> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kayanos.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Budgets

> Build a controlled budget and its lines without confusing planned, allocated, committed, and actual data.

A budget is the financial planning record. Budget lines break it into traceable categories. Allocations then connect a selected line to a configured target. Keep these concepts separate from project status, payroll totals, purchase approval, cash availability, and actual accounting transactions.

The Syrian Citizen Services Directorate uses one budget for Digital Citizen Intake Modernization, with lines for counter equipment, regional training, and implementation support. The project relationship provides context; it does not make a budget automatically approved or spent.

## When to use it

Use a budget to record the approved planning context for a program, project, plan, or other configured owner/context. Use a budget line when the directorate needs to explain the purpose and planned amount of a component. Use an allocation only after the budget and intended line are accurate.

Do not use a budget record as a purchase order, payment request, accounting journal, procurement authorization, or cash forecast unless your organization has separately verified an integration or process for that purpose.

## Configuration

| Level       | Typical configured fields                                                                                                                                                                | What to review                                                                                                 |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Budget      | Code, name, status, type, funding source, owner/context type, currency, approved amount, reserves, period, approval date, overview, and related totals                                   | Use the exact fields visible in the deployed form. Status choices are configuration, not a universal workflow. |
| Budget line | Budget relation, code, name, category/cost type, linked context, details, quantity, unit rate, and calculated/planned/allocated/committed/actual/remaining/variance values where enabled | A line belongs to one selected budget and gives an allocation a controlled source.                             |
| Totals      | Planned, allocated, committed, actual, remaining, and variance values where configured                                                                                                   | Some values are system-owned rollups. Trace them to lines/allocations rather than typing a replacement total.  |

The standard source metadata includes statuses such as draft, submitted, approved, active, reforecast, closed, and cancelled. Your deployed workspace may expose a configured subset or different labels. Follow the status options shown in the record you are editing.

## Workflow

1. Open Budgets and search for the intended budget code and context before creating a duplicate.
2. Enter the core code/name, type, status, owner/context, currency, date range, and approved/planned information required in the deployed form.
3. Save the budget and confirm the period and context are correct.
4. Add budget lines with meaningful codes, names, categories, and details. Link a line to a planning or operating context only when that relation is correct.
5. Review calculated totals and variance fields as outputs of the configured data model.
6. Create allocations from the correct budget line, not from an unrelated line with a similar name.
7. Reforecast or change status only through the organization’s approved financial review process.

## Worked example

The Directorate creates a planning budget for Digital Citizen Intake Modernization.

> Budget: BUD-INTAKE-2026 — Digital Citizen Intake Modernization
> Context: the approved Project Management project, where that relation is visible
> Line 1: EQUIP-COUNTER — Counter equipment
> Line 2: TRAIN-REGIONAL — Regional adviser training
> Line 3: IMPLEMENT-SUPPORT — Implementation support
> Review: compare each line’s planned/allocated/committed/actual/remaining values only in the context of its supporting records

The Finance Review Officer allocates part of TRAIN-REGIONAL to the training target only after selecting the correct budget and line. A line’s displayed actual or committed amount is not proof that a supplier was paid or that a procurement approval exists.

## Testing

Use temporary, non-sensitive values in a draft/training workspace.

1. Create a temporary budget with a unique code, one short period, and the configured currency.
2. Add two temporary budget lines with different codes and categories.
3. Confirm that each line is visibly related to the correct budget.
4. Create a temporary allocation from only one line and review the resulting totals/relations.
5. Change a non-live test status and confirm the organization’s intended review behavior.
6. Retire the temporary budget, lines, and allocations using approved cleanup practice.

Do not test a calculated total by overwriting a system-managed field or by changing a live budget used for an operational decision.

## Troubleshooting

| Situation                                            | Check                                       | Resolution                                                                                                  |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A budget line is missing when creating an allocation | Selected budget                             | Select the correct budget first, then choose one of its related lines.                                      |
| The wrong total is displayed                         | Lines, allocations, and system-owned fields | Trace the source records; do not type over a calculated/roll-up value.                                      |
| A project is not available as budget context         | Deployed owner/context configuration        | Confirm the project model and relation field available in the workspace before creating a workaround.       |
| Status wording differs from this guide               | Deployed status configuration               | Use the visible options and update local documentation/screenshots only after verification.                 |
| A user cannot change a budget                        | Budget capability and scope                 | Ask for the narrowest appropriate capability; a project role does not automatically permit financial edits. |

## Permissions and data-quality limits

Budgets, budget lines, and allocations can have separate capabilities and record scopes. Restrict financial planning data to people who need it for approved work.

Budget values are operational planning data. A status, total, committed value, actual value, variance, or remaining value does not by itself certify funding availability, procurement approval, accounting treatment, payment, legal compliance, or audit approval.

![ Illustrative Digital Intake Upgrade budget in KayanOS. ](https://kayanos.app/docs-images/en/projects/budgets.png)

## Related guides

* Connect a line to a target in [Budget allocations](/projects/budget-allocations).
* Govern the service-improvement initiative in [Projects](/projects/projects).
* Review project-linked workforce time in [Shifts and timesheets](/government-operations/shifts-and-timesheets).