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Request to adopt the amended classification specifications of Staff Analyst (Entry), Staff Analyst and Staff Analyst (Senior)
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HUMAN RESOURCES' RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Human Resources (Human Resources) recommends the Civil Service Commission to adopt the amendments to the classification specifications of Staff Analyst (Entry), Staff Analyst and Staff Analyst (Senior).
SUMMARY:
The Staff Analyst series is a County-wide classification responsible for performing a variety of professional level financial management roles to include preparing, reviewing, analyzing, auditing and monitoring budgets, expenditures, grants, and contracts; and conducts analytical studies involving the operations, programs and services of the department served to develop and/or improve systems and procedures and to recommend and implement solutions. Incumbents of the Staff Analyst series also perform analytical studies of the programs and services of the department. The classification specifications of Staff Analyst (Entry) and Staff Analyst (Senior) were first established in December 2000 and the classification of Staff Analyst, was established in May 2000; and last revised in March 2006. A class study was conducted of the incumbents in classes in the Staff Analyst series with an emphasis on updating the minimum qualifications, particularly the education and experience requirements. Further, the study provided information to update the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to assist in the examination process, as well as the improve the ability to attract applicants.
DISCUSSION:
The classification specifications of Staff Analyst (Entry) and Staff Analyst (Senior) were first established in December 2000 and the classification of Staff Analyst, was established in May 2000; and last revised in March 2006. Of concern to the County was ensuring the classifications properly addressed the duties appropriate for each position, as well as improving the readability of each classification specification and ensuring the County was able to sufficiently recruit qualified candidates. As such, the County determined it was necessary to conduct a classification study of the incumbents, and feedback was received via positions description questionnaires, supervisor input, and desk audits
Included as part of the classification study were the incumbents occupying the were 18 positions (12 Staff Analyst (Senior) and 8 (eight) Staff Analyst positions in eight different departments (almost half of the departments in the County), as well as input and feedback from Department Heads and the Auditor Controller’s Office. The classifications have significant responsibility in the financial management of these departments; and the classifications are viewed as integral classifications in the upward mobility progression of County employees.
The changes to the classification specifications include
• Re-formatting the class specifications to the new format;
• Providing more description of the differences in the complexity level between the classes, particularly the Staff Analyst and the Staff Analyst (Senior) classes;
• Combining and reorganizing all financial management duties (budgeting, reviewing expenditures, monitoring contracts and grants, overseeing payroll, etc.) in one duty in order to emphasize the importance of this work and, hopefully, making it more apparent to applicants the importance of financial management ;
• Updating the education requirements; and
• Expanding the Knowledge Skills and Abilities section.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Civil Service Commission could elect not to approve the proposed class specification amendments; however, this is not recommended since the Board of Equalization requires the certification, education and experience for employees performing the duties of auditor-appraisers employed by a county. Employees without the certification are not able to perform the duties and function of auditor-appraisers.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Human Resources distributed the revised class specifications to all Department Heads for comment and feedback, including staff from the Auditor-Controller’s Office. On December 22, 2016, the County sent a notice to Public Employees Union, Local One, however, that bargaining unit was going through a decertification election. As a result of the pending election, the County waited until the after election, and met and conferred with the new exclusive representative from the Association of Mid-Management Professionals at Solano County (AMMPS), and concluded the meet-and-confer process. The Association and the County reached agreement on class specification changes for the series.