Senior Program Evaluator – Regular, Full-time Position Code 24/19B
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES OFFICE OF PROGRAM EVALUATION AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
Senior Program Evaluator – Regular, Full-time Position
Salary: At least $65,000, negotiable depending on experience and qualifications
Principal Duties:
A Senior Program Evaluator performs the following duties under moderate supervision:
Helping design work plans to conduct evaluations of a government program;
Executing program evaluation work plans, which may include:
• Interviewing government employees, including high–level managers, and other individual stakeholders;
• Conducting focus groups of government employees and other stakeholders;
• Designing and executing surveys, and collecting results;
• Reviewing documents including contracts, audits, budgets, financial statements, meeting minutes, academic research, industry publications, and others;
• Collecting and analyzing data, both quantitative and qualitative;
• Observing and taking accurate notes of meetings; and
• Utilizing other techniques required to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of a program.
Contributing to the analysis of information gathered in program evaluations, including developing findings, conclusions, and opportunities for improving efficiency and effectiveness; Contributing to the writing of program evaluations which synthesizes the information gathered, analysis performed, and findings and recommendations made; Working collaboratively as part of a team that shares information, and takes guidance from project and Office leadership; and Protecting confidential information obtained in the course of a program evaluation.
Qualifications:
• Law degree, or master’s degree in public administration, public policy, accounting, business, economics, finance, science, government, political science, or related field; OR
• Bachelor’s degree in an aforementioned field PLUS two or more years of experience in program evaluation, preferably for federal, state, or local government.
• Experience with any or all of the following is preferred: Law; State and/or local government legislative processes; Finance and/or accounting; Public
administration and/or government operations; Research; and Quantitative methods (including data analytics). Additionally, preferred candidates will have well–developed abilities to: Participate in all phases of a program evaluation project, including planning and scoping; fieldwork and data collection; analysis and evaluation; and writing and presenting, among others; Write clearly, concisely, and effectively; Research and understand complex laws and regulations; Conduct productive interviews with high–level personnel whose program units are subject to evaluation, and design and conduct focus groups; Understand and evaluate basic financial data (budgets, balance sheets, etc.); Perform basic statistical analysis of performance data; Design and execute simple surveys, and summarize and analyze the results; Synthesize research from academia, other government agencies, professional organizations, etc.; Formulate and explain findings and conclusions; and Suggest changes to processes, law, funding, and other variables that would positively impact performance.
Work Environment: Employees of the Department of Legislative Services function on a non–partisan basis and may not engage in partisan political activity at any time at the federal, state, or local level.
Applicants are encouraged to submit a concise writing sample of their choice, preferably one that is analytic and/or evaluative. Send resume with a cover letter stating relevant experience and reasons for interest in the position by December 23, 2019 to:
Department of Legislative Services, Human Resources
90 State Circle, Room 311
Annapolis, Maryland 21401-1991
FAX: 410-946-5140 or 301-970-5140
Email: jobs@mlis.state.md.us Website: http://dls.maryland.gov/
Code 24/19B (Required on all resumes)
Upon receipt of an application, candidates will be sent a short exercise, to be completed and returned within 72 hours.
About OPE
At the direction of the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee, the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability conducts evaluations of governmental activities and/or units. OPE evaluates the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy with which resources are used; determines whether desired program results are achieved; determines whether a program aligns with the unit’s mission; evaluates whether a program duplicates another program or activity within another unit; evaluates whether the governmental activity or unit operates in an open, accountable, fair, and non-discriminatory manner; and determines the reliability of specified performance measures.