Course Title: Prepare operational budgets

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2021

Course Code: OFFC5335C

Course Title: Prepare operational budgets

School: 650T Vocational Business Education

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4398 - Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping

Course Contact: Doug Gourlay

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5944

Course Contact Email: doug.gourlay@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Course Coordinator and teacher:  Meetu Aggarwal

Phone: +61 3 9925 1621

E-mail:meetu.aggarwal@rmit.edu.au

Contact hours (appointment only):

Monday to Friday 10am - 5:30pm

 

Nominal Hours: 40

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to prepare and document operational budgets for a variety of organisations.

It applies to individuals who use specialised knowledge and systematic approaches to undertake strategic financial activity for an organisation.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

FNSACC412 Prepare operational budgets

Element:

1. Prepare budget

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Confirm budget objectives are consistent with organisational aims, projects and forecasts 1.2 Define cash, expenditure and revenue items and ensure they are relevant to budget 1.3 Discuss and clarify identified budget information with stakeholders according to organisational procedures

Element:

2. Set budget timeframe

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Identify, confirm and include milestones and performance indicators in budget 2.2 Break down annual budgets into seasonal periods according to organisational operating procedures

Element:

3. Document budget

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Present data in a clear format appropriate to budget reporting 3.2 Complete and distribute reports for specified periods and projects within agreed timeframes 3.3 Monitor budget variance and seek direction from client or designated person to address variance as required


Learning Outcomes



Details of Learning Activities

Primarily you will be learning on a face to face basis with the support of an online course site for dissemination of materials and some assessments. Students will be expected to attend three hours of class each week in the semester. Students will be introduced to budgets and MS Excel, which will then be supported by practical illustrations. Students will complete exercises to reinforce their understanding of the material. Solutions will be available in Canvas.  

It is a cluster of two courses :

Prepare operational budgets - FNSACC412 and
Design and produce spreadsheets - BSBITU314

Both of these courses will be delivered simultaneously.


Teaching Schedule

The Teaching Schedule for this course is as follows: Induction Session Prior to training commencement a program level induction session will be conducted that comprises the following: · Program overview and requirements · MyRMIT/Canvas · Overview of assessment requirements · Pre-Training Review including: o Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfers o Assessment of current skills and knowledge · Competency/Grading Criteria · Plagiarism · Appeals · Extensions · Feedback · Privacy · Submission requirements · Re-submission policy · Where to get support · Student Charter   The nominal hours associated with this are a guide only and represent the total teaching time and student effort required to successfully complete the course. This may include not only scheduled classes but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.    

Week

Topic / Learning Materials to be covered

Assessment due

 

1

  • Introduction to the course
  • Getting ready for the course
  • Introduction to budgeting – what is it
  • Introduction to spreadsheeting and how it fits with budgeting

 

 

2

  • Classification of Budgets
  • The budgeting processes
  • Master budget 
  • Forecasting
  • Spreadsheeting for budgets
  • Planning for the task

Assessment 1 Part A
(To be distributed)

 

3

  • Sales and revenue budgets

 

 

4

  • Sales and revenue budgets

 

Introducing operating budgets – non-manufacturing

  • Purchase budgets

 

 

5

Introducing operating budgets – non-manufacturing

  • Purchase budgets
  • Cost of goods sold budget (retail and trading businesses)

 

 

6

  • Cost of goods sold budget (retail and trading businesses)
  • Expense budgets

Assessment 1 Part A
Due: Sunday, 11.59pm
(End of Week 6)

Results will be declared by the end of week 8 and any re-submissions will be in week 9.

 

7

  • Expense budgets
  • Budgeted income statements

 Assessment 2

(To be distributed)

 

 

8

  • Budgeted income statements
  • Budgeted balance sheet

 

 

01/04/2021 to 07/04/2021

Mid Semester break

Mid semester break

 

9

  • Budgeted balance sheet
  • Charts

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

  • In class Assessment 1 Part B
    Assessment covering materials delivered from Week 3 to 9 (inclusive)
  • Pit stop 1 - Assessment 2

Assessment 1 Part B
Due: During in-class time

Results will be declared by the end of week 12 and any re-sits will be in week 13.

 

 
 

11

  • Introducing Cash budgets
  • Accounts receivable collection budget
  • Cash receipt budget
  • Cash payment budgets

 

 

12

  • Cash payment budgets
  • Preparing the cash budget

 

 

 

13

 

  • Budget monitoring and control
  • Resits of Assessment 1 Part B

 

 

 

 
 

14

  • In class Assessment 1 Part C
    Assessment covering materials delivered from Week 11 to 13 (inclusive)
  • Pit stop 2 - Assessment 2

Assessment 1 Part C
Due: During in-class time

Results will be declared by the end of week 15 and any re-sits will be in week 16.

 

15

  • How to make videos
  • Pit stop 3 - Assessment 2
  • Submission of Assessment 2

Submission of Assessment 2

Any re-submissions will be in week 16.

 

16

  • Feedback and re-submissions

 

 
  The above weekly schedule can change in exceptional circumstances. Students will be expected to attend three hours of class each week. Students will be introduced to budgets, which will then be supported by practical illustrations. Students will complete exercises to reinforce their understanding of the material. Mid semester break will be from 1 April 2021 to 7 April 2021. Classes will resume from 8/04/2021.


