In today’s dynamic and unpredictable business environment, traditional, annual budgeting processes are often too rigid and slow for organizations that need to be agile. Lean Budgeting is a modern, strategic approach that replaces fixed, project-based funding with a flexible, value-driven system that empowers teams and accelerates decision-making. By aligning financial resources directly with value streams and strategic initiatives, this methodology enhances financial agility, reduces waste, and fosters a culture of continuous delivery and innovation.

This training course is designed to equip you with the knowledge and practical skills to implement a lean budgeting framework that supports and amplifies your agile transformation. We will explore how to transition from cumbersome, top-down budgets to a dynamic system of guardrails and continuous forecasting. By the end of this program, you will be able to lead the charge in creating a more responsive financial culture, enabling your organization to adapt quickly to market changes and accelerate the delivery of value to your customers.

Duration

5 days

Target Audience

• Chief Financial Officers (CFOs)
• Agile coaches and scrum masters
• Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) professionals
• Product and portfolio managers
• Enterprise architects and solution managers
• Business owners and entrepreneurs
• Senior executives and business unit leaders
• Project and program managers
• Management accountants
• Individuals leading an agile transformation

Objectives

• Understand the core principles of lean budgeting and its agile connection.
• Differentiate lean from traditional and zero-based budgeting.
• Implement value stream funding to replace project-based budgeting.
• Develop a dynamic forecasting and planning process.
• Establish a system of financial guardrails for decentralized decision-making.
• Define and track lean budgeting performance metrics.
• Manage the cultural and organizational change to a lean budget.
• Foster a mindset of continuous optimization and financial agility.
• Use lean budgeting to accelerate the delivery of value to customers.

Course Modules

Module 1: Lean Budgeting Fundamentals

• The principles of lean thinking and agile methodology.
• The limitations of traditional budgeting in an agile environment.
• Defining lean budgeting and its core benefits.
• How to link budgets to value streams, not projects.
• The role of finance in supporting an agile organization.

Module 2: Value Stream Mapping and Funding

• Identifying and defining your organization's value streams.
• The process of mapping a value stream from end to end.
• How to estimate and allocate budgets to value streams.
• Shifting the focus from resource utilization to value delivery.
• Creating a portfolio Kanban to visualize value flow.

Module 3: Decentralized Decision-Making

• Establishing a system of financial guardrails.
• Empowering teams to make local, tactical decisions.
• The role of portfolio leaders in strategic oversight.
• Moving from command-and-control to trust and autonomy.
• Best practices for governance in a lean budgeting model.

Module 4: Dynamic Forecasting and Planning

• Implementing rolling forecasts for continuous planning.
• The difference between a forecast and a budget.
• Techniques for forecasting in an uncertain environment.
• How to re-forecast based on continuous feedback.
• Using dynamic budgeting to respond to market changes.

Module 5: Strategic Funding and Allocation

• The importance of a strategic budget allocation process.
• Making funding decisions based on data and value.
• How to handle new initiatives and unforeseen opportunities.
• Using a "lean portfolio" to manage investments.
• The role of a lean budget in capital allocation decisions.

Module 6: Performance Metrics and KPIs

• Defining key performance indicators for lean budgeting.
• Moving beyond cost metrics to value-based metrics.
• Tracking flow, quality, and time-to-market.
• Analyzing the financial impact of agile practices.
• Creating a lean performance dashboard.

Module 7: Organizational Change Management

• Building a coalition for a lean budgeting transformation.
• Training finance and business leaders on the new process.
• Communicating the value and vision to the entire organization.
• Overcoming common resistance and fear of change.
• The role of a change champion in a lean transformation.

Module 8: Advanced Topics and Practical Workshop

• Integrating lean budgeting with your existing financial systems.
• Case studies from various industries and companies.
• Using technology and software to support lean budgeting.
• A hands-on workshop on creating a lean budget for a sample company.
• Final Q&A and peer review session.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 7 working days before commencement of the training.