Which document contains the results of the OMB budget review that can change funding for individual programs and may be appealed?

Which document contains the results of the OMB budget review that can change funding for individual programs and may be appealed?

• A. White Paper
• B. Passback
• C. Budget Memo
• D. Implementation Plan

Answer: (B)

The passback is the document that captures OMB’s response to an agency’s budget submission after review. It shows the changes in funding for each program and often includes policy guidance or rationale for those adjustments. Because it directly specifies how much money each program will receive (or lose) and lays out what can be appealed, this is the official vehicle for negotiating the budget at the program level. Agencies use the passback to challenge or refine the proposed changes through the formal appeal process and resubmission within the budget cycle. The other documents serve different roles: a White Paper is typically used to lay out options and supporting analysis early in the process, a Budget Memo provides guidance or instructions but not the formal funding decisions, and an Implementation Plan describes how programs will be carried out once funding is approved rather than presenting OMB’s review results.

The passback is the document that captures OMB’s response to an agency’s budget submission after review. It shows the changes in funding for each program and often includes policy guidance or rationale for those adjustments. Because it directly specifies how much money each program will receive (or lose) and lays out what can be appealed, this is the official vehicle for negotiating the budget at the program level. Agencies use the passback to challenge or refine the proposed changes through the formal appeal process and resubmission within the budget cycle.

The other documents serve different roles: a White Paper is typically used to lay out options and supporting analysis early in the process, a Budget Memo provides guidance or instructions but not the formal funding decisions, and an Implementation Plan describes how programs will be carried out once funding is approved rather than presenting OMB’s review results.