# Financial Acumen for Federal Leaders Course (Self-Paced) Canonical URL: ## Overview Federal leaders are expected to be effective stewards of public funds, yet many step into management roles without a strong grounding in federal budgeting, appropriations, or financial decision-making. This course builds the financial fluency federal leaders need to read agency financial documents with confidence, plan and defend budgets, manage funds within legal constraints, and make resource decisions that align with mission priorities. Through practical scenarios drawn from federal agency life, participants learn the language and logic of federal finance and apply it to their daily leadership responsibilities. ## What you'll learn - Interpret core federal budget documents and financial reports - Apply appropriations law principles to common funding decisions - Build, justify, and defend a program budget request - Identify and mitigate financial risks within their area of responsibility - Align resource decisions with agency strategy and mission priorities - Communicate financial information clearly to non-financial stakeholders ## Curriculum **Module 1: The Federal Financial Landscape** - Why financial acumen matters for federal leaders - Key players: OMB, Treasury, GAO, CFO Act agencies - The federal budget cycle at a glance #### **Module 2: Appropriations Law Essentials** - Introduction to Federal Appropriations Law - The Legal Framework - Reprogramming, transfers, and obligations vs. expenditures #### **Module 3: Reading and Using Federal Financial Documents** - Apportionments, allotments, and operating plans - Financial statements and dashboards - Activity: Decoding a sample agency report #### **Module 4: Building and Defending a Budget** - From program goals to a budget justification - Common pitfalls in budget requests - Activity: Draft a one-page budget narrative #### **Module 5: Managing Funds and Financial Risk** - Execution monitoring and burn rates - Audit readiness and internal controls - Responding to mid-year cuts and continuing resolutions #### **Module 6: Capstone — Leading with Financial Confidence** - Capstone Activity: Build a Resource Decision Brief - Closing: Key takeaways and next steps ## Pricing **Tuition:** $1049