Government Budget Essentials

A strong understanding of how governments are funded is critical for managers tackling our most important contemporary public policy challenges.

This Melbourne MicroCert is ideal for professionals who work in or with governments who would like a better understanding of how government budgets work, and develop the skills to read, understand, and explain them.

Enrich your understanding of public finance by exploring the laws, organisations, systems and procedures used by governments. Demystify the budget cycle and explore trends in fiscal policy, funding and budgets that will shape the future work of the public sector.

Critically analyse how budgets and financial management impact the design and rollout of public policy and programs and take a closer look at the politics of the budget cycle.

Learn tools, frameworks and concepts that can help you better interpret the effects of government spending decisions, and understand the requirements for budget funding submissions and its accountability if successful.

Drawing on your new knowledge, you'll develop a policy brief or implementation plan requiring funding and confidently justify your recommendations to solve an important problem or create public value.