CJA 416 Wk 1 – Budget Basics

In any criminal justice role, it is beneficial to have an understanding of basic budget components. You may be asked to provide input on a budget related to your work, to retrieve information from a budget, or to create a budget for your department. In this assignment, you explore the basics of budgets, finances, and planning, with special consideration for how these apply to criminal justice agency budgeting. Consider private and public sectors of business, as well as criminal justice agencies, as you research your paper.

Write an 875- to 1,050-word paper in which you do the following:

• List the standard items that are included in a budget.
• Explain who is involved in the creation of budgets for criminal justice agencies, and what their roles are.
• Compare public and private business budget preparation strategies, addressing the following questions:
• How are budgets prepared?
• What are some funding sources?
• Which sector would you prefer to budget for? Explain.
• How can you apply business budgeting concepts in the creation of an effective criminal justice agency budget?

Cite a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed sources.

Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

Submit your assignment.

CJA 416 Wk 2 – Summative Assessment: Budget Proposal Strategy

Throughout this course, you will work on a budget proposal for a criminal justice agency of your choice. Most budgets have areas that are susceptible to challenge. Your task is to strategize a budget that addresses one such challenging area. This week, you research budget proposals to locate an example of a budget issue and then create a strategy to address that issue in the budget. In Week 4, you will incorporate feedback on your strategy as you create a final budget proposal. In Week 5, you will write a reflection on the budget proposal process.

As you develop a budget strategy and prepare to create a budget proposal next week, perform an internet search for templates and examples of the following:

• Budget strategy
• Budget proposal
• Cost worksheet

Research budget proposals from various criminal justice agencies. These are typically available publicly on the organization’s website or may be provided on request. In your research, look for trends in budget issues. Be sure to look at public sector funding and local and federal policies that impact budget planning.

Based on the budget issue trends you’ve found, select one budget issue that you’ll address in your own budget proposal for a criminal justice agency of your choosing.

Create a 1,050- to 1,400-word budget strategy for a criminal justice agency of your choice. This strategy will inform the budget proposal you create in your Wk 4 assignment. Address the following in your strategy:

• Provide an overview of the budget issue you chose and why you consider this an important issue for your selected criminal justice agency to overcome in the budget.
• Explain how the budget issue might be different at a different level (i.e., state or local). Would it be applicable?
• Explain your approach to the budget issue. Address the following:
• Identify 2–3 suggestions on how to improve the budget issue.
• Explain how governing policies may affect your approach to the budget issue.
• Explain how public sector funding may affect your approach to the budget issue.
• Detail your strategy for compiling your budget proposal and how it will address the budget issue.
• Draft the cost worksheet that will be included in your budget.

Note: You may wish to organize this assignment in an outline format with tables to make it easier for you to transition information into your Wk 4 – Budget Proposal assignment.

Cite a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed sources.

Format your references according to APA guidelines.

Submit your assignment.

CJA 416 Wk 3 – Summative Assessment: Residual Budget Effects

Often, part of a government agency’s budget is devoted to capital projects. No matter how well a project and its costs are planned for, there are always residual effects on the budget and on future budgeting practices. In this assignment, you’ll overview a government agency’s project, including its effects on the agency’s budget, and you’ll consider practices and requirements to support accurate reporting of projects.

Research a state or local government capital project (e.g., new building or structure, park improvements, road improvements, addition to a municipal building), the agency that is responsible for the project, and the operating budget for the agency.

Choose one of the following options for this assignment:

• Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word APA-formatted paper.
• Create a 12- to 16-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation with speaker notes and/or narration.

Address the following in your paper or presentation:

• Give a brief overview of the chosen government capital project and of the agency responsible (i.e., size and responsibilities).
• Explain the advantages, disadvantages, and residual effects of the project on the agency’s operating budget.
• How does the project affect the debt in the short and long term?
• How does the project affect operating expenses in the short and long term?
• Explain how the operating expense for the project differs from government debt items.
• Identify how the agency included training resources in their budget for the project. If they did not include training resources, propose how the agency could or should address training in their budget.
• Describe any evidence that the agency employed accurate reporting practices for the project. Would you suggest any differences in their approach? If accurate reporting practices are not evident, what should the agency do to ensure accurate reporting?
• Summarize your findings about the effects of the capital project on the operating budget, and make recommendations for improvement.

Cite a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed sources.

Format your citations according to APA guidelines.

Submit your assignment.

CJA 416 Wk 4 – Budget Proposal & Explanation

In Week 2, you developed a budget strategy to address a budget issue. In this assignment, you further develop the details and create your budget proposal for the criminal justice agency you selected. As you work on your proposal, keep in mind the requirements for accurate reporting discussed in Week 2. These should be built into your budget as “guardrails” to maintain consistently accurate reporting. You have explored the residual effects of poorly structured budgets and a lack of complete reporting. Include ways you can protect your budget against the effects of inaccurate or incomplete reporting.

Implement the feedback received from your Wk 2 – Summative Assessment: Budget Proposal Strategy as you build your budget proposal.

Refer to the budget examples you researched in your Wk 2 assignment and locate any additional examples to help inform your budget.

Write your budget proposal. Address the following:

• Create a complete cost worksheet detailing the costs included in your budget.
• Explain your proposal recommendation in detail.
• Address how your budget proposal will perform against the budget issue you have identified.
• Describe how you can maintain accurate and complete reporting of your budget. What guardrails have you set up?
• Include an overview of the different budget sources you used as examples for your budget. Were these examples civilian-created or police-created?
• Explain any potential issues with the use of centralized budgeting in the examples you referenced.
• Explain any trends you noticed in the examples you referenced.

Note: You may locate and use a budget proposal template to create your assignment.

Cite a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed sources.

Format your references according to APA guidelines.

Submit your assignment.

CJA 416 Wk 5 – Summative Assessment: Budget Proposal Reflection

Now that you’ve completed your budget proposal, it’s important that you reflect on your research and practice. Reflection allows you to acknowledge your achievement and take note of opportunities for improvement in the future.

Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper reflecting on the budget proposal you created in Week 4, as well as on your research findings in this course. Address the following:

• What are the key components of your budget proposal?
• Could your proposal, as is, be implemented in the real world? Explain. If not, what steps would need to be taken to implement?
• How would your identified “guardrails” for reporting ensure both accuracy and completeness in reporting? Would these same guardrails assist you with accountability to your budget? Explain.
• How could your budget affect funding and public perception?
• What inconsistencies or gaps do you anticipate if your budget were implemented? What steps could you take to overcome these issues?
• How would you summarize your budget to convince the city council of its merit?

Cite a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed sources.

Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

Submit your assignment.