Annually, CSMFO’s Recognition Committee (RC) receives approximately 100 budget award submissions between the months of September and October. The RC assigns budgets among the committee members and volunteer reviewers to determine if they meet the criteria for recognition. All agencies who submit a budget for award review are required to provide at least one reviewer from those agencies. Are you looking for a new way to participate in CSMFO? Volunteer to be an award program reviewer!

Why volunteer as a budget reviewer?

There are many great reasons to participate as a budget reviewer:

The CSMFO’s Mission is to serve all government finance professionals through innovation, collaboration, continuing education and professional development. The budget review process is one of many ways members can develop their professional skills and simultaneously help CSMFO encourage governments to improve the quality of budget documents. In addition to the potential for budget quality improvements, reviewers are helping to encourage governments to improve the transparency of budget documents, which is one of CSMFO’s Guiding Values.

Budget reviewers can be at the forefront of the most recent trends in budget documents for CA local governments. Reviewers may come across best practices or find interesting charts, graphs, and key performance indicators within the budget they review that they could modify and adapt for use in the budget documents of their agencies.

Another great reason to participate as a budget reviewer is an opportunity for networking and collaborating with peers. As the budget review season progresses, reviewers interact with the RC on a regular basis to ask questions and share ideas for budget review criteria improvement. Budget reviewers can also connect with other participants in the award program. At the Annual Conference, budget reviewers receive identification they can wear on their badges to promote the budget review program and have an opportunity to meet other budget reviewers in person

How many assignments does a reviewer receive?

Budget reviewers receive one submission to review at a time, generally between the months of October and December. Reviewers can choose to review one or more budgets, and a review usually takes between two to four hours to complete.

What experience and prerequisites are needed to become an award program reviewer?

Reviewers need not worry, as the RC can answer questions and provide guidance to help them through the process. The Professional Standards Committee also can assist reviewers with technical questions and provide tools. The RC continues to develop and enhance the criteria and questions that are used by the reviewers to score their budget assignments, striving to make the review process more and more intuitive and objective, easier for all reviewers.

Become an award reviewer today! If you are looking to add even more value, the RC is always seeking more members to join the Committee.

Contact Michael Manno at MManno@cityofsantacruz.com.