Budget Form

Overview

The Budget Form is the heart of the Dash360 cost estimating workflow. Select a project, WBS element, and work package to open the estimate for that work package. The form is organized into collapsible accordion sections (Details, WBS Dictionary, Resource Assignments, Schedule, CPR, Risk Factors, Potential Risks, Supporting Documents, Comments, and Signature Approvals) each of which can be expanded or collapsed independently. The form remembers which sections you had open between page loads.

The left-hand filter panel is the starting point for every Budget Form session. Click the filter icon to open it. All fields cascade; selecting a project populates the WBS list, selecting a WBS populates the work package list.

Filter	Description
Project	Required. Selects the project to load estimates from. All other filters reset when the project changes.
WBS	Required. Filters the work package list to a specific WBS element. The full WBS tree is shown; click any node to drill in.
Work Package	Required. The specific work package whose estimate you want to open. Work packages that have a pending signature submission are marked.
Cost Class	Multi-select. Controls which cost class(es) are loaded. Default is Budget. You can load multiple cost classes simultaneously to compare side by side.
CAM	Filters the work package list to show only work packages assigned to a specific Control Account Manager. Useful when you need to review all WPs for one CAM across a large project.
Show Work Packages Without Cost	Toggle. When on, work packages that have no resource assignments yet still appear in the list. When off, only WPs with at least one RA are shown. Default is on.
Divisor	Controls how cost values are displayed throughout the form. Options: full dollars (default), thousands (K), or millions (M).

Once a project, WBS, and work package are all selected, the form loads automatically.

After a work package is loaded, the top of the page shows:

Work Package dates: the start and end dates of the work package
Last Updated: the date, time, and user who last saved any part of this estimate
Previous / Next buttons: move through work packages in sequence without returning to the filter panel. A counter shows your position (e.g., “Work Package 4 of 47”).

Details Section

The Details section captures the core metadata for this work package’s estimate. Click Save at the bottom of the section to save changes.

Field	Description
CAM	The Control Account Manager responsible for this work package
Earned Value Technique (EVT)	The method used to measure earned value (e.g., % Complete, 50/50, Level of Effort, Milestones). Locked once the first signature step is completed.
Work Package Basis	Basis code for the work package as a whole (separate from individual RA basis codes)
Quantity	Estimated quantity of work
% Complete	Current completion percentage
Ready for Approval	Checkbox that marks this estimate as ready for signature review. Checking this locks editing and makes the first signature step available to the assigned approver.
Notebook Fields	Configurable fields defined by your administrator; can be text, rich text (WYSIWYG), dropdowns, radio buttons, checkboxes, date pickers, or code file lookups. Capture assumptions, justifications, and project-specific metadata.

Checking Ready for Approval disables editing of the Details section and all Resource Assignments in the Budget cost class until the estimate is either approved (completing all signature steps) or reset by an administrator.

WBS Dictionary Section

The WBS Dictionary section contains notebook entries at the WBS element level: documentation that describes the WBS element itself rather than the specific work package. This is separate from the work package-level notebook fields in the Details section.

Element	Description
WBS Notebook Fields	Configurable fields (same field types as Details notebook fields) that capture the scope, assumptions, and description for the WBS element this work package belongs to
WBS File Attachments	Files attached at the WBS level: uploaded via drag-and-drop. These attachments apply to the entire WBS element, not just this work package.

Click Save to save WBS Dictionary entries. Changes here update the WBS element record shared by all work packages under that WBS node.

WBS Dictionary entries and their completeness are tracked in the WBS Dictionary Quality Check Report under Budget Reports.

Resource Assignments

Resource assignments are the line-item cost entries for this work package. Three grids organize assignments by type: Labor, Non-Labor, and Travel.

