Question.2565 - Although this is not a course in accounting, it is important for public administrators to have a basic understanding of—and appreciation for—accounting tools, standards, and practices, in order to be able to understand and use financial and budgetary documents effectively. Sometimes the best way to learn new concepts and technologies is to jump right in and try things out. Therefore, this week you will practice using Microsoft Excel to create a basic budget document—the Statement of Financial Position. In addition, you will continue to build your repertoire of finance and budgeting terms as well as explore the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). As part of this week’s Assignment, you will take a tour of Walden Heights, Nebraska, USA. You will use this interactive Learning Resource throughout the course to help bring many of the course learning concepts to life and allow you to grapple with real-world issues related to public finance and budgeting. You will explore the Walden Heights City Hall, where you’ll meet the mayor and key members of her staff and the City Council. You’ll also visit a non-profit organization known as the Support Alliance for Depression, Anxiety & Bipolar (SADAB), along with the local television station, KLAS. Take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the technology and the key players in this vibrant and congenial community. Enjoy your visit to Walden Heights, and the rest of this week’s learning journey, as you continue to develop your knowledge of and appreciation for the many financial tools available to public administrators. Learning Objectives Students will: Apply Excel functions to basic financial calculations Analyze major component parts of basic financial documents in preparation for analysis in practice Create financial documents to determine the financial position of an organizationLearning Resources Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)Required Media (click to expand/reduce)Assignment: Creating a Statement of Financial PositionDuring your visit, you will meet two officers on their board of directors—Michelle Liu, the president, and Mina Weaver, the treasurer. SADAB is a very small organization—with the exception of their part-time office manager, the entire organization is run by volunteers. So, when they meet you, Photo Credit: vinnstock / Adobe StockAs part of this week’s Assignment, you will visit Walden Heights, Nebraska, USA. In particular, you will go to the local non-profit organization, Support Alliance for Depression, Anxiety & Bipolar (SADAB) of Walden Heights. This non-profit organization serves the community by providing free, peer-led support groups for those living with mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD, etc.and discover you’re taking this class “Finance and Budgeting for the Public Sector,” they will be asking for your help in updating their Statement of Financial Position for this month. For this Assignment, you use MS Excel to create a “Statement of Financial Position” for SADAB, using financial documents you will obtain from the SADAB non-profit organization. To Prepare Review the week’s Learning Resources. Go to the Walden Heights interactive city and visit the Walden Heights Mayor’s Office, the local KLAS Television Station, and the Support Alliance for Depression, Anxiety & Bipolar (SADAB) of Walden Heights nonprofit organization and do the following: view the “Meet the Mayor” video, “Welcome to KLAS Newsroom” video, and “Welcome to SADAB – Creating a Statement of Financial Position” video. review last year’s “Statement of Financial Position–SADAB” (Excel spreadsheet) Assignment Use the “Statement of Financial Position–SADAB” Excel spreadsheet obtained at the Support Alliance for Depression, Anxiety & Bipolar (SADAB) of Walden Heights nonprofit organization in order to create a draft “Statement of Financial Position” spreadsheet using MS Excel that includes a basic pie chart showing the Total Current Assets and Total Long-term Assets as percentages of the Total Assets. Include a chart title, data labels, and a legend.Be sure to support your Assignment with specific references. In addition to the Learning Resources, search the Walden Library and/or the internet for peer-reviewed articles to support your Assignment. Use proper APA format and citations, including those in the Learning Resources.By Day 7 Submit your “Statement of Financial Position” Assignment. Submission and Grading Information To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following: Please save your Assignment using the naming convention WK2Assgn_LastName_FirstInitial as the name. Click the Week 2 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment. Click the Week 2 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area. Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find your saved document and click Open.If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database. Click on the Submit button to complete your submission. Grading CriteriaSubmit Your Assignment by Day 7Looking Ahead To access your rubric: Week 2 Assignment RubricTo participate in this Assignment: Week 2 AssignmentPhoto Credit: [BrianAJackson]/[iStock / Getty Images Plus]/Getty ImagesWeek in Review This week, you began to analyze basic financial documents and practiced applying Excel functions to basic financial calculations. Additionally, you began your interaction with the Walden Heights interactive city where you began to engage with various key players and resources to deepen your understanding of finance and budgeting for the public sector. Next week, you will explore the importance of ethics and transparency in public finance and budgeting, as you examine some new types of financial reports. Additionally, you will further your understanding of the definition of allocation and look at different methods and techniques for allocating expenses. Next Module This course will require a Final Project in Week 11. Take the time to review the “Final Project Overview” in the Learning Resources and familiarize yourself with the expectations of the Final Project. Plan your time accordingly.To go to the next module: Module 2

Answer Below: