Description:
Analysis plays an increasingly important role in today’s performance-based, outcome-oriented federal budgeting environment. This course covers methods of analysis frequently used to clearly define and answer budgetary questions. You will learn when and how to use selected Microsoft Office products (mainly Excel but also PowerPoint and Word) to improve analysis and job performance. Lessons are structured around the requirements for analysis contained in financial management laws and implementing OMB circulars.
This course is part of the Master Certificate in Federal Financial Management (MCFFM).
Duration:
3 days
Level:
Intermediate
Who Should Attend?
Federal employees who need to strengthen their budget analysis skills. Participants should have experience in preparing budget estimates and executing an approved budget or have completed Budget Formulation and Budget Execution.
A basic knowledge of Excel such as that attained by completing an Introduction to Excel course is required. When taken through virtual instruction, each participant must have access to Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word on his/her computer.
Credits:
24 CPEsLearning Outcomes:
- Describe a structured, five-step approach for conducting performance analysis to support evidence-driven budget decisions.
- Apply Excel functions including calculations of future obligations and costs, benefits, net present value (NPV), and sensitivity analysis to evaluate competing alternatives when developing agency budget requests.
- Use Excel functions including descriptive and normative techniques to assess variances and trends when executing performance budgets.
- Prepare Excel data tables and charts with linkages between worksheets and to PowerPoint and Word documents for use in reporting performance results.
- Develop a summary-level narrative for new budget authority incorporating Excel-based analytical results.
Available Sessions:
| Session Code | Start Date | End Date | Location | Tuition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session Code BUDG8150-003 | Start Date Jun 16, 2025 9:00 AM EST | End Date Jun 18, 2025 5:00 PM EST | Location Virtual | Tuition $1,199.00 | |
| Session Code BUDG8150-001 | Start Date Jul 15, 2025 9:00 AM EST | End Date Jul 17, 2025 5:00 PM EST | Location Virtual | Tuition $1,199.00 | |
| Session Code BUDG8150-002 | Start Date Dec 01, 2025 9:00 AM EST | End Date Dec 03, 2025 5:00 PM EST | Location Virtual | Tuition $1,199.00 |
- Module 1 Conducting Analysis in Today’s Budgeting Environment
- The Federal Budgeting Framework
- Relevant Laws and OMB Circulars
- Module 2 A Structured Approach to Using Excel for Performance Analysis
- The Five-Step Approach
- Applying Excel Functions
- Introduction of Case Study
- Scenario and Exercise
- Module 3 Using Excel Functions for Monitoring Budget Execution
- Requesting quarterly apportionments
- Estimating and adjusting budget allocations
- Using performance indicators to track and compare actual results to plans
- Calculating the average unit cost of varying levels of program output
- Applying selected methods (Pareto Analysis and Force Field Analysis) to evaluate the causes of performance weaknesses and identify “best” solutions
- Module 4 Analyzing Future Costs and Results to Justify Budget Requests
- Estimating new budget authority
- Estimating total costs and unit costs
- Analyzing alternative courses of action
- Calculating new constant value
- Calculating nominal value
- Module 5 Analyzing Future Costs and Results to Justify Budget Requests (cont.)
- Module 6 Capstone Exercise: Presenting Analytical Results for Evidence-Driven Decisions
- Using the results of analysis to justify a budget
- Developing a PowerPoint presentation containing data tables and charts to support the budget request
Other Recommended Courses:
- Introduction to Federal Budgeting (BUDG7001)
- Budget Execution (BUDG7100)
- Data Analytic Tools for Financial Management (FINC8900)
