In target budgeting, what characterizes allocations to departments or agencies?

• A. Allocations do not exceed projected resources.
• B. Allocations may exceed projected resources if approved by the head.
• C. Allocations are based on actual expenditures after the year.
• D. Allocations are fixed for the entire fiscal year.

Answer: (A)

Target budgeting centers on planning with a ceiling based on projected resources. The allocations to departments are set so the total does not exceed what is anticipated to be available, keeping the whole budget within the forecast. This forward-looking cap ensures resources are distributed upfront without overspending. If a department needs more than its target, any change requires justification and a reallocation within the overall ceiling, rather than exceeding the projected resources by default. The other approaches—allowing overages with approval, basing allocations on actual expenditures after the year, or locking in fixed amounts with no flexibility—do not reflect the defining feature of target budgeting, which is maintaining total allocations within the projected resources.