Job Specification

Purpose :

To provide assistance in applying health system financial and economic models and tools to forecast and analyze health care expenditures.
To participate in developing short, medium and long-term health expenditure forecasts and simulations to predict future fiscal resource needs.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Economic Planning and Policy Development
Assists in the development of the fiscal planning framework, including key assumptions and constraints. Assists in developing short, medium and long-term expenditure forecasts and simulations to predict future fiscal resource needs and support expenditure analysis.
Provides economic analysis, fiscal planning and forecasting support to the unit, and coordinates projects as assigned. Participates in exercises relating to simulations and cost scenarios. Researches forecasting models, data assessment and trend monitoring in other jurisdictions. Makes recommendations to senior staff and manager on expenditure and forecasting issues.
Prepares reports, presentations and submissions, and provides input on fiscal and funding issues.
Exchanges information with the Health Data Branch, and staff within the branch, division and across the ministry. Contributes to task forces and working groups. Assists in the management of contracts for model development.
2. Economic Modelling and Testing
Contributes to the application of financial and economic modeling tools to analyze health care expenditures. Applies economic principles and practices to monitor expenditure trends and underlying variables. Analyzes and interprets information and examines inter-relationships between various economic health sector variables. Identifies and assesses the implications of changes in variables with potential impact on health sector expenditures.
Conducts statistical analysis to interpret data. Performs calculations within the models to identify trends. Creates customized data sets.
Uses validity testing techniques to ensure accuracy and integrity of information. Identifies anomalies and flags issues. Prepares observations/analyses/findings. Draws preliminary conclusions and recommends solutions.
3. Stakeholder Relationships
Contributes to ministry committees and prepares background materials in support of committees. Provides clarification to senior officials of Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) on model application issues.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of or skills in:
Economics, statistical analysis and financial concepts; health sector economics; forecasting and fiscal planning; database management, quantitative analysis and familiarity with economic/expenditure modelling, to apply financial and economic models in the areas of forecasting, simulation and expenditure analysis.
Knowledge of ministry direction and organizational structure; related ministry/government policies, practices, services, programs; government decision-making process; and the role of the Strategic Investment Planning Branch to support the unit and make recommendations to the Team Lead. Planning, organizational and time management skills to complete tasks within deadlines.
Research techniques and analytical skills to interpret information, and to produce material to be incorporated into branch reports and submissions.
Oral/written communications skills to prepare reports, presentations and submissions, and develop recommendations on complex fiscal and funding issues; and to liaise with colleagues.
Skills in the application of statistical analysis software packages including SAS and other advanced software to analyze the relevant data sets, prepare reports and manipulate data.
System thinking, including the ability to view the entire system and to analyze impacts of different scenarios; and to develop and recommend innovative, practical solutions, while working within a team environment.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Consultation and facilitation skills to interact/liaise with colleauges to discuss/resolve issues and provide clarification to clients and stakeholders.
- Advisory skills to provide recommendations senior staff on expenditures and forecasting.
- Ability to participate as a team member to collaborate in the application of financial and economic modelling tools to analyze health care expenditures, and assist in the development of forecasting.
- Presentation skills to make contributions to ministry committees.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analytical and problem-solving skills to:
- Apply economic principles to evaluate expenditure trends and underlying variables, evaluate inter-relationships between economic health sector variables, and assess the variables which influence health sector expenditures.
- Develop short, medium, and long-term expenditure forecasts and simulations to predict fiscal resource requirements.
- Provide economic analysis, fiscal planning and forecasting support to the unit, create customized data sets, and recommend solutions derived from evaluation of data.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
Providing support in the application of health system financial and economic models and tools to forecast and analyze health care expenditures.
Participating in the development of short, medium and long-term health expenditure forecasts and simulations to predict future fiscal resource needs.
Performing model application support functions; these may have impact on decision-making involving fiscal analysis and policy development
Conducting statistical analysis; monitoring key health expenditure trends and underlying variables, conducting research in other jurisdictions; preparing reports, presentations and submissions, and providing input on fiscal and funding issues.
Has latitude to:
Analyze and interpret trends; identify relationships between variables and the implications of changes to variables; use validity testing techniques to ensure accuracy and integrity of information.
Identify anomalies and flag issues; draw preliminary conclusions and recommending solutions.
Work is performed under the technical direction of the Team Lead, with additional guidance available from the Senior Health Economist. Work is performed in accordance with stewardship principles and objectives, and within the strategic framework of ministry/government mandate/directions in health care, relevant guidelines, policies and procedures.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

Branch/Division staff and management to exchange information, work collaboratively, and develop the fiscal planning framework.
Ministry committees, task forces and work groups to exchange information.
Clients and stakeholders in the health care system to exchange information on forecasting, fiscal planning and expenditure analysis.

Guidance / Supervision :

Provides technical guidance to senior staff and manager on expenditure and forecasting issues.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

- Frequently required to respond to requests within short deadlines where time pressures result in the need to occasionally work beyond normal work hours for response to information requests (e.g. requests from Minister/ Deputy Minster/Assistant Deputy Minister and Cabinet Office).
- Frequently required to deal with conflicting deadlines which are subject to change without notice, priorities that are not anticipated or contentious.

Mental / Sensory :

Continuous requirements to concentrate when reading materials, analyzing fiscal/economic data, documents and research and when drafting reports, briefing notes and policy related materials.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.