Course Syllabus

Course Instructor: Temirlan T. Moldogaziev, Ph.D.

Class Meeting Times & Location: Tuesdays/Thursdays @ 09:35-10:50 in PV A205

Course Materials: Posted on Canvas

(Note: a detailed Word version of the Syllabus is in the "Syllabus" Module.)

Course Description: Government Budgeting and Program Analysis is a graduate level applied public sector budget management & evaluation course specifically designed for MPA/MPP students specializing in financial management of governments and non-for-profit organizations. This course is an advanced study of the management aspects of the resource allocation tools, processes, and outcomes of regional and local governments, special purpose districts, and other forms of local service delivery. Special cases are analyzed with regards to adopting, planning, implementing, reporting, and auditing stages in the budgetary process; and budget problem-solving exercises are utilized to address the technical aspects of the specialization.

Covering the concepts, procedures, practices, and politics of governmental budget preparation, justification, presentation, and review will prepare students to participate professionally in the public resource allocation activities. The main purpose here is to master budgeting as practiced by professional budget officers, including the ability to understand the role of budget professionals in complex and dynamic environments. The course explicitly seeks to develop skills relevant to staff positions responsible for preparing, executing, reviewing, and reporting public expenditure budgets. Course content will be presented through readings, lectures, exercises, discussions, documentary observations, practitioner materials, and an end-of-term budget case in place of a final exam.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, a) students will master the concepts and terms used in public sector budgeting; b) students will come to understand the budgetary functions & processes and recognize the roles of budgetary stakeholders; c) students will come to understand current and historical issues/challenges in public budgeting through the lens of concepts from this course.; d) students will have the skills to generate, communicate, and evaluate relevant evidence-based solutions for analytical and practical purposes.