Budget
Preparation Specialist
The
"budget preparation specialist" designation is a job title within
the GS-560 "budget analyst" series that was specifically developed
to recognize the unique duties of certain analysts within the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB). Organizationally, these analysts
comprise the majority of the staff of the Budget Review and Concepts
Division of OMB.
The
budget preparation specialist participates in a variety of functions
related to the preparation, execution, and analysis of the President's
budget. Generally, the work encompasses problem identification and
resolution; compilation and analysis of program and budgetary information
gathered from a variety of sources; technical and substantive review
of budgetary data, appropriations language and related Congressional
reports, and other information; preparation of associated tables,
reports, letters, memoranda, and the like; liaison functions within
and outside of the OMB; representation of Branch work at varying
levels of government; and a variety of data/information management
and administrative tasks associated with budget analysis.
Examples
of specific work assignments include:
- Monitoring
Congressional action on appropriations bills. The specialist
serves as the focal point for preparation and dissemination of
information concerning the Administration's position on appropriations
action taken by the Congress. Attends mark-up sessions; conducts
liaison activities with the Appropriations Committees and the
Congressional Budget Office (CBO); maintains a computer data file
supporting the appropriations monitoring process; prepares letters
to Congressional leadership, statements of Administration policy,
and various supporting materials for use by OMB policy officials
and the White House in conducting negotiations with the Congress
on appropriations matters.
- Contributing
to preparation of the President's budget. Working with other
staff of the Division, the specialist coordinates the development
of the data base that supports the President's annual budget and
contributes to the preparation of the technical materials portion
of the budget document. Reviews agency budget submissions for
technical and conceptual accuracy and consistency; works with
OMB program divisions to resolve problems encountered; ensures
that milestones in the budget preparation process are met, and
that both the budget document and the data base supporting it
are of high technical quality.
- Preparation
of recurring and ad hoc analytical reports. Frequently using
personal computer applications, the specialist compiles data and
other information and analyzes its implications in order to produce
statistical or analytical reports for the use of OMB policy leadership.
The subject matter of the analysis may concern a wide variety
of budgetary topics such as (1) planned versus actual spending
in the current fiscal year; (2) the effect of budgetary proposals
on the discretionary spending limits established by the Budget
Enforcement Act; and (3) comparisons of OMB and CBO scoring of
legislation.
- Analysis
of budgetary issues. Working independently or, more typically,
as part of a work group, the specialist exercises reasoning skills
in considering various conceptual, technical, and procedural issues
related to the budget process (e.g., implications of the Budget
Enforcement Act for OMB reporting requirements, refinement of
computer systems applications to accommodate evolving technical
budgeting requirements). The result of these efforts may include
(1) development of OMB positions on various conceptual issues
to facilitate the exchange of information with the Congressional
Budget Office, the House and Senate Budget Committees, and the
Appropriations Committees; and, (2) development of guidance for
the OMB program divisions and other Federal agencies.
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