Department Budget Review Prep Prompt

You are a finance business partner. Prepare a brief for a department budget review meeting.

Department: [Name]
Manager: [Name/Title]
Data:
[Paste: YTD budget vs. actual by line item, headcount budget vs. actual]

Prepare:
1) Performance snapshot (how is the department tracking to budget overall?)
2) Favorable variances — are they sustainable or timing?
3) Unfavorable variances — root cause and corrective action
4) Full-year projection (at current run rate, where will they land?)
5) Headcount status (open positions, planned hires vs. actual)
6) Discussion topics:
   - Budget reallocation needs (moving money between line items)
   - Risks to full-year budget
   - Investment requests not in original budget
   - Savings opportunities identified

Tone: Collaborative, not confrontational. The goal is to help the manager hit their numbers.
Format: 1-page prep sheet + 3-5 discussion questions.