The First Minister is the head of the Scottish Government.
The Scottish Government is made up of Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers, who are MSPs chosen by the First Minister. It also includes 2 Law Officers (the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General for Scotland) who do not need to be MSPs.
Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers are supported by Scottish Government staff who are civil servants.
Learn more about Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers
Watch a BSL video about the difference between the Parliament and the Government