# Budget Justification and Presentation Course Canonical URL: ## Overview Build a strong foundation in the principles of effective budget justification and presentation, focusing on analysis of budget submissions and preparation of narrative descriptions. Become prepared to use results-based budgeting to justify a program consistent with the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and the 2010 GPRA Modernization Act (GPRAMA). Learn many presentation tips that help you stay focused and will contribute to positive outcomes. ## What you'll learn - Explain federal budget justification events and their relationship to the budget process. - Describe and justify programs in terms of inputs, outputs, outcomes, costs, and benefits. - Explain the effects of the economy and politics on budgetary changes. - Develop program goals, outcomes, performance measures and budget justifications. - Use performance-based budgeting to justify a program, consistent with the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act and the 2010 GPRA Modernization Act (GPRAMA). - Prepare and deliver oral briefings/testimony. ## Curriculum #### Module 1: Federal Budget Overview - Overview of the federal budget process - Federal budget formulation, congressional action, and execution phases - The impact of laws and fiscal policies on the budget process - Roles of OMB and Congress in the federal budget process - Budgeting in a changing economic and political environment #### Module 2: Performance-Based Justification - Introduction to Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) - Performance measurement and budgeting principles - Application of GPRA principles in budget justifications - Defining performance terms: outcomes, outputs, inputs, and indicators - Creating performance-based budgets to align resources with goals #### Module 3: Budget Justification Overview - Purpose and principles of budget justifications - Content guidelines for effective budget justifications - Preparation for budget hearings and presentations #### Module 4: Preparation for Budget Justification - Researching and analyzing program justifications - Understanding the needs and priorities of stakeholders - Structuring a clear and persuasive budget justification #### Module 5: Effective Communication - Communicating budget justification clearly and concisely - Oral presentations and briefing techniques - Engaging stakeholders through effective storytelling #### Module 6: Budget Justification—“The Money Game” - Techniques for making a compelling financial case - Managing competing interests and justifying budget requests ## Schedule - Jul 22, 2026 – Jul 24, 2026 — Washington, DC - Aug 31, 2026 – Sep 2, 2026 — Washington, DC - Oct 21, 2026 – Oct 23, 2026 — Washington, DC ## Instructors ### Alan B. Robinson — Instructor Mr. Robinson is a seasoned legal and federal employment expert with over two decades of experience. He recently retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, where he spent 11 years as Deputy Director/Director for the Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity (ODEO) and 8 years as Chief of Employee and Labor Relations. In these roles, he provided extensive guidance on federal employment matters, showcasing his deep expertise in labor relations and diversity initiatives. A graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Government, Mr. Robinson earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Before his federal service, he built a robust legal career, starting as a law clerk for the Baltimore City Orphan’s Court, followed by 10 years as a civil defense litigator with a D.C. law firm, and later operating his own solo practice for 5 years. His private practice focused on representing federal agencies, employees, municipalities, and private entities in employment-related cases before the EEOC, Merit Systems Protection Board, and various courts. Currently, Mr. Robinson shares his wealth of knowledge as an adjunct instructor with the Graduate School USA and serves as a registered arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). His extensive background in law, federal employment, and diversity makes him a valuable resource in his field. ### Kent Miller — Instructor Kent D. Miller, Jr., MBA, CDFM-A, is a highly accomplished financial management expert and educator with over 40 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. A retired U.S. Army officer, Kent has held leadership roles such as Controller/CFO for the U.S. Army Missile Command and Program Manager/Financial Analyst for the Assistant Secretary of the Army. His expertise spans budgeting, cost analysis, managerial accounting, and financial systems implementation. Notably, he managed a $9 billion organization, supervised a financial staff of 150, and developed funding requirements and congressional testimony for senior Army leadership. Kent’s career also includes consulting and training, where he has developed over 50 courses and taught more than 20,000 students from federal agencies and contractors. As an adjunct instructor at Graduate School USA since 2005, Kent specializes in financial management training for federal employees. His courses cover a wide range of topics, including appropriations law, budget formulation and execution, and performance-based budgeting. Kent’s teaching is informed by his extensive experience in planning, programming, and budgeting, as well as his work in reengineering processes to achieve cost savings. He is also a Certified Defense Financial Manager with Acquisition Specialty (CDFM-A) and has been recognized for his leadership in professional organizations such as the Society of Defense Financial Management and the Association of Government Accountants. ### Alan McCain — Curriculum Program Manager Alan McCain is a retired combat veteran who served as both an Air Force enlisted member and a Navy officer. He brings over 30 years of experience spanning federal and commercial budgeting, auditing, programming, operations, global logistics support, supply chain and inventory management, as well as major IT acquisition. He possesses extensive, hands-on budget and audit experience across Federal, State, and Local government operations, including work within the Executive Office of the President and the Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Education, as well as the Office of the Mayor of Washington, D.C., among others. Alan’s consulting background includes strategic planning and business development with the District of Columbia government, multiple federal agencies, Lockheed Martin, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is a Certified Government/Defense Financial Manager (CGFM/DFM), holds a Teaching Certification from Harvard University’s Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and earned an Executive MBA in International Business from The George Washington University. ## Pricing **Tuition:** $1199