What does a policy analyst do?

Job duties for a policy analyst may vary depending on the type of organization (public, private or nonprofit) they work in. A policy analyst's primary responsibilities likely will fall into one or more of four areas of public policy creation and implementation.

Policy analysts gather statistical data and other information to explore issues and craft solutions. Statistics can reveal hidden problems as well as whether a policy is effective. Once policy analysts identify a problem, they propose and evaluate ways of approaching the issue.

Once a policy has been in effect for a period of time, policy analysts begin gauging its effectiveness. Results will be compared with projections made before the project was implemented.

A focus group might be assembled to help analysts discover unintended outcomes, either positive or negative. Costs also will be analyzed to determine if the policy produced a return on investment.

Finally, policy analysts share their findings with the public and with the press, academia, and perhaps most importantly, the government officials and policymakers who will consider its merits.