Opinion for April 5, 2000: How to sell your budget request
- While Congress attempts to figure out what to do about FY 2001 budget levels and appropriations, and the Senate and House argue over a supplemental for FY 2000, the FY 2002 budget preparation process is coming up fast within agencies. Some operating components already have developed their budget positions, and are working on their case. Others are starting. And yet others need to hurry up! The process only rewards those who are prepared. But how do you prepare?
- The basic steps for preparing a successful budget request are relatively simple.
The execution of the steps, however, requires smarts, stamina, and speed. This is
what you have to do:
- Document your budget needs in relation to the programs you are responsible for, or the
support you are expected to deliver. Fill out all the forms you will be required to
fill out, or prepare the materials you will need when higher levels finally issue their
instructions (probably late instructions). (This process should be based on your own
organization's internal planning and budgeting process.) As part of this process,
you should:
- Review the strategic plan and see how your program fits. The plan may be obsolete by now, but this is an opportunity for you to point out what you are doing that is new and that requires a change in strategy.
- Review your performance measures and outcomes, and see how you have done. Assess the need for changes in the measures.
- Do comparative analyses of your needs compared to those of your competitors, your needs compared to prior budget decisions, and your needs and the agency's overall set of priorities and political leadership's expressed and/or real wishes. Use the results of your analysis in developing your strategy for selling your budget request.
- Form a coalition, if at all possible, with other operating components with similar interests. If you cannot form coalitions, rethink your strategy. It is easier to win if others support your request.
- Determine appropriate staff or leadership to whom to make your sales pitch. Is there an obstructionist staff office that will get in the way? Find a way around them or co-opt them or neutralize them.
- Formulate a sales pitch. Make the best case you can muster. This is marketing and selling - see So how do you prepare and present a budget? - It is related to marketing.
- Deliver your sales pitch (or make your case for your budget needs, if you prefer to use different terms to define what you have to do).
- Get commitment to carry your story up the line to the top leadership.
- Document your budget needs in relation to the programs you are responsible for, or the
support you are expected to deliver. Fill out all the forms you will be required to
fill out, or prepare the materials you will need when higher levels finally issue their
instructions (probably late instructions). (This process should be based on your own
organization's internal planning and budgeting process.) As part of this process,
you should:
- If you take care to follow these steps, you will have done the best job you can to present and sell your budget request. You may or may not get your request approved if you do this (there are too many other factors involved that you don't control), but if you don't you will lose out to your competitors who are now preparing their budget sales strategies.
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