Financial Training

City, county, state, and school system finance and office personnel can improve their financial management skills or earn certification through a variety of financial training programs offered by the Vinson Institute.
Training > Financial Training > Local Finance Officer Certification Program > Local Finance Officer Certification Program - Curriculum

Local Finance Officer Certification Program - Curriculum

Contact: Michele Jurkiewicz, jurkiewicz@cviog.uga.edu; 404.463.6804

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Level I Curriculum

Level I Program Overview | Course Schedule

Introductory Budget
(2 days; 12 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • Elements of an efficient budget preparation process
  • Various budget types and the advantages and disadvantages of each
  • Importance of legislative body policy guidance in the budget process
  • State of Georgia laws that govern budgeting components of a quality budget presentation
  • Various elements of budgetary control and administration
Capital Improvement Program
(2 days; 12 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • Elements of an efficient capital improvement program process
  • Various models for prioritizing proposed capital improvement program projects
  • Various funding alternatives and ways to address the question of funding source appropriateness
  • Various public relations opportunities that surround a capital improvement program
Debt Administration
(2 days; 12 CPE hours) Also available online
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • Ways to identify the types of debt instruments available to local governments
  • Requirements and limitations of Georgia statutes as they relate to issuance of debt
  • The bond-rating process
  • Components of official statements used in debt offerings
Purchasing
(2 days; 12 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • Components of the purchasing process
  • Critical components of purchasing forms
  • Concepts and practices of life-cycle costing
  • Purchasing rules and regulations and how to develop them
  • Purchasing through the State of Georgia on state contracts
Introductory Governmental Accounting I and II
(8 days; 24 CPE hours per course) Also available online: Part I | Part II
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • The basic accounting equation
  • How certain transactions affect the accounting equation and the relationship of the balance sheet and the operating statement at the fund level
  • How to record financial transactions using the modified accrual basis of accounting at the fund level
Treasury Management
(2 days; 12 CPE hours) Also available online
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • Legal and political considerations and parameters within which a treasury management system functions
  • Concepts and practices of cash flow forecasting and cash budgeting
  • Investment economics and various investment alternatives
  • Banking systems and how they affect local government treasury management
  • Concepts of contracting for banking services
 

Level II Curriculum

Level II Program Overview | Course Schedule

Internal Controls
(2 days; 12 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • The auditor's approach to internal control
  • Management's responsibility for organizational and systems evaluation
  • The five components of an internal control system
  • Strategies for evaluation
  • Fraud in the workplace and control limitations
Intermediate Budget
(2 days; 12 CPE hours)
(prerequisite: Introductory Budget)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • How to make accurate revenue and expenditure projections
  • How to make more effective budget presentations to managers and elected officials
  • How to develop the budget as a policy document, communications device, financial plan, and management tool
  • How to relate goals and objectives to the operating budget
  • Different methods of performance measurement systems
Intermediate Governmental Accounting
(6 days; 36 CPE hours) Also available online
(prerequisite: Introductory Governmental Accounting)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • The components of the financial statements
  • How to record financial transactions using both the accrual and modified accrual basis of accounting
  • Budgetary accounting and how to record encumbrances
  • The components of comprehensive annual financial reports
Revenue Administration
(2 days; 12 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • How to develop a revenue policy
  • The Georgia property tax cycle
  • Various types of revenue sources available to Georgia local governments
  • Collection procedures for selected revenue sources
  • When to adopt a user charge
  • Relationships between taxes and economic development
 

Electives

Course Schedule

Balancing the Budget
(1 day; 6 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • The true state of the economy for local government and what can most likely be expected for the upcoming fiscal years
  • How to position the local government more favorably with health insurance alternatives as costs rise
  • Collection techniques for bad debts in the taxation area to increase the local government's financial position
  • Available revenue sources to determine if all potential sources are being utilized
  • How to use Web resources and EXCEL
Best Practices in Accounts Payable
(1 day; 6 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • Methods used by other governments to streamline the accounts payable process
  • How the accounts payable process affects other financial management functions
  • Accounting entries performed in the accounts payable process
Internal Controls-Accounts Payable and Cash Disbursements
(1 day; 6 CPE hours) Also available online
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to
  • Define internal controls
  • Cite the five components of a comprehensive system of internal controls
  • Discuss the importance of and limitations to internal controls in a government environment
  • Identify effective internal controls for accounts payable and cash disbursements
  • Describe how internal control deficiencies are reported and corrected
Internal Controls-Accounts Receivable and Cash Receipts
(1 day; 6 CPE hours) Also available online
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • Internal controls definition and components
  • The importance of internal controls and the limitations
  • Effective internal controls of cash receipts and accounts receivable
  • Reporting and correcting internal control deficiencies
Internal Controls - Capital Assets
(1 day; 6 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to
  • Define internal controls
  • Cite the five components of a comprehensive system of internal controls
  • Discuss the importance of and limitations to internal controls in a government environment
  • Identify effective internal controls for capital assets
  • Describe how internal control deficiencies are reported and corrected
Internal Controls - Payroll
(1 day; 6 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to
  • Define internal controls
  • Cite the five components of a comprehensive system of internal controls
  • Discuss the importance of and limitations to internal controls in a government environment
  • Identify effective internal controls for payroll
  • Describe how internal control deficiencies are reported and corrected
Preparing Year-End 1099 Forms for Vendors
(1 day; 6 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • The Internal Revenue requirements for 1099 calendar year reporting
  • How to utilize the accounts payable software system to efficiently and effectively capture the needed information for 1099 reporting
Understanding the Differences between Business Licenses and Occupation Tax
(1 day; 6 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to understand
  • The state laws governing business licensing and occupational taxes in Georgia
  • Regulatory fees and their proper use
  • The methodology used in creating occupational tax structure
Writing Financial Policies
(1 day; 6 CPE hours)
Upon successful completion of this course, the participant should be able to
  • Determine what should and should not be included in financial policies for a local government
  • Learn what impact state law and accounting and auditing standards have on financial policies within local governments
  • Draft financial policies for local governments, incorporating best practices learned throughout the course in the areas of budgeting, financial reporting, purchasing, asset management, and cash management

Local Finance Officer Certification Program >>

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Level I Certification >>

Level II Certification >>

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