Budget Services

The Office of Budget's mission is to provide budget formulation, budget execution, and performance planning and reporting guidance and support to the Department’s Administrations and staff offices to help accomplish VA’s mission.

• Budget Formulation: This a multi-phase process of budget development, justification, and decision making that culminates with the enactment of an appropriations bill.  The ultimate objective of budget formulation is to ensure the timely, accurate, and informed submission of VA’s budget request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the President’s budget request to Congress.  To achieve these objectives, the Office of Budget must meet a series of deadlines during the year while navigating a complex institutional and political environment.  The office is uniquely positioned as the focal point in all phases of the formulation process serving multiple roles as coordinator, examiner, mediator, advisor, broker, and advocate.  Particularly in times of fiscal constraints, the office analyzes and negotiates resource levels among competing interests and makes recommendations to senior management.  The office prepares the Secretary’s testimony before the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Appropriations Committees on VA's budget request.  In addition, it serves as the primary liaison with OMB and relevant congressional committees during the formulation process, defending and promoting VA’s program plans and budget estimates before examiners and committee staff.
  
  
• Budget Execution: Budget execution is a continuous review and control of the allocation of funds to ensure consistency with the Department’s operating plans and thereby maintaining a fiduciary responsibility to the American taxpayer.  The Office of Budget takes the lead role in the execution process, ensuring funds are spent in compliance with law, guidance, and directives from OMB and Congress, as well as Departmental policies and plans.
  
  
• Performance Planning and Reporting:   The Office of Budget seeks to promote a “performance culture” whereby staff and management use performance measurement to enhance accountability and to help offices deliver tangible results that create beneficial outcomes on behalf of veterans.  To this end, the office has a lead role implementing the performance planning and reporting provisions of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.  We work closely with VA organizations to develop performance measures and targets which are then integrated into the Department’s annual budget request.  Performance results and outcomes are communicated to the public via the annual publication of the Performance and Accountability Report.  The office also manages the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) review process, and coordinates the Deputy Secretary’s monthly performance reviews through which all Administrations and staff offices provide updates on workload trends, the status of financial and program performance, and the status of major information technology and construction projects.

Additional information may be accessed via the Office of Budget website at http://www.va.gov/budget/.