Why is Budgeting so Controversial and Confrontational?
What follows is a response I gave to a person who worked in the Defense establishment and was attempting to get some perspective on why things were not working logically and efficiently. My answer: I am not familiar enough with DOD operations to give you information that specifically targets DOD budget processes and other management processes, but they probably are very similar to those of many other organizations, as are the problems. DOD happens to be larger, so things get magnified. You probably would have no problem documenting some of the problems with what you have experienced. What follows is some information that may help you put this in a broader perspective. You should review Chapter 2 of the Handbook of Government Budgeting, Joey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, 1999, Roy T. Meyers, ed. (pp. 31-52). “Understanding the Role of Conflict in Budgeting” is what this chapter, by Irene S. Rubin, is all about. It explains why conflict is endemic in budgeting. And, in my opinion, conf
