Dear NCSA Managers,
As Bill mentioned in his email launching this effort on Monday, we are excited to begin our FY23 budget cycle. Input from prior budget cycles has been instrumental in improving the budgeting process. We have formed the Business Office Budget Committee (BC) to continue streamlining the process and advancing our budget cycle strategies. Both input collected and the BC’s collaboration contributed to helping us expand our Budget Guidance, a living document which houses budget goals, categories, and parameters for spending. The Budget Guidance aids us in executing on the Center's core budget principles, assigning the level (group, directorate, Center) at which each budget decision is responsible for, and ensuring we align our budget with our Center's principles.
This year we ask that you continue to partner with your Business Office contact to complete the budget task. We believe a collaborative approach allows all participants to be more involved in the process, learn, and engage with the managers.
BUDGET PROCESS AND TIMELINE
- Training: An in-depth Zoom training is scheduled for Business office staff, Project managers and managers Wednesday, February 16.
- We will be recording the session for anyone unable to attend the scheduled training.
- You will be provided a pre-populated Google Sheet with the prior year's staffing and approved allocation requests.
- We will walk you through the Updated Budget Guidance and how to complete your budget.
- Budget submission: managers have three weeks from the training session to complete their budget Final submitted budgets are due to directorate leads by Wednesday, March 9 - budgets should be marked ‘ready for submission’ by this date.
- AD meetings: directorate leads meet with group managers to review budgets Wednesday, March 9 through Wednesday, March 23.
- AD compiles Directorate budget – March 23 – March 31
- AD budget review: the BC will compile submitted budgets for AD’s to review beginning Wednesday, April 13th.
- Director budget review and approval: the AD’s submit a final budget for Bill to approve end of May.
- Final approved budgets announced: FY23 budgets announced in June/July.
- Budgets loaded: the Business Office loads approved FY23 budgets after final processing of FY22 in August/September.
- Staff Plan updates for FY23: Managers extend allocations for their teams in Staff Plan to at least 06/30/2024 by Friday, July 15.
Completing the budget according to the timeline outlined above will allow us a full year of tracking starting July 1st against prior year budgets and will enable us to address process issues for the coming year's budget cycle. Ultimately, with each year's efforts, we ensure a smoother and improving budgeting process for subsequent years.
RESOURCES:
Training materials and videos are available on the State and ICR Budget Planning wiki
Q&A from prior years through the Frequently Asked Questions.
The Budget Guidance document.
The BC is available on Slack through #ncsabudgetprocess.
Please feel free to reach out to the BC with questions or concerns. We look forward to seeing you in training on February 16! An invitation to the training, meeting requests to function as due-date reminders, and access to the budget templates will follow.
The Business Office Budget Committee (BC)
Angela Douglas, Richelle Lu, Amy Morgan, Shawn Quigley, Melanie Rodriguez, Matt Schuldt