An equal opportunity employer to all regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age or sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the state of California to achieve a drug-free state work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the state, the rules governing civil service and the special trust placed in public servants.

Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications as stated below may apply for this examination at any time.  Once you have taken the examination, you may not reapply for six (6) months.  All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this examination announcement.

Final File Date: Continuous

Where to Apply:
Click on the Apply Online link at the bottom of this bulletin.

An open, merged eligible list will be established by the State Personnel Board for use by other state departments. The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list in order of final scores regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established.  Once you have taken the Qualifications Assessment, you may not retake it for 6 (six) months.

NOTE:  All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this examination announcement.

Experience applicable to one of the following patterns may be combined on a proportional basis with experience applicable to the other patterns to meet the total experience requirements, provided that the combined qualifying experience totals at least 30 months. Education may not be used to reduce this 30-month limit. 

                                                Either I
One year of experience performing the duties of a Staff Services Analyst, Range C. 

                                                Or II
Experience: Three years of professional analytical experience performing duties in one or a combination of the following or closely related areas: budgeting, management analysis, personnel, planning, program evaluation, or policy analysis. (State experience applied toward this pattern must include at least one year in a class at a level of responsibility equivalent to that of a Staff Services Analyst, Range C.) 
                                                and
Education: Equivalent to graduation from college. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.) (One year of graduate work in public or business administration, industrial relations, psychology, law, political science, or a related field may be substituted for six months of the required experience.)

Promotional candidates who are within six months of satisfying the experience
requirement for this class will be admitted to the examination, but they must fully
meet the experience requirement before being eligible for appointment.

An Associate Governmental Program Analyst performs the more responsible, varied, and complex technical analytical staff services assignments such as program evaluation and planning; policy analysis and formulation; systems development; budgeting, planning, management, and personnel analysis; and continually provide consultative services to management or others.  This is the full journey level analyst class.  Incumbents are typically subject-matter generalists who have demonstrated possession of intellectual abilities, the management tools, and the personal qualifications to succeed in a variety of general staff services settings.

Vacancies are anticipated at various departments throughout state service.

QUALIFICATIONS ASSESSMENT – Weighted 100.00%

The examination will consist of a Qualifications Assessment and is the sole component of the Associate Governmental Program Analyst examination. To obtain a position on the eligible list, a minimum score of 70% must be received. Competitors will receive his/her score immediately upon completion of the Qualifications Assessment.

Click here to view the Qualifications Assessment questions.

SCOPE:
Knowledge of:

1. Proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
2. Data collection techniques.

Ability to: 

1. Communicate information clearly and concisely to audiences with varying levels of understanding.
2. Evaluate written materials.
3. Develop procedures and processes related to programs.
4. Review and edit written materials for proper content, format, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
5. Conduct research of various written and electronic materials.
6. Conduct research from various verbal/oral sources.
7. Perform arithmetic computations.
8. Present numerical data in a clear and logical format.
9. Exercise sound judgment when making decisions.
10. Extract specific, relevant data and information from a larger body of material.
11. Read and comprehend various technical documents such as policies, procedures, standards, regulations, technical reports, and contracts.
12. Read and interpret charts and graphs.
13. Reconcile discrepancies in data and information.
14. Identify, analyze, and evaluate situations or problems to determine and implement appropriate courses of action.
15. Apply information through research and/or training to current assignments or projects.
16. Analyze and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of programs, policies, and/or procedures.
17. Identify information, data, materials, and resources needed to complete a project or assignment.
18. Introduce change in a positive manner to generate support for the change and minimize the perceived impact on others.
19. Work on multiple tasks or parts of tasks simultaneously to ensure timely completion.
20. Work independently on projects or assignments.
21. Use a personal computer to input data, access information, and/or create materials or documents using a variety of software applications.
22. Use electronic mail software to communicate with diverse audiences.
23. Use database software to input, organize, track, and retrieve data.
24. Use spreadsheet software to compile, compute, organize, and present tables, graphs, and charts.
25. Use the internet to conduct on-line research and obtain information to complete program or project activities, etc.
26. Use word processing software to prepare reports and correspondence.
27. Use and operate basic office equipment.
28. Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with management, staff, and internal/external stakeholders.
29. Persuade or influence others through the verbal explanation of issues and data.
30. Negotiate and compromise.
31. Use tact and diplomacy.
32. Be flexible in adapting to changes in priorities and assignments.
33. Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive and confidential information obtained through the course of completing assignments.
34. Provide one-on-one training to facilitate the transfer of specific knowledge and/or skills.
35. Interpret data obtained through formal data gathering techniques, such as surveys, questionnaires, and interviews.
36. Develop detailed and specific procedures and processes outlining the steps to follow in completing departmental, program, and/or project tasks.
37. Prioritize and schedule the work to be completed by a work team or project task force.
38. Establish project schedules and milestones to complete projects and assignments within desired timelines.
39. Facilitate meetings and discussions in a manner that ensures that the meeting and discussion stays focused on the intended topic and encourages active participation by all attendees.
40. Function as a liaison on behalf of assigned program or project to interact with management, staff, internal and external stakeholders to provide program specific information, answer questions, and address issues/problems raised.

• Employer/employee paid health and dental insurance
• Employer paid vision insurance
• Paid Vacation/Sick/Annual Leave Benefits
• 14 paid holidays
• Employer paid disability insurance
• Defined Benefit Retirement Program (upon vesting)
• Employee paid deferred compensation program (401K and 457)
• Flexible work schedules and work hours
• Pre-tax reimbursement for medical care, child care and parking programs
• Employee Assistance Program
• Career development/professional advancement

Veterans’ Preference credits will NOT be granted in the examination as it does not meet the requirements to qualify for Veterans' Preference credit.

State Personnel Board
Exam Services Unit
801 Capitol Mall
Sacramento, CA 95814
1-866-844-8671

California Relay (Telephone) Service for the Deaf/Hearing Impaired: From TDD: 1-800-735-2929, From Voice: 1 (800) 735-2922

If you meet the requirements stated on this bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirement does not assure a place on the eligible list.  Your performance in the examination will be compared with the performance of the others who take this test and all candidates who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

The State Personnel Board reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all competitors will be notified.

Candidates needing special testing arrangements due to a disability must mark the appropriate box on the Standard State Application (STD 678) and/or contact the testing department.

General Qualifications: Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, and ability to work cooperatively with others; and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) subdivisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multidepartmental promotional, 4) servicewide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence is Required: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways:1) passing the General Educational Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the candidate is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school;  4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.  NOTE: For peace officer classifications, please refer to the testing department for special requirements.