Capability template for project and delivery
Course sequence and workload review
A course lead revising an outline for the next cohort gets a module map: learning goals, prerequisites, activities and the instructor's own time estimates, with crowded weeks and coverage gaps marked and every gap written as a question. The course lead decides what changes.
Listed under
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The outcome
The course lead opens the revision with one map of the whole course instead of an outline, a spreadsheet of hours and a list of assessment dates read side by side. Every module shows what it is meant to teach, what it expects learners to know already, the activities in it and the hours the instructors have estimated for them. Week by week, the load is added up against the limit the course lead set, and the weeks that go over it are marked.
The review also looks for the quiet gaps. A learning goal that no activity teaches. A goal that is taught but never assessed, or assessed before it is first taught. A module that expects knowledge the course never provides and the entry requirements never mention. An activity linked to no goal at all. None of these is fixed or explained away: each becomes a question with the facts beside it.
Hours that were never estimated stay unknown. A week with a missing estimate is shown as "at least" its known total and is not judged until someone supplies the number.
The course lead decides the sequence, the workload and every change to the curriculum. The review does not grade, assess or evaluate any student, sets no learning standard, and makes no claim about whether a sequence teaches well.
Who starts the work, and when
The course lead runs it when an outline is being revised for the next cohort, with the instructors' estimates and the assessment dates to hand. It suits any course that runs in weeks, with named modules and a list of outcomes: a semester unit, a short course, a training programme for staff. The course lead reads the map first, settles what can be settled with the teaching staff, and brings the rest to whoever approves curriculum changes.
What they supply
- Settings: the course name, the course lead's role, the number of weeks, the limit on hours in a week and the limit on assessments due in a week, both set by the course lead, the entry requirements, and the date.
- The learning outcomes, as a list with the columns Outcome ID and Outcome.
- The activities, as an export with the columns Week, Module, Activity, Hours, Outcome IDs and Needs.
- The assessments, as an export with the columns Assessment, Due week and Outcome IDs.
What comes out
One review in a fixed order: a status line with the counts; the module map; the load for each week against the course lead's limits; the coverage of each learning outcome; and the questions for the course lead, in the order they matter. Empty sections say so. The hours are the instructors' estimates, printed as supplied, and the review adds them up without adjusting any of them.
An invented example
Illustrative example with invented data. The training provider, the course, its modules and every hour, week and outcome below are invented. The course is a six-week evening course, "Spreadsheet Analysis for Office Teams", and the course lead is the programme manager of an invented training provider. No learner is named or counted. First come the four inputs the course lead supplied, in full, then the review the capability returned.
The inputs
1. Settings
Course: Spreadsheet Analysis for Office Teams
Course lead: Programme manager
Weeks: 6
Weekly hours limit: 8
Assessments due in a week, limit: 2
Entry requirements: Spreadsheet basics
Date: Tuesday 10 November 2026
2. Learning outcomes
Outcome ID,Outcome
O1,Build a clean data table from raw records
O2,Summarise data with formulas and lookups
O3,Present results in a chart
O4,Explain the limits of a result
O5,Record the steps taken so another person can repeat them
O6,Choose a chart type that fits the question
3. Activities
Week,Module,Activity,Hours,Outcome IDs,Needs
1,M1 Tables,Lecture: tables and clean data,2,O1,
1,M1 Tables,Lab: clean a sample file,3,O1,Spreadsheet basics
2,M2 Formulas,Lecture: sums and averages,2,O2,M1 Tables
2,M2 Formulas,Lab: formulas on a cleaned file,3,O2,M1 Tables
2,M2 Formulas,Reading: formula reference,,O2,
3,M3 Lookups,Lecture: lookups,2,O2,M2 Formulas
3,M3 Lookups,Lab: lookups across two tables,4,O2,M2 Formulas
3,M3 Lookups,Practice set,3,O2,M2 Formulas
3,M3 Lookups,Guest talk: analysis at work,1,,
4,M4 Charts,Lecture: choosing a chart,2,O3;O6,M2 Formulas
4,M4 Charts,Lab: build three charts,3,O3,Pivot tables
4,M4 Charts,Project work: first draft,4,O1;O3,M3 Lookups
5,M5 Reporting,Lecture: reporting results,1.5,O3;O4,M4 Charts
5,M5 Reporting,Workshop: limits of a result,3,O4,M4 Charts
5,M5 Reporting,Project work: final report,5,O1;O3;O4,M4 Charts
6,M6 Review,Presentation rehearsal,2,O3;O4,M5 Reporting
6,M6 Review,Revision session,2,O1;O2,
4. Assessments
Assessment,Due week,Outcome IDs
Quiz 1,2,O1;O2
Lookup test,3,O2
Chart quiz,3,O3
Project report,5,O1;O3;O4
Presentation,5,O3;O4;O8
Quiz 3,5,O4
The review the capability returned
COURSE REVIEW (DRAFT): Spreadsheet Analysis for Office Teams
For: Programme manager (course lead). Prepared Tuesday 10 November 2026 from: the settings, the learning outcomes, the activities, the assessments.
