Capability template for project and delivery
Schedule recovery options
When a committed milestone slips, the project manager brings the sponsor two to four ways back: what each changes, the dates it gives every later milestone and dependency, and the assumptions it rests on. The sponsor chooses; delivery leads confirm the dates.
Listed under
Add it to a workflow in the Fully Powered Planner, beside the teams and roles that will run it. Book a fit call
The outcome
The sponsor does not get a slipped date and a request to "find the time". They get the slip stated plainly, what happens to every later date if nothing is done, and a short set of real choices set side by side: cut or defer scope, change the order of work, add people, or move the date. Each choice shows the new dates of the milestones behind it, the outside commitments it touches and the day by which someone must ask a supplier or another team to change theirs.
Each option also says what it assumes. Cutting a module assumes the people who rely on it have a workable fallback. Adding a tester assumes the work can be split and that a newcomer needs a few days to become useful. Where options act on the same stretch of work, the page recomputes them together instead of adding their savings, so the sponsor never sees a recovery that does not exist.
The project manager reads the draft, corrects it with the delivery leads and decides what goes to the sponsor. The AI assistant changes no plan, promises nothing to anyone and recommends no option unless the company's settings allow it and the sponsor asks.
Who starts the work, and when
The project manager starts it as soon as a milestone the project has committed to is forecast to miss its date, before the sponsor is asked to react. It suits any project with a dated plan, dependencies and a sponsor above it: a system replacement, a fit-out, a new service, an office move. The delivery leads confirm the dates the same week, and the sponsor chooses at the next decision point.
What they supply
- The schedule, exported as a spreadsheet: each task and milestone with its dates, baseline finish, duration, remaining work, predecessors and who the date was committed to.
- The slip: which milestone, the date committed, the new forecast and the cause as the person reporting it gave it.
- The scope list, with a priority for each item and what happens if it is deferred.
- Who could help, with the days each person is available and the tasks they could join.
- Outside commitments: each dependency on a supplier or another team, the date promised, whether they accepted it and how much notice a change needs.
- Fixed dates and the working calendar, with holidays and any freeze periods.
- The settings: the sponsor and delivery leads, today's date, the date of the schedule export, who has already been told the current date, and who confirms a deferral that touches their area.
What comes out
One page for the sponsor, in a fixed order: the slip, what happens if nothing changes, then each option with its change, the working days it recovers, the dates it gives each later milestone, the dependencies it touches, its assumptions, what it costs and who must confirm it. Combinations are computed, never added up. What is not known is listed as questions. Sections with nothing in them say "None".
An invented example
Illustrative example with invented data. Company A is an invented 45-person services firm replacing its booking and invoicing system. Every name, role, date and figure below is made up, and Vendor B is an invented supplier. The inputs come first, in full, then the page the assistant produces from them.
The inputs
The slip note, from the Data lead, Wednesday 16 June 2027: "The migration rehearsal found about 1,400 duplicate customer rows. Cleaning them means a second rehearsal. I now expect the rehearsal to be complete on Friday 2 July, not Friday 18 June." The project manager adds: the sponsor is the Managing director; delivery leads are the Test lead, Training lead and Operations lead; the Finance lead confirms any deferral that affects Finance. The monthly report that the Reports module produces is Finance's, and Finance makes it today from the spreadsheet export.
The schedule export (plan not yet changed for the slip):
ID,Task,Type,Owner,Start,Finish,Baseline Finish,Duration (wd),Remaining (wd),Predecessors,Committed To
M1,Migration rehearsal complete,Milestone,Data lead,2027-06-18,2027-06-18,2027-06-18,0,0,,Sponsor
T1,User acceptance testing (UAT),Task,Test lead,2027-06-21,2027-07-02,2027-07-02,10,10,M1,
T2,Staff training,Task,Training lead,2027-07-05,2027-07-09,2027-07-09,5,5,T1,
T3,Cutover preparation,Task,Operations lead,2027-07-12,2027-07-16,2027-07-16,5,5,T2,
M2,Go-live,Milestone,Operations lead,2027-07-19,2027-07-19,2027-07-19,0,0,T3,Operations staff
M3,Hypercare ends,Milestone,Operations lead,2027-07-30,2027-07-30,2027-07-30,0,0,M2,Sponsor
M4,Old system licence ends,Milestone,Sponsor,2027-08-31,2027-08-31,2027-08-31,0,0,,Old system supplier
Estimates and flexibility, from the delivery leads:
ID,People Now,Person-Days Remaining,Can Be Split,Can Start Before Predecessor Ends (wd),Note
T1,2,20,yes,0,"Three modules tested one after another: Booking 4 wd, Invoicing 3 wd, Reports 3 wd"
T2,1,5,no,0,
T3,1,5,no,3,"First 3 working days (runbook, rollback plan, access list) do not need training to finish. Operations lead."
The scope list:
Item,Priority,Effort (wd),If Deferred,Task
Booking module,Must,4,Cannot defer,T1
Invoicing module,Must,3,Cannot defer,T1
Reports module,Should,3,"Monthly report from the spreadsheet export, as done today",T1
Who could help:
Person or Role,Available From,Available Until,Days per Week,Can Join
Tester from the Support team,2027-07-05,2027-07-23,5,T1
The Support team lead has said the tester is free "if asked". Nobody has asked.
Outside commitments:
Dependency,Supplier,Needed For,Committed Date,Accepted,Notice to Change (wd)
Go-live support on site,Vendor B,M2,2027-07-19 to 2027-07-20,yes,10
Fixed dates and settings:
- The old system licence ends Tuesday 31 August 2027 and cannot be moved.
- Finance quarter-end close, Monday 2 August to Friday 6 August 2027: no go-live inside it. Accepted by the Finance lead.
- Today is Wednesday 16 June 2027. The schedule export was taken the same day, before the slip was entered. Operations staff were told go-live on Monday 19 July; nobody else is recorded as told.
- Working calendar: Monday to Friday. Company A observes no holidays between 21 June and 31 August.
- Go-live is the working day after cutover preparation ends. Hypercare is 10 working days counted from go-live day. A newcomer needs 3 working days before they help. Up to 4 options.
The page the assistant produces
SCHEDULE RECOVERY OPTIONS: Migration rehearsal complete (M1)
For: Managing director. Dates to be confirmed by: Test lead, Training lead, Operations lead (Finance lead for any deferral). Prepared Wed 16 Jun 2027 from the schedule export of Wed 16 Jun 2027.
The slip: M1 was committed for Fri 18 Jun and is now forecast for Fri 2 Jul, 10 working days late. Cause as reported: about 1,400 duplicate customer rows found in the rehearsal; a second rehearsal is needed. The forecast is the Data lead's single estimate; no range was given.
If nothing changes: Go-live (M2) moves from Mon 19 Jul to Mon 9 Aug, 15 working days late. The chain runs UAT Mon 5 to Fri 16 Jul, training Mon 19 to Fri 23 Jul, cutover preparation Mon 26 to Fri 30 Jul. The next working day, Mon 2 Aug, falls inside Finance's close (2 to 6 Aug, no go-live), so the date moves to Mon 9 Aug. Later milestones: Hypercare ends (M3) Fri 20 Aug, 7 working days before the licence ends on Tue 31 Aug (M4). Dependencies hit: Vendor B's on-site support is accepted for 19 and 20 Jul only; nothing is accepted for 9 Aug, and the latest date to ask for a change is Mon 26 Jul (10 working days' notice). Already told the current date: Operations staff (Mon 19 Jul). No other audience is recorded.
Options: 4
Option 1: Defer the Reports module
- Change: UAT covers Booking and Invoicing only; Reports (Should, 3 working days) is deferred with no new date. UAT falls from 10 to 7 working days.
- Takes out of the chain: 3 working days.
