9-1-84 B

Performs professional level budget formulation and evaluation work in an agency or institution in assisting senior budget personnel or agency administrators in preparing, justifying, analyzing, or controlling the biennial budget requests and/or operating budgets.

Positions carry out one or more major responsibilities in budget formulation, operating budget analysis, reconciliation between the operating budget and actual expenditures, and forecasting expenditures and revenues. Positions in this class must have recognizable influence on budget formulation or agency program direction. Positions in this class are distinguished from staff positions in the Senior Budget Analyst class in that the latter have final responsibility for budget formulation for a major segment or division of a large agency budget or closely related responsibilities.

This is the first class of a series for budget analyst positions which make decisions regarding the budgets or resources for program direction. The decisions, whether in budget development, financial planning, resource allocation, or projection of revenues using economic indicators, affect the course of agency programs.

May supervise Fiscal Technicians and clerical personnel. Directions are received from a Budget Analyst Senior, Budget Director, or other agency administrator.

Performs work of moderate difficulty in a wide variety of professional level activities such as analyzing past and current financial operations, preparing significant parts of the budget request, developing budget status and other reports, or serving as budget representative between the agency budget office and the division heads.

Performs analyses for a portion of the total agency budget, such as preparing specific forecasts, estimating revenues, and preparing narrative justification; or may project expenditures employing a variety of data or economic indicators, allocate resources between programs, or carry out special budget projects.

Receives budget requests from agency administrators. Reviews requests for accuracy, completeness, and conformance to instructions; evaluates the operational efficiency of requested program levels.

Confers with agency administrators regarding budget proposals and establishes the priority of different requests; explains revenue and expenditure data and justifications for individual programs.

Recommends the deletion, inclusion, or modification of the different levels of requests; discusses strategies to be employed; advises superiors regarding the effective use of resources.

Attends budget review hearings; presents additional supporting data.

Evaluates appropriation levels and assists in issuing operating budget guidelines to the agency staff. Analyzes variances between the operating budget and actual expenditures; reports unusual variances or trends and prepares recommendations for expenditure adjustments.

Assists with the adaptation of data processing or computer use for budget preparation, expenditure control, or preparation of reports.

Working knowledge of the principles and practices of budget formulation, evaluation and execution. Working knowledge of the principles of public administration and government finance. Some knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles. Demonstrated ability to prepare evaluations of complex budgets or related financial proposals or projections. Demonstrated ability to work with agency supervisors, to communicate verbally and in writing, and to present budgets and recommendations effectively.

Graduation from a college or university with major studies in public administration, political science, business administration or related curriculum; or an equivalent combination of training and experience indicating possession of the preceding knowledge and abilities.