Blank Template // Diagnostic Tool

Team Capacity
Diagnostic

Role-Weighted Capacity Assessment for Mixed-Discipline Teams

Use this diagnostic to map your team's structural capacity. Start by listing each role, then calculate effective FTE accounting for overhead like mentoring, admin and context-switching. The upstream-to-bottleneck ratio will surface whether your team has a governance problem or a staffing problem. Fill in each section. Print or save as PDF when complete.

Step 01

Map Your
Team

Role Title Headcount Gross FTE Overhead (%) Effective FTE Function Backlog Pressure
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

Overhead includes mentoring, admin duties, context-switching and any recurring commitment that reduces time available for primary function output.

Step 02

Calculate
Capacity Ratio

Category FTE Total Notes
Total Upstream Production FTE (roles with "Direct" backlog pressure)    
Total Execution FTE (roles with "Constraint" or "Dependent" backlog pressure)    
Indirect/Support FTE (roles with "Indirect" backlog pressure)    
Upstream-to-Execution Ratio (Upstream ÷ Execution)    
Interpretation guide: A ratio above 2:1 suggests the team generates scope faster than it can execute. Above 3:1 typically indicates a governance intervention is needed. Below 1.5:1 may indicate underutilized upstream capacity or insufficient strategic input.
Step 03

Identify the
Constraint

Step 04

Assess
Governance Gaps

Governance Mechanism Present? (Y/N) Current State Gap Severity
Intake Filter / Definition of Ready      
Engineering (or Bottleneck) Veto Power      
Capacity-Based Sprint Planning      
Visible Overhead Accounting      
Executive Scope Protection      
Predictable Delivery Cadence      
Prioritization by ROI (not recency or volume)      
       
       
       
Red Critical — No mechanism exists. Immediate governance risk.
Yellow Caution — Mechanism exists informally but isn't enforced or visible.
Green Active — Mechanism in place and functioning.
Step 05

Design the
Governance Response

Constraint Identified Proposed Intervention Mechanism / Owner Timeline
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

For each constraint, map a specific governance mechanism. Structural interventions (intake filters, veto power, visible capacity accounting) are more durable than process changes (additional meetings, status updates). Design for the system, not the person.

© 2026 Diagnostic Tool by Angie Bailey // angieqbailey.com
Individual bandwidth methodology: Nick Sonnenberg, Come Up for Air (2023). Constraint theory: Eliyahu Goldratt, Theory of Constraints.