Government Best Practices Training Course:

NOTE: On-line registrations for this workshop are now closed. Space is available for walk in registrants. To register the day of the conference, please bring your payment and the attached registration form.

Registration: 7:30 AM (Day One Only)

Program Starts: 8:30 AM

Wrap-up: 4:30 PM

Course materials, continental breakfast, refreshments included.

About This Course

In 1982, the GAO released its first edition of Principles of Federal Appropriations Law.  It was a collection of the body of law governing the expenditure of federal funds.  In 1991, the current four set volume was released.

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.

• 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.

Course Syllabus

A. Legal Framework

1. Constitutional basis
2. Historical review
3. Basic definitions

B. Life Cycle of an Appropriation

1. Budget formulation
2. Congressional process
3. Enactment of funding gap
4. Apportionment and allotment
5. Close of fiscal year
6. Audit and review

C. Interpreting Appropriation Language

1. Line item vs. lump sum appropriations
2. Effect of budget estimates
3. Reprogramming and transfer
4. Permanent legislation in an appropriation
5. Interrelationship of authorization and appropriation
6. Application of legislative history

D. Availability of Appropriations as to Purpose

1. Necessary expense rule
2. Specific purpose limitations

• Entertainment and recreation
• Insurance
• Personal expenses and furnishings
• State and local taxes

E. Availability of Appropriations as to Time

• Bona fide needs rule
• Materials contracts
• Service contracts
  

1. Replacement contracts rule
2. Contract modifications
3. Year-end disposition of appropriation balances
4. Elimination of “M” accounts

F. Availability of Appropriations as to Amount

1. Earmarking language
2. Antideficiency Act
3. Augmentation of appropriations

G. Obligation of Appropriations

1. Recording Statute
2. Contingent liabilities
3. Deobligation

H. Continuing Resolutions

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
  

Early Registrants Include

• Acquisition Solutions, Inc., Senior Acquisition Analyst
• BearingPoint, Management Analyst, Consulting
• Department of Commerce, Deputy Chief Information Officer
• Department of Labor
• NOAA, Budget Team Leader
• NOAA, Budget Analyst
• U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Administrative Officer
• VT National Guard, U.S. Property & Fiscal Officer for Vermont

What Previous Students Said in their Evaluations...

“This course should be required for all financial and contracting officers and supporting attorneys.”
Associate General Counsel, Immigration and Naturalization Service

“Knowledgeable, informative, and easy to understand.”
Controller, Westinghouse Electric

“What a wonderful teacher! She kept my undivided attention for all four days!”
Assistant Counsel, Defense Fuel Supply Center

“She is a fantastic instructor. Her knowledge of the subject matter is phenomenal. She makes the course very interesting.”
Budget Officer, Department of Defense Dependents Education

“Excellent use of examples to illustrate nuances of the law. I highly recommend this course.” Attorney-Advisor, FBI

“Could not ask for anyone more knowledgeable of the subject matter. Good teaching approach.”
Chief, Planning, Programming and Budgeting, Defense Logistics Agency

“The ‘newness’ and enthusiasm brought to the subject matter by Ms. Archibald is astounding!”
Associate Director for Operations, U.S. Geological Survey

“Superior instructor with an outstanding knowledge (both legal and pragmatic) of the subject matter. Her additions of the history and theory behind the rules is immensely beneficial.”
Counsel, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace

“Terrific! She is clearly a subject matter expert; she brings a lot of this course from her background. Amazing ability to teach and entertain for hours on end with no more than a flip chart…[Ms. Archibald] brings this topic to life.”
Major, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School

“Provided me with a foundation in appropriations law. I’m a new budget analyst and didn’t have any background in this topic. Very interesting and complete presentation.”
Budget Analyst, HHS

About Your Instructor

Meg Archibald graduated from Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania in 1972. While teaching public school in Ithaca, New York, she earned an M.S. in social studies education from the State University of New York at Cortland. In 1975, she began law school at American University in Washington, D.C., receiving a J.D. degree in 1978. During law school Ms. Archibald worked for Congressman Matthew McHugh and for the General Accounting Office (GAO). From 1978 to 1984, she worked as an attorney with the Office of General Counsel at GAO and was a co-editor of the GAO publication Principles of Federal Appropriations Law. Since 1985, Ms. Archibald has combined her teaching and legal backgrounds, traveling extensively to conduct a seminar on Federal Appropriations Law. She is admitted to the bar in California and the District of Columbia, and is a member of the American Bar Association.

Contact Us

• For registration information, contact Pamela Greenstein, (703) 807-2758
• For speaker or agenda information, contact Abbie Hickman, (703) 807-2753

Registration Fee

• Government: $1,195 per person
• Industry: $1,295 per person

Registration Options:

NOTE: On-line registrations for this workshop are now closed. Space is available for walk in registrants. To register the day of the conference, please bring your payment and the attached registration form.

Registration form requires Acrobat Reader.

Registrations are payable by Visa, American Express, Mastercard, company check or government purchase order.

CANCELLATION POLICY: You may designate a substitute in writing any time before the conference. If you need to cancel your registration, you must send your notice in writing and will be subject to a $50 processing fee. No refunds are given for cancellations received 3 business days prior to the conference start date or later. PLEASE NOTE: No shows will be liable for the entire registration fee.

Location Information

The workshop will be held in the Market*Access Training Center in the NRECA Building at 4301 Wilson Boulevard, Suite #1003 (10th floor), Arlington, VA 22203. Public parking at the facility is available for $9 a day. The NRECA Building is just one block from the Ballston Metro Station in the orange line.

Driving and Metro Directions
Ballston Metro stop information

Nearby hotels include:

• Hilton Arlington Towers, (877) 233-9330 (one block from conference center)
• Comfort Inn Ballston, (703) 247-3399
• Holiday Inn, (703) 243-9800 (three blocks from conference center)

On-Site Training

Have a Large Staff to Train? Can't Make These Dates? Tight Travel Budget?

Market*Access can provide training, wherever and whenever you need, including on-site at your facility. Our staff will cost-effectively implement training customized to your needs. If you have group of attendees (usually 15 or more), we can bring this course to you and help save you time, travel costs, and more!

To request a proposal and schedule training, e-mail Laura Johnson, Vice President, Conferences & Strategic Planning, at ljohnson@marketaccess.org or call (703) 807-2747.

To download a PDF of planned training conferences and workshops
for 2006, please click here.

Marketing, Conference Management and Production by:

Market*Access International, Inc.
4301 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 1003
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 807-2755