- Dates after: UAT Mon 5 to Tue 13 Jul; training Wed 14 to Tue 20 Jul; cutover preparation Wed 21 to Tue 27 Jul.
- Go-live: Wed 28 Jul, 7 working days after the committed date (8 fewer than if nothing changes).
- Later milestones: Hypercare ends Tue 10 Aug, 15 working days before the licence ends; hypercare covers Finance's close week.
- Dependencies: Vendor B support for Wed 28 Jul is not accepted; latest date to ask Wed 14 Jul (10 working days' notice). No request is recorded.
- Rests on: the Data lead's date of Fri 2 Jul holding; the fallback being acceptable (Finance makes the monthly report from the spreadsheet export, as done today); the Test lead's estimates for the other two modules holding.
- Costs: the Reports module has no date and needs its own decision. Finance makes the monthly report from the spreadsheet export until then.
- Confirm with: Test lead (UAT dates); Finance lead (the fallback, since the monthly report is Finance's).
Option 2: Start cutover preparation during training
- Change: cutover preparation starts on the third day of training, not after it ends.
- Takes out of the chain: 3 working days.
- Dates after: UAT Mon 5 to Fri 16 Jul; training Mon 19 to Fri 23 Jul; cutover preparation Wed 21 to Tue 27 Jul.
- Go-live: Wed 28 Jul, 7 working days after the committed date (8 fewer than if nothing changes).
- Later milestones: Hypercare ends Tue 10 Aug, 15 working days before the licence ends; hypercare covers Finance's close week.
- Dependencies: Vendor B support for Wed 28 Jul is not accepted; latest date to ask Wed 14 Jul. No request is recorded.
- Rests on: the Operations lead's note that the first 3 working days of preparation (runbook, rollback plan, access list) do not need training to finish; M1 finishing on its forecast of Fri 2 Jul; UAT finishing on its forecast.
- Costs: None stated in the inputs.
- Confirm with: Operations lead (overlap and dates); Training lead (training dates).
Option 3: Add one tester to UAT
- Change: a tester from the Support team joins UAT from Mon 5 Jul. UAT is 20 person-days; with three people and a 3-day start-up, the task takes 8 working days, not 10 ((20 + 3) / 3 = 7.67, rounded up).
- Takes out of the chain: 2 working days.
- Dates after: UAT Mon 5 to Wed 14 Jul; training Thu 15 to Wed 21 Jul; cutover preparation Thu 22 to Wed 28 Jul.
- Go-live: Thu 29 Jul, 8 working days after the committed date (7 fewer than if nothing changes).
- Later milestones: Hypercare ends Wed 11 Aug, 14 working days before the licence ends; hypercare covers Finance's close week.
- Dependencies: Vendor B support for Thu 29 Jul is not accepted; latest date to ask Thu 15 Jul. No request is recorded.
- Rests on: UAT work dividing evenly across three testers (the Test lead marked it splittable); the newcomer adding nothing for 3 working days; the Data lead's date of Fri 2 Jul holding; the Support team lead releasing the tester, who has not yet been asked.
- Costs: one Support tester for 8 working days (5 to 14 Jul).
- Confirm with: Test lead (the task can be split, and the dates); Support team lead (release of the tester).
Option 4: Move go-live to Mon 9 Aug
- Change: no change to scope, order or people. Go-live is reset to Mon 9 Aug, the first allowed working day. The dates equal the do-nothing dates; the difference is that the commitment is re-baselined to Mon 9 Aug.
- Takes out of the chain: 0 working days.
- Dates after: UAT Mon 5 to Fri 16 Jul; training Mon 19 to Fri 23 Jul; cutover preparation Mon 26 to Fri 30 Jul.
- Go-live: Mon 9 Aug, 15 working days after the committed date (the same as if nothing changes).
- Later milestones: Hypercare ends Fri 20 Aug, 7 working days before the licence ends. The date holds if cutover preparation finishes by Fri 6 Aug, so it absorbs up to 5 working days of further slip.
