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Assistant Secretary for Planning Evaluation and Policy Development

Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Department of Education
Responsibility
Management Scope

The Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development oversees planning, evaluation, policy development and budget activities in the Department of Education and implements the department’s annual budget of approximately $78 billion in discretionary funding. This office is home to the department’s Budget Service and Policy and Program Studies Service.3 The office had 86 nonseasonal, full-time permanent employees in fiscal 2016.4

Primary Responsibilities

• Coordinates with Education Department principal offices and outside organizations such as Congress, the White House Domestic Policy Council, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and state education agencies5
• Leads cross-agency policy development, including design of new administration programs and initiatives, input into legislative action and creation of annual agency budget
• Leads annual agency budget development process—from internal priority-setting and approval by OMB and the White House through the budget release and Congressional appropriation
•Ensures enacted budget funds are managed effectively by leading an agency-wide spending plan process, and ensures the highest level of fiscal controls and oversight
• Provides policy and budget response to requests from Capitol Hill staff for technical assistance on legislative proposals
• Manages a repository of policy data necessary to formulate, develop, validate and recommend policy positions to the secretary
• Provides technical expertise on formula development, modeling, forecasting and trends analysis, and conducts analyses of cost/benefit and institutional effects of regulations6
• Provides policy, research, data and fact-checking support for all agency policy announcements, public communications, the secretary’s speeches and the secretary appearances before Congress
• Ensures high-quality input into all agency clearance processes

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

• Experience shaping education policy at a school district, state, or federal level, or as part of an academic-, research- or policy-oriented institution
• Experience leading high-performing, diverse teams
• Track record of developing strong relationships across an organization and with a variety of external stakeholders
• Responsibility for developing and managing budgets, including ensuring proper financial control and monitoring
• Experience advocating for policy positions externally, for example in media and/or with elected or appointed decision-making authorities
• Experience with financial aid and government grant programs (preferred)
• Graduate degree: MBA, JD, or Master’s/Ph.D. in education or academic field (preferred)

Competencies

• Strong strategic and analytical skills to bring data, research and insight to policy recommendations
• Excellent oral and written communications skills
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively across the agency, with other parts of the administration, with external stakeholders and with congressional staff
• Ability to engage with external stakeholders constructively, including those who oppose aspects of the administration’s agenda
• Ability to maintain own and staff’s high levels of energy and commitment through challenging and unpredictable demands of the office
• Ability to handle sensitive matters with integrity and discretion

Past Appointments
  • Amy McIntosh (2015 to 2017) – Deputy Assistant Secretary for P-12 Policy, Department of Education; Senior Fellow at the New York State Department of Education Regents Research Fund; Chief of Talent and New Initiatives in the New York City Department of Education; Deputy Chief of Staff in the New York City Department of Education Chancellor’s Office7
  • Robert M. Gordon (2014 to 2015) – Acting Deputy Director at the Office of Management and Budget; Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress; Chief Executive for Resource Allocation, New York City Department of Education8
  • Carmel Martin (2009 to 2013) – Deputy Staff Director for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy; Associate Director for Domestic Policy at American Progress; Senior Policy Adviser to Sen. Jeff Bingaman9
AGENCY

Department of Education

Mission: To promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access

COMPENSATION

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)2

REPORTS TO

Secretary of Education

SENATE COMMITTEE

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

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Footnote
  1. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/om/fs_po/opepd/intro.html#1
  2. 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.
  3. OPM
  4. Partnership for Public Service analysis ofFedScopedata
  5. OPM
  6. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/om/fs_po/opepd/intro.html#1
  7. https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybmcintosh/
  8. https://www.brookings.edu/experts/robert-gordon/
  9. http://www.businessfwd.org/speakers/carmel-martin
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