Capability template for people and HR

Training needs analysis

For one team, the HR lead or team manager gets what each role must be able to do, how many people can do it now, where the team falls short, and the training to arrange first, with who arranges it and by when. Counted by role, never a rating of a named person.

The outcome

Training money goes where the team actually needs it. For every role in the team, the HR lead sees each ability the work depends on, the level it takes, how many people are there today and how many are still needed. The shortfalls come in a clear order: anything a rule or a customer requires first, then what the team cannot work without, then the rest.

The quiet risks show up before they cost anything. An ability only one person holds. Certificates that run out before anyone has booked the renewal. A "training problem" that is really an out-of-date script or a missing tool, which goes back to be fixed instead of being trained around.

Each training item says how it is delivered, who arranges it, the date it must be done by and what it costs, where the price is known. Everything is counted by role. The team manager chooses who attends, the HR lead approves, and the AI assistant enrols nobody, books nothing and buys nothing.

Who starts the work, and when

The team manager starts it, or the HR lead with them, when the work is about to change or has drifted: a new system going live, a role growing, a run of errors in one kind of work, certificates coming up for renewal. It is worth running again before each training budget is set. The HR lead approves the analysis before anyone is booked or told.

What they supply

A short scope brief. The team, the roles in it, why now, and today's date.
The requirements. For each role, the abilities it needs, how much each matters, the level it takes, how many people need it, and any rule or customer term that requires it, as a simple table with stated column headers.
The coverage. For each role and ability, how many people can do it now, how many could teach it, where that count comes from, and certificate end dates. Counts only, no names.
The manager's notes. What goes wrong and why, changes coming, courses and prices known, and the budget.

What comes out

One analysis, in a fixed order. A grid of every role against its abilities, with what is needed, what is held, what lapses before the horizon date and the shortfall. The shortfalls in priority order, each with what closes it: a course, teaching from someone in the team, supervised practice, or a check first because training is not the answer.

Then the single holders, the certificates running out with their renewal dates, the training items with arranger, date and cost, the total against the budget, and the questions the HR lead settles before anything is booked. Names, scores and personal details in the notes are left out, and the analysis says what kind was removed.

An invented example

Illustrative example with invented data. The company, the people, the roles, the figures, the prices and the dates below are all invented. The company is an invented 48-person appliance repair business. Its service manager runs a team of service coordinators, field technicians and parts clerks, and a new scheduling and dispatch system goes live in February. First come the inputs the service manager supplied, in full, then the analysis the capability returned for the HR lead.

The inputs

1. Scope brief (from the service manager)

Team: Service team
Roles in scope: Service coordinator, Field technician, Parts clerk
Team manager: Service manager
Why now: the new scheduling and dispatch system goes live on
  1 February 2027, and repeat visits are up
Today: Monday 9 November 2026

2. Requirements list (typed by the service manager)

Role,Ability,Importance,Level needed,People who need it,Required by
Service coordinator,Book and reschedule jobs in the new scheduling system,Essential,3,All,None
Service coordinator,Find the likely fault by phone before booking a visit,Important,3,2,None
Service coordinator,Handle a warranty claim from start to finish,Essential,3,2,None
Field technician,Refrigerant handling certificate,Essential,3,All,Manufacturer warranty terms
Field technician,Use the job app in the new scheduling system,Essential,3,All,None
Field technician,Repair induction hobs,Important,3,3,None
Parts clerk,Order parts through the two main distributors' portals,Essential,3,All,None
Parts clerk,Run the monthly stock count,Useful,2,1,None

3. Coverage list (counts, from the training record and the service manager)

Role,Ability,People in role,People at level needed,People who can teach it,Evidence,Expires
Service coordinator,Book and reschedule jobs in the new scheduling system,4,0,0,System not live yet,
Service coordinator,Find the likely fault by phone before booking a visit,4,1,1,Manager observation,
Service coordinator,Handle a warranty claim from start to finish,4,1,1,Training record,
Field technician,Refrigerant handling certificate,6,6,0,Certificate register,2026-12-18; 2027-02-26; 2027-09-30; 2027-11-15; 2028-03-31; 2028-05-31
Field technician,Use the job app in the new scheduling system,6,0,0,System not live yet,
Field technician,Repair induction hobs,6,2,1,Repeat-visit log,
Parts clerk,Order parts through the two main distributors' portals,2,1,1,None,
Parts clerk,Run the monthly stock count,2,2,1,Training record,

4. The service manager's notes

1. The vendor runs two-hour online training sessions on the new system:
   one for coordinators on booking and rescheduling, one for technicians
   on the job app. Up to 8 people a session, $95 a person.
2. Refrigerant handling certificate: the training centre runs a one-day
   renewal course, $240 a person.
3. Marco is the only coordinator who does warranty claims start to
   finish. When he is on holiday, claims wait until he is back.
4. The coordinators say they can't find the likely fault by phone
   because the call script still covers the old product range, not the
   induction hob and heat pump models we have sold since spring.
5. Repeat visits on induction hobs have gone up since we started
   selling more of them.
6. The second parts clerk joined in September. She has been shown the
   distributor portals once but has never placed an order alone.
7. Training budget for this financial year, to 30 April 2027: $3,000.
8. One coordinator was off sick for three weeks in October.

