The typical government budgeting process spans many months, and individuals from throughout the organization participate, from elected officials to mid-level managers. Hence, the process needs to be carefully managed – and not just to complete the technical steps necessary to arrive at a legal budget. The process must also provide for sufficient collaboration and be perceived as fair. This is important if stakeholders are to support the resulting budget and execute it effectively. This advanced course, based on the NACSLB Best Practices in State and Local Government Budgeting, will take you through all of the stages of the budget process from preparing stakeholders to participate to evaluating and adjusting the process after it is finished. Participants will leave the course with an understanding of actions they can take to implement best practices in their budgeting processes.

Those who successfully complete this seminar should be able to:

• Learn techniques and tips for improving your budget process
• Understand the wide variety of roles that the budget manager plays in the budget process
• Understand the relationship between financial policies and the budget process
• Learn tips and strategies for navigating the politics of the budget process
• Learn how to incorporate long-term financial planning and strategic planning into your local government’s budget process
• Develop approaches to implementing best practices, adapting them to your local government’s unique environment
• Learn ways to monitor and manage budget performance throughout the year

This course is taught by experienced budgeting practitioners. Instructors will be familiar with GFOA best practices and have experience as finance director, budget director, or CEO of various size local governments.