finance help

Scenario for Assignments 1-5

For Assignments 1-5, you are the new budgeting and finance administrator for your local government agency. Your first responsibility is to become familiar with the agency, the budget, programs, and capital projects. As the administrator, 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 150 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:

Provide background information about the agency, mission, goals, objectives, departments, and strategic plan. (Title this section Introduction.)
Describe the budget of the agency by addressing the following items: (Title this section Budget Overview.)
1. Financial Summary, including Revenue and Expenditures
2. Department Budgets
3. Funding
4. Capital Projects
5. Debt Administration
Perform a Cost Analysis. (Title this section Cost Analysis.) The costs should include the following:

1. Fixed Costs
2. Step-fixed Costs
3. Variable Costs
Identify and explain one to two (1-2) challenges you will have in managing the budget. (Title this section Budget Challenges.)
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.)
Include the agency’s most recent budget or financial plan.
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.
Recommend appropriate policy actions based on the evaluation.
Evaluate a budgeting system at any governmental level.
Analyze the scope and sequence of budgeting in terms of sources of revenues, purpose of government expenditures, budget cycles, budget preparation, and debt administration.
Examine the process and components of preparing a viable operating budget.
Prepare a preliminary budgeting system for presentation before Congress, state / local government, or other organization.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in public budgeting and finance.
Write clearly and concisely about public budgeting and finance using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Points: 150	Assignment 1: The Operating Budget
Criteria	Unacceptable Below 70% F	Fair 70-79% C	Proficient 80-89% B	Exemplary 90-100% A
1. Provide background information about the agency, mission, goals, objectives, departments, and strategic plan. (Title this section Introduction.) Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely provided background information about the agency, mission, goals, objectives, departments, and strategic plan.	Partially provided background information about the agency, mission, goals, objectives, departments, and strategic plan.	Satisfactorily provided background information about the agency, mission, goals, objectives, departments, and strategic plan.	Thoroughly provided background information about the agency, mission, goals, objectives, departments, and strategic plan.
2. Describe the budget of the agency by addressing the following items: (a) Financial Summary, including Revenue and Expenditures, (b) Department Budgets, (c) Funding, (d) Capital Projects, and (e) Debt Administration. (Title this section Budget Overview.) Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely described the budget of the agency by addressing the following items: (a) Financial Summary, including Revenue and Expenditures, (b) Department Budgets, (c) Funding, (d) Capital Projects, and (e) Debt Administration.	Partially described the budget of the agency by addressing the following items: (a) Financial Summary, including Revenue and Expenditures, (b) Department Budgets, (c) Funding, (d) Capital Projects, and (e) Debt Administration.	Satisfactorily described the budget of the agency by addressing the following items: (a) Financial Summary, including Revenue and Expenditures, (b) Department Budgets, (c) Funding, (d) Capital Projects, and (e) Debt Administration.	Thoroughly described the budget of the agency by addressing the following items: (a) Financial Summary, including Revenue and Expenditures, (b) Department Budgets, (c) Funding, (d) Capital Projects, and (e) Debt Administration.
3. Perform a Cost Analysis. The costs should include the following: (a) Fixed Costs, (b) Step-fixed Costs, and (c) Variable Costs. (Title this section Cost Analysis.) Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely performed a Cost Analysis. The costs should include the following: (a) Fixed Costs, (b) Step-fixed Costs, and (c) Variable Costs.	Partially performed a Cost Analysis. The costs should include the following: (a) Fixed Costs, (b) Step-fixed Costs, and (c) Variable Costs.	Satisfactorily performed a Cost Analysis. The costs should include the following: (a) Fixed Costs, (b) Step-fixed Costs, and (c) Variable Costs.	Thoroughly performed a Cost Analysis. The costs should include the following: (a) Fixed Costs, (b) Step-fixed Costs, and (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). Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely identified and explained one to two (1-2) challenges you will have in managing the budget.	Partially identified and explained one to two (1-2) challenges you will have in managing the budget.	Satisfactorily identified and explained one to two (1-2) challenges you will have in managing the budget.	Thoroughly identified and explained one to two (1-2) challenges you will have in managing the budget.
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.) Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely recommended two to three (2-3) strategies the agency should review regarding new initiatives and budget cuts over the next five (5) years.	Partially recommended two to three (2-3) strategies the agency should review regarding new initiatives and budget cuts over the next five (5) years.	Satisfactorily recommended two to three (2-3) strategies the agency should review regarding new initiatives and budget cuts over the next five (5) years.	Thoroughly recommended two to three (2-3) strategies the agency should review regarding new initiatives and budget cuts over the next five (5) years.
6. Include the agency’s most recent budget or financial plan. Weight: 10%	Did not submit or incompletely included the agency’s most recent budget or financial plan.	Partially included the agency’s most recent budget or financial plan.	Satisfactorily included the agency’s most recent budget or financial plan.	Thoroughly included 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. Weight: 5%	No references provided	Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.	Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.	Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.
8. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements Weight: 10%	More than 6 errors present	5-6 errors present	3-4 errors present	0-2 errors present