Strayer PAD505 assignment 1-3
Scenario for Assignments 1-5
For Assignments 1-5, you will take on the role of a budget analyst for a local government agency. The first role of the budget analyst is to become familiar with the agency, the budget, programs, and capital projects. Select any local (city) government (e.g., Oklahoma City). To locate your agency’s budget, you can either conduct a Google search on the word “Oklahoma City Financial Plan” or you can locate the information on the local government’s Website. As a budget analyst, you will be responsible for analyzing, examining, proposing, and preparing the agency’s budget for the next five (5) years.
Note:Students cannot use New York City as a selected local government
Assignment 1: The Operating Budget
Due Week 4 and worth 250 points
Write a four to five (4-5) page paper, titled Part I: The Operating Budget for the (Selected Agency) in which you separate the content into sections:
1. Provide background information about the agency, mission, goals, objectives, departments, and strategic plan. (Title this section Introduction.)
2. Describe the budget of the agency by addressing the following items: (Title this section Budget Overview.)
a. Financial Summary, including Revenue and Expenditures
b. Department Budgets
c. Funding
d. Capital Projects
e. Debt Administration
3. Perform a Cost Analysis. (Title this section Cost Analysis.) The costs should include the following:
a. Fixed Costs
b. Step-fixed Costs
c. Variable Costs
4. Identify and explain one to two (1-2) challenges you will have in managing the budget. (Title this section Budget Challenges.)
5. Recommend two to three (2-3) strategies the agency should review regarding new initiatives and budget cuts over the next five (5) years. (Title this section Budget Recommendations.)
6. Include the agency’s most recent budget or financial plan.
7. Provide the agency’s Website name, URL, and any other sources used to support the assignment’s criteria.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
? Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
? Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
? Analyze the basic skills and tools needed for budgeting for public sector agencies and / or departments.
Please remember to save a copy ofall of your workin case there are technical problems.Do not forget to ci
Assignment 2:The Capital Budget
Due Week 6 and worth 280 points
Refer the Scenario for Assignments 1–e e 5. Forecast salaries, revenue estimating, and prepare the capital budget.
Using the budget from the selected agency, write a five to six (5-6)page paper in which you:
- Analyze the agency’s compensation for employees. Provide a rationale on what the costs and benefits would be for a 2 percent, 4 percent, or 5 percent pay increase for the fiscal year 2014. In your forecast, (a) discuss the effects of the increase on benefits for the agencyand (b) provide a chart depicting the increase for each percent. (Title this section Payroll Forecast.)
- Review the trend of the agency over the past five (5) yearsand prepare an analysis explaining the trend for expenditures. Include a figure depicting the trend. (Title this section Trend Analysis.)
- Prepare and explain a five (5) year forecast of the four (4) highest expenditures. Make anXYplot of these data. Include in the analysis whether the costs should be approved or not approved. Justify the reasoning with examples. (Title this section Expenditure Forecast.)
- Compare two (2) options for predicting the cost of needed repairs to thecurrent building that houses the selected agency by completing Exercise 1 at the end of Chapter 1 (page 92). Provide a rationale for recommending one (1) of the two (2) options. Include the figures to support the rationale. (Title this section Capital Budget.)
- Provide names and URLs of the Websites for the state’s budget(s) analyzed and any other government Websites used to support the assignment’s criteria.
Due Week 8 and worth 300 points
Refer the Scenario for Assignments 1–e e 5. Prepare the financial plan and budget justification proposal.
The agency is contracted to work with New York City on several capital projects. To proceed with negotiations, an analysis of the city’s financial documents must be considered. Review the New York City Financial Plan, located athttp://www.nyc.gov/html/omb/downloads/pdf/fp6_12.pdf, to answer questions listed. (Title this section “New York City Financial Plan”)
- Answer Question 1 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: Are total revenues growing faster or more slowly than expenditures? Show the annual growth rates for revenues and expenditures in a table.
- Answer Question 2 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What is New York City’s fastest-growing category of expenditures during the planning period? Justify the answer with examples.
- Answer Question 3 based on the review of the New York City Financial Plan: What percentage of New York City revenue comes from the general property tax? How much is this tax growing in each year of the financial plan? Justify the answer with examples.
- Prepare a budget to support the proposal to partner with New York City to offer a job training program housed within the NYC Department of Social Services. (Title this section “Budget Justification Proposal.”) (Note:The agency has decided to partner with New York City.)
- The agency proposes $500,000over a three (3) year period beginning FY2013 to be included in the State Categorical Grants for the Department of Social Services to provide hands-on job training workshops in office administration, security, construction, and apartment maintenance.
- Use Figure 7.2, Budget Justification,in Chapter 7 (pages 114-115) as an example.
- Provide names and URLs of the Websites for the state’s budget(s) analyzed and any other government Websites used to support the assignment’s criteria.
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Rating:
/5
Solution: Strayer PAD505 assignment 1-3