UNIT B3: MANAGE THE USE OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Element B3.1 Make recommendations for expenditure

Performance criteria You must ensure that:

a) you give opportunities to relevant people to make suggestions for future expenditure
b) your recommendations take account of past experience, trends, developments and other factors likely to affect future expenditure
c) you clearly state the expected benefits from the recommended expenditure, and any potential negative consequences
d) where you have considered alternative options for expenditure, you provide valid reasons why you have rejected them
e) you provide sufficient, valid information for relevant people to make a decision on your recommendations
f) your recommendations for expenditure are consistent with your organisation's plans and objectives
g) you present your recommendations to relevant people in an appropriate format and at an appropriate time.

Evidence requirements Range :

At least two of the following types of relevant people:
1 team members
2 colleagues working at the same level
3 higher-level managers or sponsors
4 financial specialists.

At least two of the following types of expenditure:
5 supplies
6 people
7 overhead expenses
8 capital equipment.

Both the following types of alternative options:
9 other courses of action to achieve the same results
10 other ways of funding the same course of actions

You must, however, convince your assessor that you have the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to be able to perform competently in respect of all types of relevant people and expenditure, listed above. You must prove that you make recommendations for expenditure to the National Standard of competence. To do this, you must provide evidence to convince your assessor that you consistently meet all the performance criteria. Your evidence must be the result of real work activities undertaken by yourself. Evidence from simulated activities is not acceptable for this element.

Knowledge requirements You need to know and understand

Analytical techniques
1 how to analyse expenditure in the past and use the results to make recommendations on more effective use of financial resources in the future
2 how to carry out cost-benefit analyses in regard to proposed expenditure
3 how to identify and evaluate alternative options to proposals on expenditure.
Communication
4 how to communicate effectively on issues to do with proposed expenditure.
Involvement and motivation
5 how to enable team members, colleagues and line managers to identify and communicate their needs regarding expenditure
6 how to develop and argue an effective case for expenditure.
Organisational context
7 the trends and developments which may influence future expenditure and how to forecast and plan for these
8 the procedures which need to be followed to make recommendations for expenditure.
Resource management
9 the importance of effective budgetary control to team and organisational efficiency and
your role and responsibilities in relation to this
10 the principles and methods which underpin effective budgetary control
11 the importance of keeping accurate records of past expenditure
12 the information which others need to make decisions on expenditure and how to gather and
check the validity of this information.

Element B3.2 Control expenditure against budgets

Performance criteria You must ensure that:

a) you give team members clear and consistent advice on how they can help to control expenditure
b) you give team members opportunities to take individual responsibility for monitoring and controlling expenditure
c) your methods of monitoring expenditure are reliable and comply with organisational requirements
d) you monitor expenditure against agreed budgets at appropriate intervals
e) you control expenditure in line with budgets and organisational requirements
f) the corrective action you take in response to actual or potential significant variations from budget is prompt and complies with organisational requirements
g) you refer requests for expenditure outside your responsibility promptly to the appropriate people
h) your records of expenditure are complete, accurate and available to authorised people only.

Evidence requirements Range

At least two of the following types of monitoring:
1 considering oral information
2 considering written information
3 examining financial information

At least two of the following types of expenditure:
4 supplies
5 people
6 overhead expenses
7 capital equipment

At least two of the following types of corrective action:
8 altering activities
9 rescheduling expenditure
10 altering budget allocations within the limits of your responsibility
11 renegotiating budgets

You must, however, convince your assessor that you have the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to be able to perform competently in respect of all types of monitoring, expenditure and corrective action, listed above. You must prove that you control expenditure against budgets to the National Standard of competence. To do this, you must provide evidence to convince your assessor that you consistently meet all the performance criteria. Your evidence must be the result of real work activities undertaken by yourself. Evidence from simulated activities is not acceptable for this element.

Knowledge requirements You need to know and understand
Information handling
1 the principles of confidentiality in relation to budgets - what information may be provided to which people.
Involvement and motivation
2 the contributions your team members can make to expenditure control
3 how to advise, encourage and motivate team members to help in controlling expenditure.
Organisational context
4 your organisation’s requirements for expenditure control
5 the range of variations from the budget which may occur and what effective corrective action to take in response to these
6 the types of requests for expenditure outside your control which are likely to occur and the correct procedures to follow in response to these.
Resource management
7 the importance of effective expenditure control to your team and organisation’s efficiency
and your role and responsibilities in relation to this
8 the principles and systems which underpin effective expenditure control
9 the importance of accurate and comprehensive record keeping to expenditure control and
systems to achieve this

 

Other Formats

This Unit as a WORD document

This Unit as a PDF file