Status: draft, for the course lead to decide. Questions: 10. Crowded weeks: 3 of 6. Coverage gaps: 2. Prerequisite problems: 1.
Counts: 6 modules, 17 activities (16 with an hours estimate), 6 outcomes, 6 assessments, 6 weeks.
Hours are the instructors' estimates, as supplied.
Nothing here measures learning or judges any learner.
Module map
M1 Tables. Week 1. Hours: 5. Outcomes: O1.
Needs: Spreadsheet basics (entry requirement).
- Lecture: tables and clean data. Week 1. 2 h. O1.
- Lab: clean a sample file. Week 1. 3 h. O1.
M2 Formulas. Week 2. Hours: at least 5 (1 activity without an estimate). Outcomes: O2.
Needs: M1 Tables (taught week 1).
- Lecture: sums and averages. Week 2. 2 h. O2.
- Lab: formulas on a cleaned file. Week 2. 3 h. O2.
- Reading: formula reference. Week 2. no estimate. O2.
M3 Lookups. Week 3. Hours: 10. Outcomes: O2.
Needs: M2 Formulas (taught week 2).
- Lecture: lookups. Week 3. 2 h. O2.
- Lab: lookups across two tables. Week 3. 4 h. O2.
- Practice set. Week 3. 3 h. O2.
- Guest talk: analysis at work. Week 3. 1 h. No outcome (question 9).
M4 Charts. Week 4. Hours: 9. Outcomes: O1, O3, O6.
Needs: M2 Formulas (taught week 2); Pivot tables (not placed, question 1); M3 Lookups (taught week 3).
- Lecture: choosing a chart. Week 4. 2 h. O3, O6.
- Lab: build three charts. Week 4. 3 h. O3.
- Project work: first draft. Week 4. 4 h. O1, O3.
M5 Reporting. Week 5. Hours: 9.5. Outcomes: O1, O3, O4.
Needs: M4 Charts (taught week 4).
- Lecture: reporting results. Week 5. 1.5 h. O3, O4.
- Workshop: limits of a result. Week 5. 3 h. O4.
- Project work: final report. Week 5. 5 h. O1, O3, O4.
M6 Review. Week 6. Hours: 4. Outcomes: O1, O2, O3, O4.
Needs: M5 Reporting (taught week 5).
- Presentation rehearsal. Week 6. 2 h. O3, O4.
- Revision session. Week 6. 2 h. O1, O2.
Load by week (limit: 8 hours; 2 assessments)
Week 1: 5 h. Assessments due: 0. Within the limits.
Week 2: at least 5 h (1 activity without an estimate). Assessments due: 1 (Quiz 1). Not judged until the estimate is supplied (question 10).
Week 3: 10 h, over by 2. Assessments due: 2 (Lookup test, Chart quiz). CROWDED, hours.
Week 4: 9 h, over by 1. Assessments due: 0. CROWDED, hours.
Week 5: 9.5 h, over by 1.5. Assessments due: 3 (Project report, Presentation, Quiz 3), over by 1. CROWDED, hours and assessments.
Week 6: 4 h. Assessments due: 0. Within the limits.
Total across the course: 42.5 h of estimated activity, plus 1 activity without an estimate.
Coverage of learning outcomes
O1 Build a clean data table from raw records. Taught: weeks 1, 4, 5, 6. Assessed by: Quiz 1 (week 2), Project report (week 5).
O2 Summarise data with formulas and lookups. Taught: weeks 2, 3, 6. Assessed by: Quiz 1 (week 2), Lookup test (week 3).
O3 Present results in a chart. Taught: weeks 4, 5, 6. Assessed by: Chart quiz (week 3), Project report (week 5), Presentation (week 5). Earliest assessment is before the first teaching (question 7).
O4 Explain the limits of a result. Taught: weeks 5, 6. Assessed by: Project report (week 5), Presentation (week 5), Quiz 3 (week 5).
O5 Record the steps taken so another person can repeat them. Taught: nowhere in the outline. Assessed by: no assessment. GAP (question 5).
O6 Choose a chart type that fits the question. Taught: week 4. Assessed by: no assessment. GAP (question 6).