5. Settings

Approver: HR lead
Horizon end: Friday 30 April 2027
Arranges outside courses: HR lead
Arranges in-house teaching and practice: Service manager
Renewal lead time: 30 days
Read by: HR lead and Service manager

The output

TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS: Service team

For: HR lead. Run by: Service manager. Prepared: 9 November 2026. Horizon: 30 April 2027. Why now: the new scheduling and dispatch system goes live on 1 February 2027, and repeat visits are up.

From: requirements list (8 rows), coverage list (8 rows), manager's notes (8 notes), settings; defaults used: level scale.

Read by: HR lead and Service manager.

Roles: Service coordinator (4 people); Field technician (6 people); Parts clerk (2 people). Abilities: 8. Shortfalls: 7 (1 required by a rule). Single holders: 2. Training items: 6. Questions: 7.

Left out: a person's name (note 3); an absence (note 3); a start date (note 6); a health detail (note 8).

ROLE BY ABILITY

Levels: 1 Knows what it is · 2 Does it with help · 3 Does it alone · 4 Can teach it

Service coordinator (4 people)

Book and reschedule jobs in the new scheduling system · Essential · Level 3 · Needed 4 · At level now 0 · Expiring by 30 April 2027: none · Short 4 · Evidence: System not live yet
Find the likely fault by phone before booking a visit · Important · Level 3 · Needed 2 · At level now 1 · Expiring by 30 April 2027: none · Short 1 · Evidence: Manager observation · FLAG: check first
Handle a warranty claim from start to finish · Essential · Level 3 · Needed 2 · At level now 1 · Expiring by 30 April 2027: none · Short 1 · Evidence: Training record · FLAG: single holder

Field technician (6 people)

Refrigerant handling certificate · Essential · Level 3 · Needed 6 · At level now 6 · Expiring by 30 April 2027: 2 · Short 2 · Evidence: Certificate register · Required by: Manufacturer warranty terms
Use the job app in the new scheduling system · Essential · Level 3 · Needed 6 · At level now 0 · Expiring by 30 April 2027: none · Short 6 · Evidence: System not live yet
Repair induction hobs · Important · Level 3 · Needed 3 · At level now 2 · Expiring by 30 April 2027: none · Short 1 · Evidence: Repeat-visit log

Parts clerk (2 people)

Order parts through the two main distributors' portals · Essential · Level 3 · Needed 2 · At level now 1 · Expiring by 30 April 2027: none · Short 1 · Evidence: not evidenced · FLAG: single holder, not evidenced
Run the monthly stock count · Useful · Level 2 · Needed 1 · At level now 2 · Expiring by 30 April 2027: none · Short 0 · Evidence: Training record

SHORTFALLS IN PRIORITY ORDER

Field technician, refrigerant handling certificate: short 2 of 6 by 30 April 2027. Why here: required by Manufacturer warranty terms. Closed by: Course that meets Manufacturer warranty terms (note 2: the training centre's one-day renewal course).
Field technician, use the job app in the new scheduling system: short 6 of 6. Why here: Essential. Closed by: Course (note 1: the vendor's session for technicians).
Service coordinator, book and reschedule jobs in the new scheduling system: short 4 of 4. Why here: Essential. Closed by: Course (note 1: the vendor's session for coordinators).
Service coordinator, handle a warranty claim from start to finish: short 1 of 2. Why here: Essential. Closed by: Taught in-house (coverage list: 1 can teach it).
Parts clerk, order parts through the two main distributors' portals: short 1 of 2. Why here: Essential. Closed by: Supervised practice (note 6).
Service coordinator, find the likely fault by phone before booking a visit: short 1 of 2. Why here: Important. Closed by: Check first (note 4).
Field technician, repair induction hobs: short 1 of 3. Why here: Important. Closed by: Taught in-house (coverage list: 1 can teach it).

SINGLE HOLDERS

Service coordinator, handle a warranty claim from start to finish: one person at the level needed (note 3: warranty claims wait for that one person). Priority 4.
Parts clerk, order parts through the two main distributors' portals: one person at the level needed. Priority 5.

CERTIFICATES RUNNING OUT BY 30 APRIL 2027

Field technician, refrigerant handling certificate: 2 of 6 expire, on 18 December 2026 and 26 February 2027. Renew by 18 November 2026 and 27 January 2027. Priority 1.

