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The Budget Planning System (BPS) was designed to streamline the
BLM’s budget process and enable them to compete effectively
for a budget that would support their programs and goals. Development
of BPS began in March 2001.
Advanced DataTools developed BPS in two phases. The first phase
of the system was implemented in June 2001. The primary goal of
Phase I was to provide BLM personnel the ability to enter needs
and opportunities, and enable the state or national office to evaluate,
rank, and prioritize all projects to identify the most critical
projects for BLM to implement.
In the first six months following implementation, over 2000 users
signed up to use the system and enter projects, and the system was
used to create the BLM's budget for FY2003.
Phase II of BPS was implemented in January 2002. This phase enabled
the budget division to take the needs and opportunities entered
and create a budget to be submitted to Congress and the President
for approval. This automated the process for developing comprehensive
planning target allocations (PTAs) - the cost breakdown by fund,
program, and office to the lowest level of detail for the current
and next year. It also also provided an automated mechanism by which
the budget funds received can be allocated to the individual states,
districts, field offices, and further allocated to specific projects.
This enables BLM to maintain accountability for when and how allocated
funds are spent, and allows BLM to measure the overall success of
a project and determine whether future funding should be requested
or shifted to other more cost-effective projects.
Features of the BPS system include:
- Allows users to identify the work required to achieve success
and to specify what can be done with varying levels of funding.
- Enables definition of projects for the next fiscal year, including
descriptions, benefits, and detailed funding costs down to the
workload measures
- Allows users to attach text documents, GIS maps, pictures, images,
and other documents to support the justification of the project.
- Allows offices at the state and national level to evaluate,
rank, and prioritize all projects to identify the most critical
projects for BLM to implement.
- Supports the development of comprehensive planning target allocations
– the cost breakdown by fund, program, and office to the
lowest level of detail for the current and next year.
- Allocates funds received by the bureau from Congress down to
the state to field offices.
- Allows users to enter future issues that BLM will need to address
that will require funding, serving as a collective brainstorm
in which any BLM staff person can participate.
The outcome of the BPS process is two books – the Budget
Book, this includes projects that are a part of the President’s
budget, and the Opportunities Book, which are projects
that could be implemented if extra funding is received during the
fiscal year.
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