Office of Management and Budget

Policy Analyst

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs


Policy analysts oversee the Federal regulatory system so that agencies' regulatory actions are consistent with economic principles, sound public policy, and the goals of the President. They also review requests by agencies for approval of collections of information (including surveys, program evaluations, and applications for benefits) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. In addition, policy analysts review and analyze other Administration and Congressional policy initiatives. Policy analysts in OIRA work directly with high-level policy officials and have a great deal of responsibility in a wide array of policy areas. Major topic areas include virtually every domestic policy area including environment, natural resources, agriculture, rural development, energy, labor, education, immigration, health, welfare, housing, finance, criminal justice, information technology, and other related domestic policy issues.

Specifically an OIRA policy analyst:

  • Oversees and evaluates the regulatory, information policies, and other policy initiatives of one or more government agencies, applying economics, statistics, and risk assessment.
     
  • Analyzes agency regulations prior to publication to ensure that the regulations adhere to sound analytical principles, and that agencies evaluate the need for, societal costs and benefits of, and alternatives to new regulations.
     
  • Reviews and approves agency collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Ensures that agency collections reduce, minimize and control paperwork burdens and maximize the practical utility and public benefit of the information created, collected, disclosed, maintained, used, shared and disseminated by or for the Federal government.
     
  • Coordinates the review of regulations and collections of information within OMB and the Executive Office of the President, as well as among other relevant Federal agencies.
     
  • Monitors and analyzes legislative and policy proposals and testimony for conformance with the policies and priorities of the President.
     
  • Performs special analyses and advises senior policy officials on specific issues.