Practice: Budget and Fiscal Management Extending the CORE® to YOUR Court Practice: Budget and Fiscal Management

The Competency Module Practice

Budget and Fiscal Management Module Practice Knowledge, skills and abilities to education next generation of court leaders Professional development New staff orientation The Court is a public entity and accountable to the public and funding authorities for its use of public and private revenues.

Learning Objectives Practice Key Learning Objectives Module Practice Key Learning Objectives 1. Identify individual learning needs and objectives related to budget and fiscal management. 2. List the basic differences between generally accepted accounting practices and governmental accounting practices as they pertain to adequate controls and audit compliance. 3. Develop a plan to safeguard the court’s assets. 4. Define key fund accounts and assess true costs of applying for and managing grant funds.

Learning Objectives Practice Module Practice 5. Write a budget justification for a new program or budgetary need. 6. Develop a plan for responding to potential budget cuts or for funding for a new project. 7. Define relevant financial policies for the courts and their purpose. 8. Develop a budget for changes needed in court facility. Develop a plan of action for emergency situations involving the court’s fiscal operations and facilities.

Court Manager Responsibilities Module Practice All areas of the court impact the court’s budget Court managers need to be competent in the area of fiscal management, budget development, and fiscal oversight Court managers need to ensure that the vision, mission and goals of the court are achieved and maintained Court managers need not be technically competent in every area of financial planning, budget they must know how to address budget and financial questions, how to select and manage fiscal staff and how to read financial reports.

What Do Court Managers Need to Know Module Practice Key accounting terms (listing of key terms included in curriculum) Funding sources court has and can access, including new sources of funding (fees, fines, restitution, and special assessments) The differences between private and public sector accounting Basics of the primary accounting functions such as procurement, accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash receipts, court collections, etc. How to manage the court’s fixed assets

What Do Court Managers Need to Know Module Practice What fund accounting is and how it works How to manage grant funds from the application phase to the completion phase How to develop a comprehensive budget for the court (anticipating budget cuts or increases) How to maintain the court’s budget Key financial policies necessary Financial reporting requirements How to prepare for a financial audit

What Do Court Managers Need to Know Module Practice How to manage court facilities Maintenance schedule ADA requirements Active life of equipment Maintenance agreements Planning for future renovations How to plan for fiscal responsibilities during an emergency and what considerations must be part of the Continuity of Operations Plan

How Do You Use this Curriculum Module Practice This curriculum design may be broken down into several courses Recommend that budgeting encompass one whole course and facilities management be a completely separate course The faculty member presenting the curriculum should have a solid foundation in governmental accounting, auditing and budgeting. Faculty members may want to consider asking participants to bring to the course: Court’s mission, vision and strategic plan Court’s complete budget (inclusive of special programs) Budgeting forms used and formulas used for projecting expenses TARGET AUDIENCE for Course(s): High level court managers who oversee all funding for the court system or a majority of the court funding.

Resources Core Website: nacmcore.org