Advance your expertise in planning and budgeting. Level II strengthens your proficiency in critical federal financial functions, including budget formulation, planning, and decision support. Designed for professionals with four or more years of verifiable experience in federal financial management, this program builds on foundational skills to support more complex financial operations.
This is the recommended order, but some courses may be taken in a different order.
Unit 1 3 Days
Learn to create operating plans, monitor performance, and respond to unanticipated events during the budget execution process. This course covers key aspects like avoiding Antideficiency Act violations and preparing for year-end closeout.
Unit 2 3 Days
Master the skills to formulate performance-based budgets by gathering data, defining outcomes, and adhering to OMB standards. This course also covers presenting and defending budgets effectively to decision-makers.
Unit 3 2 Days
Learn how Congress reviews and decides on federal agency budgets, focusing on key processes like budget resolutions and appropriations. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the legislative actions that shape federal funding.
Unit 4 3 Days
Develop skills for providing high-quality decision support using financial and performance analytics. Based on OMB methodologies, this course teaches how to evaluate agency metrics, anticipate budget decisions, and present actionable analyses to inform program management and fiscal planning. Ideal for analysts, budget staff, and performance professionals.
Unit 5 3 Days
Designed for budget analysts and acquisition personnel, this course details how strategic planning, program development, and execution operate within DoD PPBE. Participants learn about key decision timelines, document flows, and stakeholder roles from planning through execution.
Receive instruction from subject‑matter experts who bring proven government experience.
Courses that are regularly updated based on feedback and industry developments, ensuring versions are mapped to federal competencies.
The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
— 2025 student
Directly addressing the day-to-day challenges of federal employees.
Your trusted training partner, equipping public service professionals with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and drive meaningful impact.
Attend this certificate program in-person in Washington, DC or Live Online. Engage with expert instructors, ask questions, and get feedback on your exercises and projects.
At Graduate School USA, you’ll learn in small groups and receive personalized attention.
Get face-to-face interaction with an instructor and other students when you learn at our DC campus. Courses are hands-on with a computer and software provided.
Get the same interactivity and access to the instructor as in-person students. There are no extra fees and we’ll work with you to ensure your remote setup is perfect.
Our instructors are industry experts and experienced educators, driven to help you succeed.
Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.
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