Understanding Budgetary Headcount

Every year, the Finance Act determines the administrative budget, which contains the headcount for the next budget year. The headcount is allocated by grade. The Manage Budget Headcount business process helps you supervise how the budget is used.

Field or Control

Definition
Commitment Accounting Entity Category (CAEC)

The Finance Act is composed of budget lines. Some lines allocate a given number of employees per grade or grade group. The grade or grade group described in a single budget line is called the Commitment Accounting Entity Category (CAEC). The CAEC represents the most refined level at which the organization monitors headcount. Headcount is expressed in whole numbers.
Commitment Accounting Entity (CAE)

The CAE is a budget position ratio associated with one employee during a limited period. The CAE is described by the employee ID, employee record number, CAEC corresponding to the employee grade, employee proration ratio, and CAE start date.

Once hired, an employee is assigned a CAE. The CAE is active as long as:

  • The employee has a civil service position implying budget attendance.

    Thus the employee is not active when terminated or on leave.

  • The employee's successive grades are all in the same CAEC.

  • The employee's work time percentage doesn't change.

Both work time percentage changes and grade promotions associated with a CAEC change imply a CAE reallocation.