Prepare and manage budgets for scientific or technical workplace activities
Overview
This standard covers the competences you need to prepare
and manage budgets for scientific or technical workplace
activities, in accordance with approved procedures and
practices.
You will be required to demonstrate that you can prepare,
submit and agree a budget for a set period. This will involve
monitoring actual performance against the agreed budget.
You will take the necessary action in response to any
identified variances and unforeseen developments in
accordance with workplace procedures.
The activity is likely to be undertaken by someone in a
science related work setting, including individuals working
in hospitals, scientific laboratories, schools and universities.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
P1 ensure that your work is carried out in accordance with
workplace procedures
P2 use safe practices and the appropriate personal
protection equipment (PPE) where scientific or technical
activities are performed
P3 identify and agree the business and scientific or
technical requirements of your role in the workplace
P4 establish processes that deliver scientific or technical
outcomes based on organisational goals and aims
P5 evaluate available information and consult with others to
prepare budget plans for activities
P6 submit proposed budgets to the relevant people in the
organisation, for approval and to assist the overall planning
process
P7 use the agreed budget plans to start, monitor and
control delivery of scientific or technical activities
P8 evaluate variances between what was planned in the
budget and what actually happened in the workplace
P9 take prompt corrective action, obtaining agreement from
the relevant people if required, to delivery the critical budget
outcomes
P10 propose revisions to the budget plan, if necessary, in
response to variances and/or significant or unforeseen
developments, and discuss and agree the revisions with the
relevant people in the organisation
P11 provide ongoing information on performance against
the budget plan to relevant people in your organisation
P12 gather information from implementation of the budget
plan to assist in the preparation of future project plans
P13 present the results of the work done to the appropriate
people, in accordance with departmental and organisational
procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
K1 the health and safety requirements of the area in which
you are carrying out the scientific or technical activities
K2 the implications of not taking account of legislation,
regulations, standards and guidelines when conducting
scientific or technical activities
K3 the scientific or technical techniques and processes you
must use correctly in the workplace.
K4 the importance of wearing protective clothing, gloves
and eye protection for scientific or technical activities
K5 the importance of correct identification, and any unique
workplace coding system
K6 the organisational requirements for maintaining the
security of the workplace and keeping confidential
documents
K7 the workplace business aims and goals and the
planning process
K8 the workplace organisational structure, its values and
culture
K9 how your scientific or technical activities add value
through delivering workplace products, services and
processes
K10 the lines of communication and responsibilities in your
department, and the links with the rest of the organisation
K11 the limits of your own authority and to whom you
should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
K12 how to identify and assess the scientific or technical
requirements of your work role
K13 the different ways in which you are set your agreed
personal work objectives
K14 the different perspectives and approaches that are
important when exercising autonomy or judgement about
scientific or technical activities used
K15 the types of investigation initiated and used to review
the effectiveness or appropriateness of methods, action
and results of your scientific or technical work
K16 the budget responsibilities, including the limits of your
authority, for your workplace role
K17 the budget information available in your organisation
K18 the scientific or technical activities for which budgets
have been allocated
K19 the budgeting period(s) used in your workplace
K20 the workplace procedures for the preparation and
approval of budgets
K21 the workplace procedures for monitoring and reporting
of performance against existing and revised budgets
K22 the workplace systems established for managing and
evaluating performance against budgets
K23 the people in the workplace who need information on
the financial performance of your area
K24 the procedures for presenting financial information and
the timescales/deadlines for delivering this information
Scope/range
- discuss and agree budgets with one of the following
people:
1.1 manager
1.2 head of school
1.3 vice principal
1.4 director
1.5 head teacher
1.6 principal - agree business and scientific or technical work objectives
that are all the following:
2.1 specific
2.2 achievable
2.3 time-bound
2.4 measureable
2.5 realistic - establish and use effective methods for all of the
following:
3.1 keeping staff informed of budget plans and
developments
3.2 specifying what is expected of team leaders and their
staff and their accountabilities
3.3 monitoring the budgets for scientific or technical work
and progress against workplace plans and take appropriate
corrective action, where necessary
3.4 details that are critical to monitoring budgets and
achieving successful business results
3.5 identifying common budgeting issues and trends and
their impact upon current and future spending - record details of the work activities, and communicate
the details to the appropriate people, using:
4.1 verbal report plus one method from the following:
4.2 written or typed report
4.3 computer-based record
4.4 specific workplace documentation
4.5 electronic mail