Grid Columns

Each grid displays the following columns (some are conditional based on project registry settings):

Column	Description	Conditional?
Resource Code	The resource code and description	No
Description	The RA description / notes	No
Start Date	First period for this assignment	No
Finish Date	Last period for this assignment	No
Units	Hours (Labor) or units (Non-Labor/Travel)	No
Unit Cost	Cost per unit	Hidden if `WP-Report-Hide-Unit-Cost` registry flag is set
Cost	Total cost (base, before contingency)	No
Basis Code	The estimating basis code	No
Contingency %	The calculated contingency percentage for this RA	Only if RA-level contingency is enabled
Contingency $	The contingency cost amount for this RA	Only if RA-level contingency is enabled
BOE	Basis of Estimate: a text note attached to this RA	No
Supporting Docs	Link icons for any files or external links attached to this RA	No
Actions	Process menu: Edit, Copy, Move, Delete	No

Adding a Resource Assignment

Click the Add button at the bottom of a grid to open the Add Resource Assignment modal. This is a two-step process: Step 1: Select Cost Class Choose which cost class this assignment belongs to: Budget, Baseline, Earned, or Actual. This determines which estimate line you are creating.

The cost class selected in Step 1 is independent of the Cost Class filter at the top of the page. You can add a Baseline RA while viewing the Budget cost class.

Step 2: Fill in the Resource Assignment Form

Core Fields

Field	Labor	Non-Labor / Travel	Notes
Resource Code	Required	Required	Dropdown populated from the project’s resource file. Selecting a code auto-populates the rate.
Description	Optional	Optional	Free-text label for this assignment
Start Date	Required	Required	First period. Cannot be set before the Reporting Period if Do-Not-Change-Historical-Data is enabled.
Finish Date	Required	Required	Last period for this assignment
Basis Code	Optional	Optional	Hidden for Earned and Actual cost classes
Activity IDs	Optional	Optional	Multi-select: links this assignment to one or more schedule activities for EV weight calculations
BOE	Optional	Optional	Basis of Estimate narrative text for this RA
Unit Cost	Auto-calculated	Editable if direct rate = 1	Labor unit cost derives from the rate file; non-labor/travel unit cost is editable when the resource code has a direct rate of 1
MTDC	Optional	Optional	Modified Total Direct Cost toggle: appears only if enabled in registry. Set frequency to Once or Yearly.

The modal header shows the current WBS, Work Package, and Cost Class as read-only context so you always know which estimate record you are editing.

Time-Phased Grid

The time-phased grid shows one column per month from Start Date to Finish Date. Each cell holds the cost planned for that period.

Feature	Description
Month columns	One per calendar month in the assignment’s date range. The current Reporting Period column is highlighted in orange.
Row types	Result rows (one per resource result type, e.g., “Direct Labor Hours”), Total row, Percent row, Direct row, and Subtotal row
Cell editing	Click any editable cell to enter a value directly
Historical cells	If Do-Not-Change-Historical-Data is enabled in registry, cells before the current Reporting Period are locked and cannot be edited
Spread Type	Linear: distributes the total evenly across all periods. Existing Profile: preserves the current distribution shape when the total is changed
Do Not Change Total	When checked, editing period cells adjusts the distribution without changing the grand total
Auto-save indicator	A message below the grid shows the last auto-saved timestamp

Notebook / Custom Fields

If your administrator has configured Resource Assignment notebook categories for this project, additional fields appear in the RA modal below the core fields. These can be text, dropdowns, rich text, or date fields; the same types available in the Details and WBS Dictionary notebook sections.

Contingency at the RA Level

If the project is configured for resource assignment-level contingency (Mode 3 or Mode 4), a Contingency section appears in the RA modal below the time-phased grid. See Contingency Methodology for a full explanation of the Sanders methodology and the four configuration modes. In the RA modal, the Contingency section contains:

Field	Description
Technical Risk Factor	Dropdown: probability level for technical risk
Technical Multiplier	Dropdown: severity level for technical risk
Technical Basis	Narrative text justifying the technical risk selection
Cost Risk Factor	Dropdown: probability level for cost risk
Cost Multiplier	Dropdown: severity level for cost risk
Cost Basis	Narrative text justifying the cost risk selection
Schedule Risk Factor	Dropdown: probability level for schedule risk
Schedule Multiplier	Dropdown: severity level for schedule risk
Schedule Basis	Narrative text justifying the schedule risk selection
Override Contingency %	Checkbox to enable a manual override. When checked, enter the override percentage and an override basis narrative.
Total Contingency %	Calculated display: the combined contingency percentage from the three dimensions
Total Contingency $	Calculated display: the contingency cost based on the RA’s base cost

