Alan McCain
Alan McCain is an instructor at Graduate School USA, specializing in Audit, Financial Management, and Acquisition. A retired combat veteran who served as both an Air Force enlisted member and a Navy officer, Alan brings more than 30 years of experience in federal and commercial budgeting, auditing, programming, operations, global logistics support, supply chain and inventory management, and major IT acquisition.
He possesses extensive, hands-on budget and audit experience across Federal, State, and Local government operations, including work within the Executive Office of the President and the Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Education, as well as the Office of the Mayor of Washington, D.C., among others.
Alan’s consulting background includes strategic planning and business development with the District of Columbia government, multiple federal agencies, Lockheed Martin, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is a Certified Government/Defense Financial Manager (CGFM/DFM), holds a Teaching Certification from Harvard University’s Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and earned an Executive MBA in International Business from The George Washington University.
Learning Resources by Alan McCain
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Statutory Directives and the Rules That Govern Federal Appropriations
Stepping into the world of federal spending reveals a strict system where authorizations, appropriations, and statutory limits dictate every move. This teaser unpacks the rules that govern how agencies can plan, obligate, and spend public funds—without crossing legal lines.
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Classifications of Budget Authority by Duration
Agencies can’t execute their budgets correctly without understanding how long their appropriations remain available. This overview breaks down one‑year, multiple‑year, and no‑year funds and explains why timing rules are central to lawful federal spending.
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Audits and Financial Management in Federal Agencies
Many agencies treat internal controls as a compliance chore, but this framework shows how they form the backbone of accountable, auditable financial management. It reveals how leadership, CFOs, OMB, GAO, and IGs all intersect to create a system agencies can use not just to meet requirements but to strengthen performance.
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Situational Prohibitions: When Seemingly Prohibited Expenses May Be Authorized
Often what looks prohibited under federal appropriations law turns out to have a narrow but valid exception, and the GAO’s Red Book is the key to finding it. This article breaks down how to navigate those gray areas, from meetings and travel to licenses, taxes, and IT expenses.
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Analyzing Telework Reimbursement Under Federal Appropriations Law
As telework has become a more common part of the federal work environment, the question of reimbursing employees for personal expenses tied to remote work has become increasingly relevant.
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