AGA TOPICS Newsletter

CGFM Profile: Joseph Kouba

Joseph Kouba, who oversees funding of more than $2 billion for U.S. embassies, has shared his experience in studying for and passing the three CGFM Examinations. Find study tips, benefits he’s enjoyed from earning the CGFM, and more in his responses to AGA’s questions below.

Q: Can you give me your job title and a brief description of what you do at the U.S. Department of State?

A: Branch Chief, Systems and Coordination Branch, Overseas Buildings Operations, Department of State

I oversee all phases of the federal budget cycle for buildings operations and construction, with resources totaling over $2 billion. I develop the annual budget request, work with department staff to get Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and congressional approval, and then provide funding to the programs for executing construction and maintenance activities at U.S. embassies around the world.

Q: How did you hear about the CGFM? Why did you decide to take the courses and then the exams?

A: I have a supervisor and mentor who is an AGA member. He talked to me about the CGFM and encouraged me to take the exams. Even though I have worked in government finance for nearly 15 years, I knew I would need a comprehensive review of the material. In addition, the exams cover state and local government finance—areas I don’t know much about. So, once the AGA approved my application, I signed up for the courses, offered in partnership with Management Concepts and AGA, and scheduled the exams for immediately after the classes.

Q: Were you encouraged to do so by your employer? Were any incentives offered? (Paying for the cost of the courses/exams, time off/ salary increase once the exams were passed?)

A: My supervisor was very supportive and my employer, Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) paid for the Management Concepts courses. The senior management at OBO emphasizes the importance of professional certification and the CGFM is one of the certifications specifically recognized by OBO.

The biggest benefit has been in my day-to-day work. I learned a lot from the review classes that I could apply to everyday work and returned to the office with a better appreciation for the political, policy and legal paradigm surrounding the budget process.

Q: How were the courses?

The classes were excellent and I would not have passed the exams without them. While there is a tremendous amount of material to cover, the instructor was able to highlight key concepts, explain critical nuances, provide insight into test questions and show how to use the study guide effectively. The instructor, Mitch Laine, CGFM, was phenomenal and arranged for “guest” appearances that sparked great discussions and brought concepts to life. The courses allowed me validate concepts I already knew and identify the areas I really needed to study to pass the exam.

One of the best things I got from the course was an effective strategy for taking the exams. By reviewing all the material, understanding my strengths and talking with people who had taken the exam, I determined the best order for me to take the exams was 3, 1 and then 2. Being able to take exams I would do well on first made me more comfortable when I took exams that were more challenging for me personally. I believe this helped me pass.

Just one cautionary note – taking the classes doesn’t guarantee you will pass the exams. The instructor appropriately called himself a “tour guide” and provided a thorough overview of the exam material. However, it was up to me to really prepare for the exam and I spent considerable time outside of the class to study.

Q: How were the exams themselves? Harder/easier than you thought?

A: I didn’t know what to expect when I took the exam—so it is difficult to say if they were harder or easier. I will say that the exam is fair and while you have to read some questions carefully, there weren’t any “trick” questions.

That doesn’t mean the exam was easy. I did study hard and really focused during the time I had to prepare. The classes were great and I did my best to use the time well by asking a lot of questions, staying late a couple of days, going through the case studies and doing my best to learn all the key concepts.

I chose to take the three exams immediately after I completed the classes, so I had very little time to do a lot of preparation. As a result, I basically set aside everything else and just focused on studying for the exam. While this approach may not work for others, I study more effectively with a deadline and knew that taking the classes and exam close together would ensure I didn’t forget something.

This approach was intense, but it did work for me and I passed all three exams.

Q: Any tips for exam-takers?

A: I highly recommend the classes and I would schedule your exam for soon after the class. While I took all three classes and all three exams, that may not be the best approach. I would recommend taking the classes and exams for 1 and 3 together. The concepts, ideas, terminology, etc. seemed to reinforce each other. I think studying both together actually helped me pass both. Exam 2 was a real challenge for me. It would have been a lot less stressful to take the class and exam for this section separately.

Q: What did you get out of the CGFM process? Personal satisfaction? Clearer understanding of the 'big picture' of government financial management? Career advancement?

A: The biggest benefit was what I learned. It is easy for me to focus on my day-to-day responsibilities and lose touch with what else is going on in the field of government finance. While my office has taken many steps to implement new legislative and policy requirements, it really helps to understand the framework of legislation and policy statements requiring the changes and why the changes are being required. The classes and exam made me realize the importance of staying abreast of ongoing developments.

Q: Anything else you want to mention?

A: I regret I didn’t pursue this certification earlier—it has been really helpful and I believe the continuing education requirement will ensure I don’t fall behind again. I guess the biggest challenge was getting motivated to take the exam. With the everyday pressures of life and work, taking time to get a certification that isn’t required/has only a notional connection to work is difficult to do. Now that I see the benefits, I am encouraging others to take the exam but I see the same resistance (or I guess you could call them excuses).