What first phase can the teams commit to?
Compare the promised first phase with the teams’ capacity and start dates.
The question
You advise the sponsor of a home energy advice service in Aotearoa New Zealand. It has 600 eligibility checks waiting. The sponsor wants all of them complete within four weeks.
| Checks per week | |
|---|---|
| North team | 80 |
| South team | 70 |
Both teams are due to start in week 1 and have enough waiting requests. The measure is completed eligibility checks.
“Can the teams meet the first-phase target, and what would you verify before making the commitment?”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: Check the first plan
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Treat 600 as conditional on both teams starting on time.
The strong move. The forecast needs both teams at their stated rate for the full four weeks.
Promise 600 completed checks and additional enrolments in the same period.
Tempting, but it misses something. 600 is the limit for checks. A completed check gives no count of successful enrolments.
See how a strong candidate says it
“80 plus 70 gives 150 checks per week. Over four weeks the two teams can do 600. There is no spare capacity in that forecast.”
Why it works: The forecast needs both teams at their stated rate for the full four weeks.
Step 2: Confirm the conditions
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Confirm the team schedules and who owns the queue.
The strong move. The commitment needs an owner, a start date and a way to track progress.
Use the total rate and leave the start dates for the delivery team to resolve later.
Tempting, but it misses something. There is no spare capacity. A delayed start changes what the sponsor can promise.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I’d confirm both start dates and the staffing behind the rates. I’d ask the sponsor who owns the queue and when they will update people waiting.”
Why it works: The commitment needs an owner, a start date and a way to track progress.
Step 3: Recalculate the first phase
South can only start in week 3. An approved partner can take 30 additional South checks per week in weeks 2–4, subject to the delivery owner confirming the handoff.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Plan for 550 conditional completions and keep 50 checks in the queue.
The strong move. South has two weeks left in the phase. The partner has three weeks on a separate set of requests.
Count four weeks of partner work and promise 580 checks.
Tempting, but it misses something. The partner can start in week 2. It has three weeks and can add up to 90 checks.
See how a strong candidate says it
“North can do 320 and South can do 140, giving 460. The partner could add 90, bringing the total to 550 if the handoff clears. That leaves 50 checks waiting.”
Why it works: South has two weeks left in the phase. The partner has three weeks on a separate set of requests.
Step 4: Give a phased recommendation
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Give the sponsor the phased forecast, its condition and the next review.
The strong move. The sponsor can decide with both forecasts and an owner for the remaining requests.
Report all 550 checks as done when the partner agrees to the handoff.
Tempting, but it misses something. Agreement adds planned capacity. The teams still have to complete and record the checks.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I’d tell the sponsor we can forecast 550 checks with the partner, leaving 50 waiting. Without the handoff we forecast 460 and 140 waiting. I’d name the queue owner and give the sponsor weekly completion counts for the next review.”
Why it works: The sponsor can decide with both forecasts and an owner for the remaining requests.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Use a 550-check forecast if the delivery owner confirms partner capacity.
- Because
- The delay takes core capacity to 460 and the partner can add up to 90.
- What would change it
- If the partner does not start on time, update the forecast and the queue owner.
Common traps
- Using four weeks of capacity for a team that starts later.
- Counting checks as enrolments.
Check your answer
- I checked the original weekly rate.
- I asked which dates were confirmed.
- I recalculated the phased count.
- I gave the sponsor an owner and a next review.
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026