NGO Budget Monitoring Essentials

You’ll work with many useful budget monitoring tools and techniques you can apply at your NGO to create reports for both internal use and donor reporting. You’ll also examine and discuss a sector-relevant case study. At the end of the five weeks, you’ll have a consolidated summary of all recommended NGO budget monitoring tools and techniques.

• Design and prepare a budget monitoring report to compare a project budget with actual performance
• Calculate variance and grant utilization percentages to assess project progress compared to plan
• Analyze the cause of the budget variances using a 3-criteria model
• Create a Variance Analysis Table to identify significant variances and follow up actions
• Create a project budget forecast report based on latest activity plans and information
• Feel confident to use budget monitoring reports in project and grant management

Anyone in the NGO sector with responsibility for implementing and managing projects; program or organization-wide budgets; reporting to donors and other stakeholders on project performance; reviewing implementing partners’ project performance.

Previous budgeting experience is useful in order to attend this course. We recommend attending Humentum’s Budgeting Essentials first if you are new to budgeting.

If you’re still not sure if this course is right for you, feel free to contact us and we can help!

Humentum’s self-directed and focused trainings put the learner first. Connect and engage with peers from around the world, while learning through a series of engaging videos, assignments and readings. An expert facilitator will guide you.

The platform is open for a set number of weeks, and you can log-in to work at your own pace whenever convenient. You’ll find our learning platform easy to navigate, with clear guides and instructions. You can find out more about our online training platform by watching this video.

Each week, the following module will become available. To proceed to the next module, you’ll need to earn points for completing various tasks (such as watching videos, reviewing resources, and interacting with others). The more tasks you complete, the more points you’ll earn.

We estimate this training requires 5-7 hours per week, depending on your pace of learning, and previous experience.

Module 1

We set the scene with an overview of what’s coming up over the five-week course.

• Introduction
• Financial reporting and monitoring in context
• Introducing the Chart of Accounts
• Budget monitoring – Your experience so far
• Practical: Introducing the case study

Module 2

Week 2 dives straight into the budget monitoring report.

• Budget Monitoring Reports
• Budget monitoring reports: Layout and content
• Where the figures come from
• Donor accountability
• Practical: Building the report

Module 3

We start to look at the analysis tools and techniques that help in budget management.

• Budget Management: Analysis Tools and Techniques
• What causes variances to the plan?
• Analyzing the budget monitoring report
• How to spot fraud and abuse of budgets
• The Variance Analysis Table
• Practical: Variance Analysis

Module 4

Our focus on budget management continues with a look at forecasting.

• Budget Management: Action Planning and Forecasting
• Taking action on variations to the plan
• The art of budget forecasting
• Reviewing the budget forecast report
• Donor reports and budget variation
• Practical: Budget forecast and actions

Module 5

We share helpful bonus materials that you can use in your own organization.

• Making Links and Action Planning
• Practical: Peer review
• Review and key messages
• Bonus materials
• Action planning

Upon completion, Humentum provides a certificate of attendance for this course.

Humentum encourages teams to attend this course together.

We offer a 15% discount for groups of 5 or more to attend this course.

Learn about our Organizational Training Package for members – an offer that allows even more flexibility and cost savings for your organization – starting at groups of 15 or more.

Humentum members receive a 10% discount off this course. When registering, ensure you use your organizational email address. Your member discount will then be automatically applied at checkout. Having trouble? Contact us at workshops@humentum.org.