is B. bureaucracy.

Exam tip: When you see "official routine," "hierarchy," "rules and procedures," or "red tape" in a Government question about the civil service, think bureaucracy. A quick way to remember it is that "bureau" means office, so bureaucracy is rule by the office.