GAO's Principles of Federal Appropriations Law

In 1982, GAO released the first edition of Principles of Federal Appropriations Law – a collection of the body of law governing the expenditure of federal funds commonly known as the Red Book.

Today, agency program managers, general counsel, contracts administrators and financial officers are all faced with significant challenges in meeting organization needs within current budgets. What are the rules? How are they applied in practice? What are the typical mistakes made that result in wasted or lost funds? How can an agency protect its budget? How can an agency manager maximize their allocation?

The rules governing federal appropriations are complex, extensive and fill four binders. This course, taught by leading experts in government contract law, will provide the student with an overview of the rules, how they are applied, and most importantly, how to maximize funds with budget limits AND within the rules.

Learn precisely how the Federal government’s budget and spending system works – and how to avoid impasses at each phase in the process, from initial planning through ultimate disbursement.

What You Will Learn:

• Initial planning phase
• Budgeting
• Congressional role
• Limitations on spending
• Antideficiency questions
• Contract funding
• Personal liability
• Statutory compliance

And more…

Under the Current administration and Congress, financial pressures are mounting – and will continue to mount for the foreseeable future. Those of you who handle Federal funds and have to find ways to do more with less need to know how to maneuver on the Federal financial highway.

The subtle rules on the availability of appropriations can absolutely block an otherwise well-reasoned management plan. The difficulty is that these rules are not well known, not well publicized, and not easy to understand. Fortunately, though, there exist clear precedents that you can follow to avoid reaching such impasses – and avoid incurring personal financial liability for failure to comply.

This course will take you through every facet of the budgeting and spending processes. You’ll get a thorough analysis of all funding activities, as seen through the eyes of the contracting, certifying, and disbursing officers. And you’ll participate in sessions that explore controlling decisions by the General Accounting Office.

We invite you to join us for three days of educational adventure.

You’ll Take Home:

• An up-to-date copy of the GAO Red Book, 3rd Edition, revised March 2009
• Easy-to-use timelines illustrating the proper use of funds by category
• Plain-English definitions of critical appropriations terms
• 5 practical exercises to eliminate Anti-Deficiency Act mistakes

Who Should Attend:

• Agency Program Managers
• Budget and Financial Officers
• General Counsel
• Contracts Administrators
• Procurement Executives
• Federal support contractors
• Federal product and services suppliers, systems integrators
• Financial Management Analysts