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Duration 14 hours
Course Outline
1. Introduction to Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A)
- Defining the role and responsibilities of FP&A professionals in the public sector
- The critical importance of FP&A in strategic decision-making for government operations
- Distinguishing between accounting, finance, and FP&A functions within government agencies
- The contribution of FP&A to business performance management and accountability
- An overview of the FP&A process lifecycle
2. Gathering and Interpreting Financial Information
- Sources of financial and operational data for government use
- Understanding financial statements:
- Income Statement
- Balance Sheet
- Cash Flow Statement
- Reading and interpreting financial reports in a governmental context
- Key financial indicators and performance measures for public sector oversight
- Understanding business drivers and operational metrics relevant to government agencies
- Collecting relevant internal and external information for informed decision-making
3. Understanding Financial and Microeconomic Concepts
- Fundamental financial concepts applicable to government operations
- Time value of money and its implications for public finance
- Cost behavior and cost structures in public sector entities
- Fixed, variable, and semi-variable costs in government budgeting
- Contribution margin analysis for program efficiency
- Profitability analysis and its relevance to government efficiency
- Basic economic concepts influencing public sector business decisions
- Market factors and business environment analysis for government stakeholders
4. Budgeting Fundamentals and Budget Preparation
- Purpose and role of budgets in government accountability
- Types of budgets:
- Operating budgets
- Capital budgets
- Cash flow budgets
- Master budgets
- Budgeting approaches:
- Incremental budgeting
- Zero-based budgeting
- Activity-based budgeting
- Budget preparation process for government agencies
- Coordination between departments in public sector budgeting
- Common budgeting challenges and solutions for government entities
5. Financial Analysis Techniques
- Purpose of financial analysis in government contexts
- Horizontal and vertical analysis for public sector reporting
- Ratio analysis:
- Liquidity ratios
- Profitability ratios
- Efficiency ratios
- Solvency ratios
- Trend analysis for long-term government planning
- Benchmarking performance against industry standards for government
- Identifying financial strengths and weaknesses in public sector operations
6. Variance Analysis and Performance Management
- Understanding budget versus actual analysis for government accountability
- Types of variances:
- Revenue variance
- Cost variance
- Volume variance
- Price variance
- Root cause analysis in public sector financial management
- Interpreting variance results for government stakeholders
- Communicating findings to government stakeholders
- Developing corrective actions for government operations
7. Building Financial Projections and Forecasts
- Principles of financial forecasting for government planning
- Forecasting methods and techniques for public sector use
- Revenue forecasting for government entities
- Expense forecasting in government operations
- Cash flow forecasting for government cash management
- Scenario analysis for government decision-making
- Sensitivity analysis for public sector risk assessment
- Rolling forecasts for government budget adjustments
- Creating reliable financial models for government use
8. Financial Modeling and Strategic Planning
- Fundamentals of financial modeling for government agencies
- Model structure and design principles for public sector applications
- Assumptions management in government financial modeling
- Linking financial statements for government reporting
- Creating business scenarios for government strategic planning
- Evaluating strategic alternatives for public sector initiatives
- Supporting management decision-making in government contexts
9. Capital Expenditure and Investment Analysis
- Understanding capital expenditures (CAPEX) in government projects
- Evaluating investment opportunities for government infrastructure
- Return on Investment (ROI) for public sector investments
- Net Present Value (NPV) in government financial analysis
- Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for government projects
- Payback period analysis for government capital projects
- Investment risk assessment for public sector decisions
10. Communicating Financial Insights
- Translating financial data into business insights for government audiences
- Preparing management reports for government leadership
- Creating executive summaries for government officials
- Presenting financial analysis effectively to government stakeholders
- Storytelling with financial data for government communication
- Working with non-financial stakeholders in government agencies
11. Using Technology and Software in FP&A
- Role of technology in modern FP&A for government operations
- Spreadsheet-based financial analysis for government use
- Advanced Excel techniques:
- Financial formulas
- Pivot tables
- Data analysis tools
- Dashboard creation
- Introduction to Business Intelligence (BI) tools for government reporting
- Financial planning software overview for public sector applications
- Data automation and reporting for government efficiency
12. FP&A Best Practices and Professional Development
- Building effective FP&A processes for government agencies
- Data quality and governance in public sector financial management
- Improving forecasting accuracy for government planning
- Collaboration between finance and business teams in government contexts
- Ethical considerations in financial analysis for government integrity
- Preparing for FP&A professional certification exams relevant to public sector careers
13. Hands-on FP&A Workshop
- Preparing a company budget applicable to government entities
- Building a financial forecast for government operations
- Performing variance analysis for public sector accountability
- Creating financial dashboards for government oversight
- Evaluating business scenarios for government decision-making
- Presenting recommendations based on financial insights for government stakeholders
14. Summary and Next Steps
- Review of key FP&A concepts for government professionals
- Connecting planning, budgeting, forecasting, and analysis in public sector contexts
- Common FP&A challenges and solutions for government operations
- Career development opportunities in FP&A for public sector employees
- Recommended resources and further learning for government financial professionals
Requirements
None.
Testimonials (6)
Revived my accounting career,
Khotso Mokoaleli - Postbank
Course - Financial Analysis
Budget, forecast, importance of analysing organisation financial statements, communication, oww there is a lot.
Asandiswa Zide - Postbank
Course - Financial Analysis
This course significantly improved my ability to interpret financial statements, build forecasting models, and evaluate business performance. The practical exercises helped me apply concepts directly to real-world scenarios, increasing my confidence in financial analysis
Puseletso - Postbank
Course - Financial Analysis
I have gained more knowledge on the Vlookup and I had no idea that there was a an Xlookup and that was very helpful on my side as I use the Vlookups on a daily basis. I also gained more insight on the accounting principles as that is not our daily responsibility, but I did appreciate even the Financial Statements and the analysis thereafter.
Chumisa Skoti - Postbank
Course - Financial Analysis
1. I think is aligning some of the topics with our daily duties and on how our bank operates. So it was very interesting to see our facilitators trying to bring the topics into reality or in a more practical way. I really enjoyed both days of the training with highly experienced and professional facilitators even though we had limited time.
Morero Lekekiso - Postbank
Course - Financial Analysis
I am continuing with my journey on financial analysis. It was a reminder to start all over again.