- Dependencies: Vendor B support for Mon 9 Aug is not accepted; latest date to ask Mon 26 Jul. No request is recorded.
- Rests on: the Data lead's date of Fri 2 Jul holding; Finance's close staying 2 to 6 Aug.
- Costs: Operations staff were told Mon 19 Jul; they would need a new date. Full scope is kept.
- Confirm with: Operations lead (dates); Finance lead (close week).
Combinations: Options 1 and 2 together take out 6 working days: UAT Mon 5 to Tue 13 Jul; training Wed 14 to Tue 20 Jul; cutover preparation Fri 16 to Thu 22 Jul; go-live Fri 23 Jul, 4 working days after the committed date; hypercare ends Thu 5 Aug, 18 working days before the licence ends; Vendor B latest date to ask Fri 9 Jul. Options 1, 2 and 3 together take out 7, not 8, because Option 3 saves only 1 more day once the Reports module is gone (its 3 working days on 2 people are 6 person-days, so 14 remain; with three testers, (14 + 3) / 3 = 5.67, 6 working days): UAT Mon 5 to Mon 12 Jul; training Tue 13 to Mon 19 Jul; cutover preparation Thu 15 to Wed 21 Jul; go-live Thu 22 Jul, 3 working days after the committed date; hypercare ends Wed 4 Aug, 19 working days before the licence ends; Vendor B latest date to ask Thu 8 Jul. No option restores Mon 19 Jul.
Not known: (1) Whether Finance accepts its 2 to 6 Aug close falling inside hypercare under Options 1 to 3; the inputs say only that go-live may not fall in it: Finance lead. (2) Whether Vendor B can support any date other than 19 and 20 Jul; no request is recorded: Operations lead. (3) Whether the Support team lead will release a tester: Support team lead. (4) Whether anyone beyond Operations staff was told Mon 19 Jul: project manager. (5) Whether any person is needed both in the first days of training and in the first 3 days of cutover preparation: Training lead and Operations lead.
Decision for the Managing director: choose one option or combination; the Test lead, Training lead and Operations lead confirm each date. Working days counted Monday to Friday; holidays used: none. Nothing is changed in the plan, promised to anyone or sent.
Where it fits
- Project and delivery, where the plan is the promise and a slip has to be answered with choices, not reassurance.
- Professional services, where client work and internal projects compete for the same people.
- Construction, where a late task moves the trades and deliveries behind it.
- Engineering firms, where a missed design milestone ripples through reviews and releases.
- Growth & scaling, when more projects run at once than anyone can hold in their head.
- Established businesses, where fixed dates such as renewals, closes and seasons limit the choices.
It stays distinct from Project status report, which reports where the project stands, and from Premortem before a decision, which looks for how a plan could fail before it is approved. This one starts after a date has already been missed.
What has to change for your company
Decide who counts as the sponsor and who counts as a delivery lead for each option. Set your working calendar, your freeze periods and the notice each supplier or team needs for a change. Agree how many working days a newcomer needs before they help, and which kinds of task your people accept can be split. Name the priority labels your scope list uses and what fallback each deferred item must have before it can be offered. Settle whether the assistant may recommend an option when the sponsor asks; the default is that it declines.
What has been checked
Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template. It was editorially reviewed on 10 November 2026. The dates in its worked example were recomputed from the example's inputs. It was tried once on its invented example in Claude on 10 November 2026; the record is published with it. That run was made by the same session that revised the example, so it was not independent, and it did not exercise the stop conditions, a range forecast, a missing export date or a latest date to ask that had already passed. 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 a past slip your project manager already understands, with cases written in advance: an option that touches the same work as another, a supplier date nobody accepted, a freeze period that moves the answer. The delivery leads check every date before anyone relies on it. Pilot acceptance-test preparation sets those cases up, and what we test before we call an AI workflow ready describes the record we keep.
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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