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

Prepare Operational Budgets by Richard Hughes and Tony Kirby, 7th edition by Learn Now Publications

9781760730680


References


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

  • establish and confirm budgetary milestones and performance indicators
  • collect financial data and prepare operational budgets for a range of organisations
  • identify budget variances and report variances to designated stakeholders
  • record and document budget reports.

 

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

 

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate the following knowledge to effectively complete the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit, and to manage tasks and reasonably foreseeable contingencies in the context of the work role.

  • Key principles of budgetary control
  • Range of forecasting techniques used when preparing operational budgets
  • Key principles of statistical analysis and measures of variance in the context of financial data analysis and operational budgets
  • Key features of organisational policies and procedures for financial administration as they relate to budgeting

 

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the accounting field of work and include access to:

  • office equipment, technology, software and consumables required to prepare operational budgets, including:
  • digital systems and programs to assist in budget preparation and reporting
  • templates for presenting financial data.

 

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the assessor requirements in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.

You are advised that you are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate your assessment work to your teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.

Feedback

Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or online discussions.  You are encouraged to ask and answer questions during class time and online sessions so that you can obtain feedback on your understanding of the concepts and issues being discussed. Finally, you can email or arrange an appointment with your teacher to gain more feedback on your progress.

You should take note of all feedback received and use this information to improve your learning outcomes and final performance in the course. 


Assessment Tasks

Students MUST successfully complete the below mentioned two assessment tasks and gain competency in order to pass this course.

Assessment 1 - Due date: Weeks 6, 10 and 14

This assessment is divided into 3 parts: Part A, B and C. 

Part A: This is an individual assessment that requires you to answer some questions. It will be based on materials covered from week 1 to week 6. You will work on this assessment in your own time and will submit it in Canvas by the end of week 6.

Part B: This is an in class, close book assessment. You will be asked to to apply concepts of budgeting tools covered from Week 3 to 9 inclusive and will be due in week 10.

Part C: This will also be an in class assessment and you will be asked to prepare cash budgets and performance report on Excel spreadsheet provided by your teacher. It will cover materials from week 11 to week 13 and will be due in week 14.

 

Assessment 2 - Due date: Week 15

This is an individual assessment that requires you to apply a corporate or brand style guide to a spreadsheet design and develop a short ‘how to’ video (not more than 10 minutes) demonstrating how to design spreadsheets using a widely adopted software within the bookkeeping and accounting industry - Microsoft Excel. You will work on this assessment in your own time. There will be some pitstop meetings in week 10, 14 and 15 in which your teacher will check your progress on the assessment. 

Students can be asked to reproduce any assessment piece in front of the teacher.


Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix that maps all the assessment is available on CANVAS under Assignments.

All assessments will utilise a competency-based model and will be deemed as either Satisfactory or Not Yet Satisfactory.

Other Information

Submission Requirements You should: Ensure that you submit assessments on or before the due date. Always retain a copy of your assessment tasks. (hard copy and soft copy) When you submit work for assessment at RMIT University you need to use a cover sheet that includes a declaration and statement of authorship. You must complete, sign and submit a cover sheet with all work you submit for assessment, whether individual or group  work. On the cover sheet you declare that the work you are presenting for assessment is your own work. An assignment cover sheet for submission of each assessment task is available on blackboard.  Each page of your assessment should include footer with your name, student number, the title of the assessment, unit code and title and page numbers. For example, Julie Macpherson, 324567, Task 2, OHS2345C Ensure safe workplace, Page 1 of 10.     Late Submission Procedures You are required to submit assessment items and/or ensure performance based assessment is completed by the due dates. If you are prevented from submitting an assessment item on time, by circumstances outside your control, you may apply in advance to your teacher for an extension to the due date of up to seven calendar days.   More Information:https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment/extensions-of-time-for-submission-of-assessable-work (https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/studentessentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment/extensions-of-time-for-submission-of-assessable-work) Where an extension of greater than seven days is needed, you must apply for special consideration. Applications for special consideration must be submitted no later than two working days after the assessment task deadline or scheduled examination.   More Information:https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment/special-consideration (https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-andexams/assessment/special-consideration)   Resubmissions (VE Programs): If you are found to be unsuccessful in a Course Assessment Task you will be allowed one resubmission only. Your teacher will provide feedback regarding what you need to do to improve and will set a new deadline for the resubmission. The highest result you will receive if your resubmission is successful is “CA”.   If you are still not meeting the assessment requirements you must apply to your Program Manager in writing outlining the steps you will take to demonstrate competence in your course. Your submission will be considered by the Program Team and you will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible.   Adjustments to Assessment In certain circumstances students may be eligible for an assessment adjustment. For more information about the circumstances under which the assessment arrangements might be granted please access the following website:   More Information:https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment/adjustments-to-assessment (https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-andexams/assessment/adjustments-to-assessment)   Marking Guide (Competency): You must demonstrate that you have all the required skills/knowledge/elements in the unit of competency you are studying. You will receive feedback on each assessment task that will inform you about your progress and how well you are performing. You will achieve one of the following results:   Final results table:   CA Competency Achieved  NYC Not Yet Competent DNS Did Not Submit for assessment    

Course Overview: Access Course Overview