Tuesday Reflections

I cannot believe that October is almost halfway over! The time is flying by at the county and I am having fun. On Monday I went to visit the Maricopa County Education Service Agency. We met with the budget director there to review his funds and find out his major concerns, and answer any questions. He was very nice and he explained each fund and its function, and where the money comes from that fills the fund. He told stories of how budgets have changed throughout the years and how he believes in finding new ways to help provide assistance to schools.

On Thursday I will be touring the Maricopa County Human Services campus with other MCLEAPS interns. I am really excited about this tour because everyone says it’s a great experience. I am gearing up and getting started on my presentations that are set in the coming weeks. Later in the week I hope to work on the evaluation of the schedule of federal expenditures. I have been assigned to analyze the federal expenditures that are passed through the state and into the county or to non-profits. This will help the county keep track of the money that comes in and goes out of the county when funds are granted. This will also show the Board of Supervisors how dependent the county is on the allocated percentage of federal funds. 

Responsibilities and Leadership

In my internship I have been given responsibilities within groups that I am to report back to. I have the opportunity to contribute my ideas and opinions in meetings and discussions. Later this month and towards the beginning of December, I will be giving presentations to the analyst in  my department about various revenue forecasting methods used in budgeting and how organizational theory plays a role in the office as part of a diversity based training. These responsibilities hold me accountable to my co-workers while learning the content of my projects and practicing my public speaking and presentation skills.

One of the biggest ways that I have seen leadership displayed in the office is through teamwork. I have found that everyone works well together. If someone doesn’t have the answer to a problem, someone else will surely have it, and everyone is open and willing to work together. After all, everyone is working toward the same goal and it is important to have a collaborative environment.

Career Showcase:Budget Analyst

In the Office of Management and Budget there are budget analyst that perform similar functions on a daily basis, but also have such diverse experiences within each department.  Each analyst’s goal is to help develop and maintain a sustainable and structurally-balanced budget for Maricopa County. In support of the County's strategic goals analyst determine how to efficiently allocate financial resources, perform countywide and departmental budget and fiscal analyses, prepare budget documents, and advise departments on strategic and business planning. 

I enjoy being able to see what each analyst is working on within their departments. I believe a career as a budget analyst would be interesting as each department and area of government requires certain needs and services to be provided. Because I enjoy knowing where taxpayer and federal dollars get appropriated, I have really have liked sitting down with senior analysts to review departmental variance commentary. Variance commentary gives a narrative to the numbers of forecasted vs actual expenditures budgeted. I would be interested in being able to dictate and understand the inner workings of the departments that I would be responsible for. I would also being able to collaborate and provide support to others throughout the organization.