Series Specifications

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

DEFINITION

Under general supervision, to plan, develop, review, evaluate, and monitor human service programs; and to do other work as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Assistant Human Services Analyst is the trainee and first working level in the Human Services Analyst series. Incumbents are initially assigned well-defined and limited work, which is subject to review in progress and upon completion; more difficult work assignments with greater latitude are assigned as skills and knowledge increase.

Associate Human Services Analyst is the journey level class in the Human Services Analyst series. Incumbents perform varied and difficult work independently with review upon completion. Positions at this level are responsible for several phases of a major program revision or development.

TYPICAL TASKS

Conducts studies of agency services, policies, procedures, organizational structure, staffing, and budget; assists in measuring short-term and long-term program objectives; prepares reports and recommendations to implement assigned phases of major program changes; analyzes pending legislation, laws, regulations and other information received from local, state and federal agencies relating to human service programs and prepares reports and recommendations; conducts research projects to analyze new programs or to revise existing programs to meet client needs, availability of services, and social and economic patterns within the county; designs and develops measurement techniques to assess needs and services and to evaluate program effectiveness; designs questionnaires and forms to gather, tabulate, and analyze data; prepares detailed narrative, oral, statistical and graphic reports; assesses local community resources, evaluates services and makes recommendations for new or revised human service programs, as assigned; evaluates and monitors on-going human service programs within the agency and provided through contractors or sub-agents; collects and reviews data to evaluate and measure service delivery provided by the department and contractors or sub-agents; reviews contracts, operating plans and goals, audit and progress reports, service reports, case files, and fiscal and statistical data; interviews staff, contractors, sub-agents and clients, prepares organizational and workflow charts; drafts requests for proposals and invitations for bids; reviews proposals and bids, and makes recommendations for funding; negotiates and prepares contracts and contract modifications as assigned; develops policies and operating procedures for demonstration projects and provides assistance and advice during project operation; evaluates project results and integrates results into existing programs; develops and maintains working relationships with a wide variety of public and private community leaders and officials and with local, state and federal agencies; may serve as project leader over other analysts and operating personnel to plan a major new program or to evaluate on-going services; may provide staff support for commissions or committees.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

Knowledge:

 Assistant Human Services Analyst

  Some knowledge of:

• Human services, basic community needs and community resources.
• Analytical and research techniques.
• Basic statistics.
• Program evaluation processes.

 Associate Human Services Analyst

  Working knowledge of the above, plus:

• Contracts and of basic procurement procedures.
• The functions and services of a local human resources agency.
• Grant proposal writing and budgeting.

  Some knowledge of:

• Basic budgeting techniques.

Ability to:

• Define problems, design efficient and organized plans to collect and format data, establish facts, and draw logical conclusions.
• Create and determine acceptability of social science research hypotheses by drawing from accepted theories, practices, principles and empirical data in the social science field.
• Develop effective strategies for solving a wide variety of problems.
• Prepare and present a variety of clear and concise written and oral reports.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others contacted in course of work.
• Interpret legislation and regulations, administrative policies and procedures.
• Analyze and prepare grant proposals, contracts and related budgets.

Training and Experience:

Any combination of training and experience, which would provide the required knowledge and abilities, is qualifying. A typical way to obtain these knowledge and abilities would be:

  Assistant Human Services Analyst

Graduation from college with training which demonstrates application or possession of the knowledge and abilities.

Or

Successful completion of college level course work in statistics, social science research, administrative analysis or problem solving techniques which demonstrates application or possession of the knowledge and abilities; and two years of experience in the delivery of human services including program planning and evaluation.

Or

Four years of increasingly responsible experience in a human services agency including design, development or implementation of human service delivery systems, which demonstrates possession or application of the required knowledge and abilities listed above.

  Associate Human Services Analyst

Two years of experience performing duties comparable to that of Assistant Human Services Analyst with Santa Cruz County.

Special Requirements:

Possession of a valid California Class C Driver's License or the employee must be able to provide suitable transportation which is approved by the appointing authority.