Category
Points
Description
Budget Highlights
30
What progress has the governmental unit made during the past year?
•
What issues is it facing as we look forward?
•
What is the economic situation?
•
What major increases in the budget are requested? Why?
•
What major budget cuts have been implemented over the last two years?
•
Read the governor’s/mayor’s/city manager’s/etc. budget message and prepare a summary of his/her major comments and points.
Budget Documents
25
What is the name of the department and what type of budget does it use: line-item, program, performance, incremental, zero-based, hybrid? What characteristics of the budget have led you to this conclusion?
•
Is the budget complete, clear, transparent, well-documented, and reasonable?
•
What are your recommendations for improving the budget? Why?
•
Review pertinent budget documents and select a departmental budget.
Departmental Budget Request
30
Major funding Items
•
Mission statement and the key strategic goals
•
Does the budget document clearly present accomplishments?
•
Review the department’s budget, including actual total outlays for 2009, and estimates for 2010 and 2011. What is the percentage increase from 2009 to 2010 and 2010 to 2011?
•
Review budget narratives. Does the department present a strong justification for its budget? Present information to support your answer.
•
Regarding this department,present a summary of the following:
Analysis and Recommendations
15
Areas where funding is questionable and not adequately justified.
•
Computational errors, if any.
•
Recommendations for reduced funding and or cuts.
•
Perform an analysis of the departmental budget request and present the following:
Introduction, Analysis, & Conclusion
5
1) Present a clear, concise introduction that explains the purpose of the paper and the major items it will cover.
2) Present a clear and concise conclusion that recaps the highlights of the documents with final remarks.
Format
10
Paper is double-spaced and 5-7 pages in length, exclusive of Title Page.
•
Use Times New Roman 12 or Courier New 12 font.
•
Grammar/Spelling/APA Compliance
10
Write like a master’s degree candidate!
•
Write your answer clearly and succinctly using strong organization and proper grammar.
•
Avoid typos and spelling errors.
•
Also, avoid slang, jargon, IM style writing, and curse words.
•
Use APA citations correctly (for example, source for this topic is “Budget of the United States Government.”
•
Total
125
A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.
Use the internet to search on government websites for a state or local government budget.
•
Papers must be 5 to 7 pages in length (this would be roughly 1 page per area included in the report), 12 point Times New Roman or Courier New font, double-spaced, include a cover page, introduction, body of the report, summary or conclusion and works cited.
•
Appropriate citations are required.
•
All DeVry University policies are in effect including the plagiarism policy.
•
Papers are due during Week 7of this course.
•
Any questions about this paper may be discussed in the weekly Q&A Discussion topic.
•
This paper is worth 125 total points and will be graded on quality of analysis, quality of paper information, use of citations, grammar and sentence structure.
•
For an example on on how to write a budget request, go to the web site for the GAO: U.S. Government Accountability link foundin Webliography. Type GAO-05-566 in the “Keyword or Report #” search engine. Locate the article “Internal Revenue Service Assessment of the Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Request,” GAO-05-566, April 27, 2005.
•
Prepare an analysis of the most recent budget request of the state or local government of your choice, and present a clear and concise conclusion that recaps the highlights of the documents with final remarks.
Case Analysis: State or Local Government Budget
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
2:37 PM
PA581 Page 1