Not in the outcome list: O8, cited by Presentation (question 8).
Questions for the course lead: 10
1. Prerequisite not placed. "Lab: build three charts" (week 4, M4 Charts) needs "Pivot tables". No module has that name and the entry requirements list only "Spreadsheet basics". Where is it taught, or is it an entry requirement? Affects: M4 Charts.
2. Crowded week. Week 3 holds 10 h against your limit of 8, over by 2 ("Lecture: lookups" 2 h, "Lab: lookups across two tables" 4 h, "Practice set" 3 h, "Guest talk: analysis at work" 1 h). What, if anything, changes? Affects: M3 Lookups.
3. Crowded week. Week 4 holds 9 h against your limit of 8, over by 1 ("Lecture: choosing a chart" 2 h, "Lab: build three charts" 3 h, "Project work: first draft" 4 h). What, if anything, changes? Affects: M4 Charts.
4. Crowded week. Week 5 holds 9.5 h against 8, over by 1.5, and 3 assessments against your limit of 2 (Project report, Presentation, Quiz 3). What, if anything, changes? Affects: M5 Reporting.
5. Outcome not taught and not assessed. O5 "Record the steps taken so another person can repeat them" is in the outcome list and in no activity or assessment. Is it taught somewhere the outline does not show, or should it leave the list? Affects: O5.
6. Outcome taught but not assessed. O6 "Choose a chart type that fits the question" is taught in the week 4 "Lecture: choosing a chart" and is in no assessment. Is that intended? Affects: O6.
7. Assessed before first taught. Chart quiz is due in week 3 and cites O3, which the outline first teaches in week 4. Which is right, the due week or the outcome? Affects: O3.
8. Outcome not in the list. Presentation cites O8, which is not in the outcome list. Which outcome is meant? Affects: Presentation.
9. Activity without an outcome. "Guest talk: analysis at work" (week 3, 1 h) cites no outcome. Which outcome does it serve, or is it extra to the course? Affects: M3 Lookups.
10. Missing estimate. "Reading: formula reference" (week 2) has no hours. What is the instructors' estimate? Week 2 is not judged until it is given. Affects: M2 Formulas.
Internal working document for Spreadsheet Analysis for Office Teams. Nothing has been changed, sent or approved; the course lead decides every change.
What to notice
Every hour in the review is one the course lead supplied. Week 3 is 2 + 4 + 3 + 1 = 10 hours, week 4 is 2 + 3 + 4 = 9, and week 5 is 1.5 + 3 + 5 = 9.5; against a limit of 8 those are over by 2, 1 and 1.5. Week 2 shows 2 + 3 = 5 hours and is not called crowded or fine, because one activity has no estimate. The six weeks add to 5 + 5 + 10 + 9 + 9.5 + 4 = 42.5 hours. The review never suggests moving anything; each problem is a question, and the Guest talk, the missing "Pivot tables" and the unknown outcome O8 are printed as found rather than corrected.
Where it fits
- Education, where the next cohort's outline is revised from the last one's and the pressure points are easy to miss across a spreadsheet.
- Professional services, for the firms that run their own training programmes and certificate courses.
- Project and delivery, because a course is a sequence of dependent work with a load on each week.
- Quality management, where the same question is asked of any programme: does what is promised have a place where it is taught and where it is checked.
- Established businesses, where a course has run before and is being revised rather than built.
It is different from Project scope baseline, which fixes what a project will deliver, and from Training needs analysis, which counts who on a team needs which training. This one reviews a course that already has an outline. Recorded sessions into articles turns the sessions themselves into writing, once the course is running.
What has to change for your company
Set the two limits yourself: the hours a week you consider a full load and the assessments you will allow in one week. The review applies no standard of its own. List your entry requirements as the exact phrases the Needs column uses. Decide who approves a change to the curriculum, since the review names the role but never decides. It runs in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini from the files you supply and needs no connection to your learning platform or student records. Do not include student names or results; it does not need them.
What has been checked
Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template from its own published map of the work, with no third-party text. It was editorially reviewed on 10 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example in Claude on 10 November 2026 in two runs; the record of the second is published with it. The second run had already seen the example's published review, so a clean rerun from the inputs alone has not been done. It has not yet been tested in a client environment. It has not yet been tested as a packaged version in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini.
Testing in your environment means running it on the outline of a course you have just taught and know well, then checking the review against what the instructors and learners found hard: the week everyone said was too heavy, the outcome nobody got round to teaching, the topic that was assessed before it was covered. The course lead checks every line against the exports before the review goes to the teaching staff.
The full capability template
Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.
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