A budget gets approved, the year runs its course, and the numbers come in — but how do you actually know whether it worked? That question is at the centre of budget examination and variance analysis, and it matters just as much for government bodies as it does for private organisations.

This course gives participants a practical grounding in accounting principles and the reports that come out of every accounting period: the income statement, the balance sheet, and the cash flow statement. From there, it moves into how government budgets are structured, examined, and analysed, so participants can judge efficiency, spot variances, and understand what drives them.

Solid accounting knowledge changes the decisions a manager or business owner makes. This course is built to give participants exactly that kind of clarity.

Who Should Attend?

• Staff working in internal and external control.
• Employees of audit offices.
• Internal review staff.
• Inspection staff.
• Anyone interested in this field.

Knowledge and Benefits:

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Examine and analyse government budgets using recognised procedures.
• Identify variances between planned and actual figures and explain their causes.
• Settle and adjust accounts, including expenses, revenues and receivables.
• Close accounts, prepare final accounts and build financial files in line with international standards.
• Use forecasting tools to judge future financial performance.
• Record and post accounting entries correctly, understanding the importance of each financial statement.

• Why Government Budgets Get Examined

  • The general concept and nature of budget examination.
  • How examination differs from auditing.
  • The purpose of examination, and who typically carries it out.

• Analytical Examination and Financial Analysis in Practice

  • Planning and running analytical examination procedures.
  • The objectives, timing and benefits of analytical examination.
  • What financial analysis of a government budget actually involves, and its main techniques.

• Modern Approaches to Analysing a Budget: Efficiency, Economy and Equity

  • Analysing how effective government programmes actually are.
  • Economic analysis and equity analysis as evaluation lenses.
  • Hands-on practice through a dedicated workshop session.

• What a Government Budget Is Actually Made Of

  • The budget of the state's administrative apparatus, public authorities and economic bodies.
  • How government budgets are classified.
  • Current budgets versus investment (capital) budgets, with real examples.

• Getting the Basics Right: Preparing and Classifying Budgets

  • The concept, importance and general rules behind budget preparation.
  • The steps involved in building a budget.
  • Modern trends: programme and performance budgeting, and zero-based budgeting.

• Scoring the Result: Evaluating Efficiency and Effectiveness

  • What efficiency and effectiveness mean in a government budget context.
  • The requirements and standards used to evaluate them.
  • Key indicators used to measure results.