Each resource assignment can have its own list of potential risk items; specific risks that could affect this particular RA. Click Add Potential Risk to open the Potential Risk modal:

Field	Description	Required
Title	Short name for this risk	Yes
Category	Risk category (from the project’s risk category list)	Yes
Type	Risk type (from the project’s risk type list)	Yes
Cost Impact	The estimated cost if this risk materializes	Yes
Probability	Likelihood percentage (0–100%)	Yes
Total Cost Exposure	Auto-calculated: Cost Impact × (Probability / 100)	Display only

Potential risks appear in a grid within the RA modal. Use Edit or Delete on any row to manage them. Each RA can have its own attachments separate from the work package-level Supporting Documents section.

File uploads: drag-and-drop via FilePond. Multiple files supported. Stored in S3 or local storage per your deployment configuration.
External links: add as many Name + URL pairs as needed using Add Another Link.

Saving

Button	Action
Save & Close	Saves the RA and closes the modal. Returns to the Budget Form with the grid refreshed.
Save & Add Another	Saves the RA and immediately opens a fresh modal to add the next assignment. Useful when entering multiple RAs in sequence.
Clear	Clears all field values in the modal without closing it.
Close	Discards unsaved changes and closes the modal.

Editing a Resource Assignment

Click any row in a grid, or click the Edit option in the row’s Actions menu, to open the same modal with the RA’s current values pre-filled.

Deleting a Resource Assignment

Click Delete in the row’s Actions menu. A confirmation dialog appears. Confirm to permanently remove the RA and its time-phased data.

Moving and Copying Resource Assignments

Use Move or Copy in the row’s Actions menu:

Action	What It Does
Move	Removes the RA from this work package and places it in the destination WP
Copy	Duplicates the RA to the destination WP, leaving the original in place

Both operations prompt you to select a destination project, WBS, and work package. You can also create a new work package during the move/copy if the target doesn’t exist yet.

Risk Factors (Work Package-Level Contingency)

The Risk Factors section appears between the RA grids and the Schedule section. It provides work package-level contingency using the same Sanders methodology as RA-level contingency. This section is visible only when the project is configured for WP-level or Both-mode contingency. It is hidden entirely if the CostEstimatingFormHideRiskFactors registry flag is set. See Contingency Methodology for a full explanation of how WP-level and RA-level contingency interact, particularly in Both mode where saving here bulk-updates all RA contingency values.

Importing and Exporting Time-Phased Data

Export: downloads the current time-phased data for the selected cost class(es) to Excel
Import: uploads a previously exported (and edited) Excel file to update the estimate

The export/import supports date filtering (restrict to a specific date range) and can target specific resource assignments rather than the entire estimate. This lets you do bulk time-phased edits offline and re-import the revised data.

Section Views on RA Grids

The Labor, Non-Labor, and Travel grids support Section Views; saved column configurations you can reload instantly. For example, save a view that includes the Contingency % and Contingency $ columns and set it as your default so those columns always appear without reconfiguring each session. See Section Views for full instructions.

Potential Risks Section

The Potential Risks section at the form level is a work package-level list of potential risk items; distinct from the per-RA potential risks inside each RA modal. Add, edit, or delete WP-level potential risks here using the same fields (Title, Category, Type, Cost Impact, Probability, Total Cost Exposure).

This section is hidden if the CostEstimatingFormHidePotentialRisks registry flag is set for the project.

Schedule Section

The Schedule section links this work package’s estimate to schedule activities for earned value measurement. Activities are shown in a grid; each row represents one activity linked to this WP.

Column	Description
Activity ID	The schedule activity identifier
Activity Name	The activity description
Weight %	The percentage of this WP’s earned value driven by this activity’s percent complete. All activity weights should sum to 100%.
Date Mode	Toggle between Schedule Dates (current schedule) and Baseline Dates (original baseline)
Uncertainty Class	Displayed when available: classification used in risk and probabilistic analysis

Click Add Activity to link a new schedule activity to this work package. Assign a weight percentage to each activity to define how its progress contributes to the WP’s earned value.

