State of Maryland

A Regulatory Economist III is the full performance level of work performing economic analysis of issues related to the regulatory powers of the Public Service Commission or the Maryland Department of Health. Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions but may provide advice and guidance to lower-level Regulatory Economists.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a designated administrator. Employees may be subject to work evenings, weekends and holidays. The work may require travel throughout Maryland and overnight travel to other states in order to perform on-site economic analysis or to attend conferences and training seminars.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Regulatory Economist I, Regulatory Economist II and Regulatory Economist III are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees. The Regulatory Economist I learns to perform duties under close supervision. The Regulatory Economist II performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed. The Regulatory Economist III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Conducts economic analyses and evaluations of the integrated resource plans and planning processes of the health care industry or utility companies;

Collects and analyzes data through personal interviews and review of utilities' Integrated Resource Plans, review of the Certificate of Need (CON) process or the State Health Plan;

Participates in meetings with State and federal government agencies, utilities, consultants and interested parties on matters pertaining to interagency policy development and problem resolution;

Assists legal counsel in preparing cross examination questions;

Monitors changes in federal, State and other regulations that affect health, utility planning processes or utility operations;

Monitors technological changes that affect health or utility planning;

Presents the State's or Public Service Commission's position in policy meetings with health, utility or other interested parties;

Answers inquiries pertaining to health organizations or public service companies;

Analyzes rate design issues for regulated utilities;

Analyzes utility regulatory structures and markets;

Analyzes financial issues regarding utility profitability and returns on investment;

Analyzes utility cost allocations and cost studies;

Prepares testimony for hearings before the Public Service Commission;

Testifies in court and at hearings before the Public Service Commission;

May plan and develop data bases required to analyze the use and cost of services; 

May make recommendations about cost and efficacy of supply-side and demand-side planning measures and activities included in utilities plans;

May assist in preparing the annual Ten Year Plan Report for the Public Service Commission;

May direct the use of the Multi-Objective Integrated Decision Analysis System (MIDAS) production costing simulation model to review utilities' long and short range plans;

May make recommendations on the financial viability of Certificate of Need proposals;

May design methodologies for forecasting the future demand for health services;

May prepare recommended policies to guide the future development of health services;

May assess the impact of costs and charges for private pay, Medicaid, Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), managed care, Blue Cross\Blue Shield, and other third party payers;

May evaluate the impact of alternative approaches to health care services on the health care industry;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles of economics;

Skill in organizing and presenting testimony;

Skill in the use of personal computers and related software;

Ability to learn methods involved in analyzing economic issues and developing appropriate recommendations;

Ability to communicate effectively;

Ability to comprehend technical documents;

Ability to testify in court and at public hearings;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with State, federal and private industry health care or public service company officials, Commissioners, attorneys, business owners, employers, employees and the general public.

Experience: Seven years of experience, three years of experience with a public service or health commission, consulting organization, regulated enterprise or health organization performing utility, energy policy, health services, health policy, economic or econometrically based analysis and four additional years of experience performing utility, energy policy, health services, health policy, economic or econometrically based analysis.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree in Economics from an accredited college or university and three years of experience with a public service or health commission, consulting organization, regulated enterprise or health organization performing utility, energy policy, health services, health policy, economic or econometrically based analysis for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master's degree in Economics, Engineering, Business, Finance, Health Care Administration, Public Administration or a related discipline from an accredited college or university for five years of the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G- Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series. NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classifications series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.