Federal Position Descriptions
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Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services
Responsibility
Management Scope

The assistant secretary’s office includes the Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary along with four policy offices: the Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy; the Office of Health Policy; the Office of Human services Policy/HHS Chief Economist; and the Office of Science and Data Policy.3 He or she oversees 144 employees and a budget of $56.3 million.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serves as the principal advisor to the HHS secretary on policy development, providing a perspective that is broader than the specific focus of any one HHS agency, and integrates the programs and policies of many agencies, both within HHS and across the government
• Leads special initiatives; coordinates the department’s evaluation, research and demonstration activities; and manages cross-department planning activities such as strategic and legislative planning, and review of regulations
• Conducts research and evaluation studies; develops policy analyses; and estimates the cost and benefits of policy alternatives under consideration by the department or Congress4

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Subject-matter expertise in evaluation process
• High-end academic credentials, such as a Ph.D. (preferred)
• Experience with strategic plans (preferred)
• Relationships in academic world (a plus)

Competencies

• Ability to manage professionals
• Ability to form collaborative relationships
• Strong writing and editing skills
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent leadership skills
• Ability to handle sensitive matters
• Ability to work in a matrixed agency
• Ability to work across partisan lines

Past Appointments
  • Richard G. Frank (2014 to 2016): Special Advisor to the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning And Evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services; Margaret T. Morris Professor of Health Economics at Harvard Medical School5
  • Sherry Glied (2010 to 2012): Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management; Senior Economist for health care and labor market policy on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers6
  • Benjamin Eric Sasse (2007 to 2010): Counselor to the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services; Chief of Staff to Rep. Jeff Fortenberry; University Professor; Management Consultant7
AGENCY

Department of Health and Human Services

Mission: To enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans by providing effective health and human services, and fostering advances in medicine, public health and social services

COMPENSATION

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)1

REPORTS TO

Secretary of Health and Human Services2

SENATE COMMITTEE

Finance

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Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
  2. https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/orgchart/and OPM
  3. https://aspe.hhs.gov/missionand OPM
  4. OPM
  5. http://www.nhpf.org/speakerbio_richardfrankhttps://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/faculty/core/richard-g-frank-phd
  6. http://wagner.nyu.edu/community/faculty/sherry-glied
  7. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S001197
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