The Schedule section is hidden for Earned and Actual cost classes; it only applies to Budget and Baseline estimates.

CPR Section

The CPR (Contract Performance Report) section shows an embedded earned value summary for this work package so you can check performance without navigating away from the Budget Form.

Metric	Description
BCWS	Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled: Planned Value
BCWP	Budgeted Cost of Work Performed: Earned Value
ACWP	Actual Cost of Work Performed
SV	Schedule Variance (BCWP − BCWS)
CV	Cost Variance (BCWP − ACWP)
SPI	Schedule Performance Index (BCWP / BCWS)
CPI	Cost Performance Index (BCWP / ACWP)

Data is grouped by CAM and WBS hierarchy. The Divisor filter set in the left-hand panel controls the display units here too. Click Export to download the CPR grid to Excel. The CPR grid also supports Section Views. See Section Views.

Supporting Documents Section

Attach files and links at the work package level. These are separate from RA-level attachments inside each RA modal. File uploads: drag-and-drop via FilePond. Each uploaded file appears as a clickable link. Click the delete icon to remove a file. External links: add a display name and URL for each external reference (e.g., a SharePoint document, vendor portal, or specification). Click Add Another Link to add more rows. Click the delete icon to remove a link. Click Save to commit new files and links.

File upload and external link visibility can be controlled independently via registry flags (CostEstimatingFormHideInternalLinks, CostEstimatingFormHideExternalLinks). If either section is absent, it has been hidden by your administrator.

Comments Section

The Comments section captures narrative context, decisions, review notes, and assumptions for this work package estimate.

Comments use a rich text editor (bold, italic, lists, links supported)
Each comment is attributed to the user who wrote it, with a timestamp and profile image
Users can edit or delete their own comments: click the Edit or Delete link on your comment
Other users’ comments are read-only to you
Comments are displayed in chronological order

Click Save Comment to submit. The editor clears after saving and the new comment appears immediately in the list.

This section is hidden if the CostEstimatingFormHideGeneralComments registry flag is set for the project.

Signature Approvals Section

The Signature Approvals section manages the formal cost estimate approval workflow. It has two tabs:

Current Signatures

Shows the active signature steps in order. Each step has:

A checkbox showing whether this step has been signed
The step name (e.g., “CAM Approval”, “PM Review”)
The user assigned to this step
After signing: the signer’s name, date, and cost at the time of signing

Who can sign a step:

The user specifically assigned to the step, OR
Any Administrator (if the project is not locked)

Sequential enforcement: Each step must be completed before the next becomes available. A step’s checkbox is disabled if the preceding step is not yet signed. Signing a step:

Click the checkbox for your step.
A confirmation dialog appears. If this is Step 1, it also warns that signing will lock Budget cost class editing.
Confirm. The step is permanently checked, the completion details appear, and Budget RA editing is locked.

Completing Step 1 of the signature workflow immediately locks all Add, Edit, and Delete operations on Budget cost class resource assignments for this work package. This cannot be undone without an administrator resetting the signatures.

Archived Signatures

Shows all previous completed signature rounds for this work package. Each time an administrator resets the signatures, the completed chain moves to the Archive tab, preserving a historical record of every approval cycle.

Restarting the Signoff Process

If the estimate needs to be revised after signatures have been collected, an administrator can click Restart Signoff Process. This:

Moves all current signatures to the Archived Signatures tab
Unlocks Budget cost class RA editing
Unchecks the Ready for Approval checkbox
Resets the current signature chain to Step 1

The Signature Approvals section is hidden if CostEstimatingFormHideSignatureApprovals is set in the registry.

