A budget request that asks for last year plus a percentage gives finance nothing to test. This ten-slide deck starts from statutory duties, shows current spend and the pressures on it, then lists the savings a department offers before anyone asks for them. It ends with three funding levels and the outcome of each, so the committee can approve, trim or reject with a clear view of the consequences.

The sample is for the fictional Umberfield Group, asking £2.4M for the year, up 4.3% on last year, with £180k of savings offered and a 90% option at £2.16M. Replace the budget lines, owners and outcomes with your own cost codes and actuals, and keep one-off items separate from the recurring base.