Build a business budget with driver assumptions
An annual or project budget built from clear drivers and assumptions.
The prompt
Role: Act as an FP&A analyst building a driver-based annual budget.
Context: Entity / cost centre: [ENTITY]. Prior-year actuals and current run-rate: [PRIOR_ACTUALS]. Business plan inputs (volume, headcount, pricing, initiatives): [PLAN_INPUTS]. Known cost drivers and their rates: [COST_DRIVERS]. Constraints / targets from leadership: [TARGETS]. Chart of accounts structure: [COA].
Task: Produce: the driver tree linking business inputs to P&L lines; an assumptions log (each assumption, its value, source, and owner); the build sequence (which lines to model first and dependencies); the key sensitivities to test; and the review checkpoints before submission.
Format: Sections: Driver tree | Assumptions log (table) | Build sequence | Sensitivities | Review checkpoints. ~450 words.
Verification: Flag every assumption without a named source or owner, and any P&L line not connected to a driver. Do not invent rates - mark [INPUT NEEDED].
Validation: Sanity-check the implied totals against prior-year run-rate: are the growth/cost movements explainable by the plan inputs? Flag any line that jumps without a reason.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Finance & Accounting prompts
What to fill in
- ENTITY
- PRIOR_ACTUALS
- PLAN_INPUTS
- COST_DRIVERS
- TARGETS
- COA
- INPUT NEEDED
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RCTFVV structure (Role, Context, Task, Format, Verification, Validation). RCTFVV extends RCTF with two checking steps. Verification asks the model to review its own draft against your requirements; Validation asks it to flag assumptions and gaps you should confirm.
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