Lock and Read-Only States

Several conditions cause the Budget Form to enter a locked or read-only state, preventing edits:

Condition	What Gets Locked
Ready for Approval checked	All Budget RA editing (Add/Edit/Delete), Details section fields
Step 1 signature completed	All Budget RA editing (Add/Edit/Delete)
Cost class is locked	All RA editing for that cost class (requires `Feature-Lock-Class` registry flag)
Earned or Actual cost class	RA editing is restricted to prevent accidental changes to actuals
Read-Only user type	Entire form is read-only; modal opens in View mode, all fields disabled
Project is locked	No changes to any part of the estimate

When a modal opens in a locked state, its title changes from “Add/Edit Resource Assignment” to “View Resource Assignment” and all fields are disabled.

Historical Data Protection

When the Do-Not-Change-Historical-Data registry flag is enabled for a project, the Budget Form prevents edits to past data:

Start Date cannot be set to a date before the current Reporting Period
Finish Date cannot be set to a date before the current Reporting Period
Time-phased grid cells for periods before the current Reporting Period are locked; you cannot edit cost values in closed periods
Calendar date pickers automatically disable historical dates
An error message appears if you attempt to enter a date in a locked period, showing the current Reporting Period date as the earliest allowable date

This ensures that historical actuals and approved baseline data remain immutable.

Available Filters

Filter	What It Controls
Project	The project to load estimates from
WBS	Filters the work package list to a specific WBS element
Work Package	The specific work package to display
Cost Class	Which cost class(es) to view and edit: multi-select
CAM	Filters the WP list to work packages owned by a specific CAM
Show WP Without Cost	Includes or excludes WPs with no resource assignments
Divisor	Display cost values in full dollars, thousands (K), or millions (M)

Getting Started

Estimating

Earned Value

Reporting

Schedule

Risk

Admin

Concepts

Overview

Selecting a Work Package (Left-Hand Filter Panel)

Page Header

Details Section

WBS Dictionary Section

Resource Assignments

Grid Columns

Adding a Resource Assignment

Core Fields

Time-Phased Grid

Notebook / Custom Fields

Contingency at the RA Level

Saving

Editing a Resource Assignment

Deleting a Resource Assignment

Moving and Copying Resource Assignments

Risk Factors (Work Package-Level Contingency)

Importing and Exporting Time-Phased Data

Section Views on RA Grids

Potential Risks Section

Schedule Section

CPR Section

Supporting Documents Section

Comments Section

Signature Approvals Section

Current Signatures

Archived Signatures

Restarting the Signoff Process

Lock and Read-Only States

Historical Data Protection

Available Filters

​Overview

​Selecting a Work Package (Left-Hand Filter Panel)

​Page Header

​Details Section

​WBS Dictionary Section

​Resource Assignments

​Grid Columns

​Adding a Resource Assignment

​Core Fields

​Time-Phased Grid

​Notebook / Custom Fields

​Contingency at the RA Level

​Potential Risks (Inside RA Modal)

​Supporting Documents (Inside RA Modal)

​Saving

​Editing a Resource Assignment

​Deleting a Resource Assignment

​Moving and Copying Resource Assignments

​Risk Factors (Work Package-Level Contingency)

​Importing and Exporting Time-Phased Data

​Section Views on RA Grids

​Potential Risks Section

​Schedule Section

​CPR Section

​Supporting Documents Section

​Comments Section

​Signature Approvals Section

​Current Signatures

​Archived Signatures

​Restarting the Signoff Process

​Lock and Read-Only States

​Historical Data Protection

​Available Filters

Overview

Selecting a Work Package (Left-Hand Filter Panel)

Page Header

Details Section

WBS Dictionary Section

Resource Assignments

Grid Columns

Adding a Resource Assignment

Core Fields

Time-Phased Grid

Notebook / Custom Fields

Contingency at the RA Level

Potential Risks (Inside RA Modal)

Supporting Documents (Inside RA Modal)

Saving

Editing a Resource Assignment

Deleting a Resource Assignment

Moving and Copying Resource Assignments

Risk Factors (Work Package-Level Contingency)

Importing and Exporting Time-Phased Data

Section Views on RA Grids

Potential Risks Section

Schedule Section

CPR Section

Supporting Documents Section

Comments Section

Signature Approvals Section

Current Signatures

Archived Signatures

Restarting the Signoff Process

Lock and Read-Only States

Historical Data Protection

Available Filters