Strategic Planning, Management Control and Effective Budgeting

This DIXONTECH course delivers an integrated understanding of strategic planning, management control systems, and effective budgeting techniques that drive organizational success. Participants will learn how to translate corporate strategy into measurable objectives, design control mechanisms, and align budgeting practices with performance and accountability goals. The course emphasizes real-world application using tools such as Balanced Scorecard, KPI frameworks, and performance-based budgeting to strengthen decision-making and financial discipline.

TRAINING TOPICS

•  Fundamentals of Strategic Planning and Management Control
•  Linking Strategy to Performance and Budgets
•  Designing Management Control Systems
•  Budgeting Frameworks and Performance Based Budgeting
•  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Scorecards
•  Forecasting, Variance Analysis, and Cost Control
•  Monitoring Financial and Strategic Performance
•  Integrating Strategic, Operational, and Financial Plans

BY THE END OF THIS TRAINING COURSE, DELEGATES WILL BE ABLE TO

•  Develop and execute strategic financial plans
•  Align budgeting with corporate strategy
•  Build performance driven control systems
•  Design and use key performance indicators
•  Apply variance and cost control analysis
•  Implement Balanced Scorecard tools effectively
•  Strengthen accountability through integrated planning

TRAINING IS TAILORED TO

•  Finance and strategic planning professionals
•  Budgeting and performance managers
•  Controllers and financial analysts
•  Management accountants and supervisors
•  Corporate planners and department heads
•  Business and operations managers
•  Public sector finance officers

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

The program employs interactive discussions, practical budgeting workshops, case studies, and group strategy simulations. Participants apply planning and control concepts through hands-on exercises using real data, forecasting models, and KPI dashboards to develop strategic and operational budgets that support long-term growth.

DAY 1

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT

•  Understanding strategic planning concepts and cycles
•  Linking mission, vision, and strategic objectives
•  Developing and cascading corporate strategies
•  Identifying key drivers of organizational success
•  Strategic analysis tools (SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s 5 Forces)
•  Translating strategy into measurable objectives
•  Case study: aligning strategy with performance plans

DAY 2

MANAGEMENT CONTROL SYSTEMS AND FRAMEWORKS

•  Role of management control in strategic execution
•  Components of effective control systems
•  Financial and nonfinancial control measures
•  Decentralization, accountability, and performance responsibility
•  Designing management reports for decision-making
•  Governance and control culture in organizations
•  Case study: management control failures and lessons learned

DAY 3

BUDGETING PRINCIPLES AND BEST PRACTICES

•  Types of budgets: fixed, flexible, rolling, zero-based
•  Linking budgeting with strategic and operational plans
•  Cost estimation and revenue forecasting techniques
•  Building performance based and activity-based budgets
•  Integrating capital and operational budgets
•  Workshop: preparing a departmental operating budget
•  Common budgeting challenges and solutions

DAY 4

PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT AND VARIANCE ANALYSIS

•  Developing key performance indicators (KPIs)
•  Using Balanced Scorecard for performance tracking
•  Budget variance and financial analysis techniques
•  Identifying causes and corrective actions
•  Performance benchmarking and continuous improvement
•  Using dashboards and visualization tools for reporting
•  Practical exercise: KPI and variance report creation

DAY 5

STRATEGIC BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL

•  Aligning budgeting process with long-term strategy
•  Monitoring and revising budget execution
•  Linking budget control to accountability frameworks
•  Integrating financial and operational feedback loops
•  Measuring strategic outcomes and organizational value
•  Final workshop: designing a strategic control and budgeting model
•  Wrap-up and action planning for implementation