Unit Outline

This unit will provide you with a practical understanding of operational budgeting and financial decision making, as well as other financial concepts, practices and tools used to measure and assess the financial performance of an organisation. The use of practical case studies, tasks and simulations will develop your financial skills and knowledge in order to apply them to any operational setting. In conjunction with the discipline theory, this unit introduces learning through practice by exposing you to authentic learning experiences. These experiences are placed at the centre of learning and assessment, so you have the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to respond to industry, community and/or global needs. You will be introduced to: • a range of methods, tools, techniques and approaches to practice • principles and perspectives such as values, ethics, empathy and leadership in real world scenarios • reflection and deliberative thinking as a means of developing knowledge, skills, attitudes and aspirations • ways of understanding problems and developing solutions through active inquiry.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

1.	Develop and review operational budgets and financial decisions
2.	Evaluate and apply financial data for organisational decision making
3.	Analyse and communicate financial information to internal and external parties
4.	Reflect on and evaluate relevant behaviours and skills required for financial operations

Requisites

REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	BFA103 ZAA103 ZAB105 ZAB115

Alterations as a result of student feedback

Teaching arrangements

ATTENDANCE MODE	TEACHING TYPE	LEARNING ACTIVITY	CONTACT HOURS	FREQUENCY
On Campus	Tutorial	Weekly online 2-hour tutorial	2	Weekly
On Campus	Workshop	1 x half to full day workshop per semester	6	Study Period 1 time
Online	Tutorial (Online)	Weekly online 2-hour tutorial	2	Weekly
Online	Workshop (Online)	1 x half to full day online workshop per semester	6	Study Period 1 time

Attendance / engagement expectations

If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule

ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	AT1: Operational Budget and Reflection	Week 5	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	AT2: Capital Expenditure Analysis	Week 9	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	AT3: Financial Statement Analysis	Week 14	50 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: AT1: Operational Budget and Reflection

Task Description:

Based on either your own area within your organisation, or a small business chosen from the options provided, you will develop the annual operational budget using the Excel template provided.

You will then be required to provide a 1-2 page reflection of your budget, including your reasoning for including the various expenses.

Task Length:

Excel spreadsheet + reflection (500-1,000 words)

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Detail budgeting practices and concepts	LO1, LO2
2	Analyse and engage in reflective practice	LO4
3	Communicate financial data and information	LO3

Assessment Task 2: AT2: Capital Expenditure Analysis

Task Description:

For this assignment, you are required to make a case to your supervisor of an organisation of your choice and analyse the capital expenditure of new plant or equipment. Your analysis must include the following:
• an introduction to the plant or equipment you wish to purchase and why
• a financial comparison of three options for the plant or equipment
• what the projected Return on Investment (ROI) is likely to be for all three options
• what the Net Present Value (NPV) calculation is for all three options over a five year loan period
• an analysis of leasing the plant or equipment versus buying the plant or equipment

Your case should provide a final recommendation to your chosen organisation for the plant or equipment.

Task Length:

Written report with tables (800-1,000 words)

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Apply financial practices and concepts	LO1
2	Use financial data to support arguments and conclusions	LO2
3	Communicate financial data and information	LO3

Assessment Task 3: AT3: Financial Statement Analysis

Task Description:

You will select an organisation of your choice for this assignment. A sample set of financial reports and scenarios will be provided for the purposes of completing this Assessment Task as well as Excel templates.

You are required to complete the following three components:

1/ REPORT TO THE BOARD
You will prepare a report addressed to the Senior Executive Team or Board of the organisation with a range of financial discussions, including the impact of several scenarios on the financial health of the business and make recommendations on future financial strategies (the full requirements for this activity are included in the Assignment Information Sheet and Template provided).

2/ PRESENTATION
You will present an overview of your findings in a simulated Executive Team or Board environment; feedback will be provided following the presentation.

3/ REFLECTION
As a separate document, you are to develop a reflection on how this unit has helped you understand operational budgeting and finance and how you may be able to use the information in the future. The reflection may be provided in writing, through documented peer to peer discussions, or provided verbally.

Task Length:

1/ Report – 1,000 words 2/ Presentation – 10 minutes 3/ Reflection – one page equivalent

Due Date:

Week 14

Weight:

50 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Apply financial practices and concepts	LO1, LO2
2	Analyse and communicate business finance assessment to an external party	LO3
3	Analyse and engage in reflective practice	LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

Rumble, S and Anandarajah, A 2017, Manage Budgets and Financial Plans, 5th Edition, Cengage, South Melbourne, Australia (available as UTAS eBook)

Recommended reading materials

Other required resources