Two Documents, Different Jobs
A reforecast updates the expectation of what the work will cost. A revision request asks to change an authorized budget through its actual decision process. Reading or accepting the forecast does not by itself approve a revision. Keep the current authority beside the new estimate so both remain visible.
| Question | Reforecast | Revision request |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Updated estimate using current information | Proposal to change the authorized position |
| Who prepares it? | Budget holder with finance/program inputs | Responsible owner with the required supporting case |
| Who decides? | Responsible reviewers assess the forecast's assumptions | Actual delegated budget authority and any required funder authority decide the requested change |
| What changes? | Recorded expectation; approved line remains unchanged | Requested position only, until the applicable approval takes effect |
These are editorial working distinctions; actual agreement and local decision terms govern.
One Set of Figures
All amounts are invented USD. Training venue and materials has an authorized line of 12,000. Spending to date is 7,500. The updated estimate for remaining work is 6,200. No revision has been approved.
The unused authorized amount is 12,000 - 7,500 = 4,500. Forecast total is 7,500 + 6,200 = 13,700. The gap is 13,700 - 12,000 = 1,700; the same gap appears as 6,200 - 4,500 = 1,700.
The reforecast records 13,700 expected cost alongside the unchanged 12,000 authorized line. It does not manufacture 1,700 of spending permission or cash. A revision request might seek a different authorized position, but this case supplies no permission to move money, increase the award or alter delivery.
What Stays the Same
After the reforecast, the authorized line is still 12,000. After sending a revision request, it is still 12,000 unless the actual authorized decision changes it. Existing commitments, downstream agreements and required approvals do not disappear because either document has been circulated.
If the owner chooses scope reduction or another funding source, obtain the necessary decisions and revise the assumptions honestly. Do not relabel the estimate as an approved budget or silently remove the forecast gap.
Next Question for the Authorized Owner
What actual terms govern this change, who may approve it, and what may be committed while the decision remains pending? Provide the 1,700 gap, remaining-work assumptions and options to that owner. Use the budget-versus-actual record for a different comparison of authorized amounts with recorded actuals, and the cash-flow forecast for timing of money.
Sources and Scope
CC26 (September 16, 2026), Charity Commission decision guidance (November 2, 2020) and Tool10's agreement checklist (January 3, 2011) inform risks, authority and adjustment questions in England and Wales. NIH's March 2026 grants policy and ORIP's undated carryover guidance illustrate award-specific permission and request-versus-revised-award distinctions only. UK contract-modification guidance concerns covered Procurement Act contracts, separating contractual options from applicable legality. None supplies this fictional budget or universal revision rights. Checked November 1, 2026.