CHECK BEFORE TRAINING

Service coordinator, find the likely fault by phone before booking a visit: the call script still covers the old product range, not the induction hob and heat pump models sold since spring (note 4). See question 6.

TRAINING TO ARRANGE

T1 Refrigerant handling certificate: 2 field technicians to level 3. How: the training centre's one-day renewal course (note 2). Arranged by: HR lead. Done by: 18 November 2026 and 27 January 2027 (30 days before each certificate expires). Cost: 2 × $240 = $480. Closes priority 1; subject to question 1.

T2 Use the job app in the new scheduling system: 6 field technicians to level 3. How: the vendor's two-hour online session for technicians, one session of up to 8 (note 1). Arranged by: HR lead. Done by: 1 February 2027 (the system goes live, scope brief). Cost: 6 × $95 = $570. Closes priority 2; subject to question 2.

T3 Book and reschedule jobs in the new scheduling system: 4 service coordinators to level 3. How: the vendor's two-hour online session for coordinators, one session of up to 8 (note 1). Arranged by: HR lead. Done by: 1 February 2027 (the system goes live, scope brief). Cost: 4 × $95 = $380. Closes priority 3; subject to question 3.

T4 Handle a warranty claim from start to finish: 1 service coordinator to level 3. How: taught in-house by the person who can teach it (coverage list). Arranged by: Service manager. Done by: 30 April 2027 (horizon end). Cost: not supplied. Closes priority 4; subject to question 4.

T5 Order parts through the two main distributors' portals: 1 parts clerk to level 3. How: supervised practice placing orders (note 6). Arranged by: Service manager. Done by: 30 April 2027 (horizon end). Cost: not supplied. Closes priority 5; subject to question 5.

T6 Repair induction hobs: 1 field technician to level 3. How: taught in-house by the person who can teach it (coverage list). Arranged by: Service manager. Done by: 30 April 2027 (horizon end). Cost: not supplied. Closes priority 7; subject to question 7.

Who attends each item is the Service manager's choice.

Costs supplied: $1,430 for 3 items, against a budget of $3,000 (note 7). Items without a cost: 3.

QUESTIONS FOR THE HR LEAD

Priority 1: two field technicians' refrigerant handling certificates expire on 18 December 2026 and 26 February 2027 (coverage list), and the requirements list says the manufacturer warranty terms require the certificate. Note 2 names the training centre's one-day renewal course. Does that course meet the warranty terms? The first renewal is due by 18 November 2026.
Priority 2: note 1 describes the vendor's two-hour online session for technicians on the job app. The requirements list asks for level 3, Does it alone; the coverage list counts no one at that level, because the system is not live yet. Note 1 does not say what level the session brings people to. Does it bring the six technicians to level 3 by go-live on 1 February 2027 (scope brief), and if not, what follows it?
Priority 3: note 1 describes the vendor's two-hour online session for coordinators on booking and rescheduling. The requirements list asks for level 3, Does it alone; the coverage list counts no one at that level, because the system is not live yet. Note 1 does not say what level the session brings people to. Does it bring the four coordinators to level 3 by go-live on 1 February 2027 (scope brief), and if not, what follows it?
Priority 4: the coverage list counts one person in the team who can teach a warranty claim from start to finish, and T4 rests on that person. The inputs do not say how much time that person has. Can they teach one more coordinator to level 3 by 30 April 2027 (horizon end)?
Priority 5: the coverage list counts one parts clerk as placing distributor orders alone, with evidence given as "None". What supports that count?
Priority 6: note 4 says the coordinators cannot find the likely fault by phone because the call script still covers the old product range. Should the script be updated before anyone is trained, and who updates it?
Priority 7: the coverage list counts one person in the team who can teach induction hob repairs, and T6 rests on that person. The inputs do not say how much time that person has. Can they teach one more field technician to level 3 by 30 April 2027 (horizon end)?

ALSO NOTED

Note 5: repeat visits on induction hobs have gone up since the company started selling more of them (relates to priority 7).

Draft for the HR lead's approval. No one has been named, rated, enrolled or booked; nothing has been bought or sent; no record has been changed.

Where it fits

People and HR, which holds the training budget and wants it spent where the gaps are.
Operations and process improvement, where a new system or process changes what every role has to do.
Professional services, where the team's know-how is what clients pay for.
Manufacturing, where certificates, machines and single experts decide whether a shift can run.
Logistics and trade, where new systems, equipment tickets and seasonal staff keep the abilities a team needs moving.
Hospitality, where turnover is high and the same abilities have to be rebuilt in every new team.
Growth & scaling, when roles fill faster than anyone can teach them.
Established businesses, where one long-serving person often holds what the rest of the team cannot do.

What has to change for your company

Set your level scale, or use the four steps it comes with. Decide your horizon date, usually the end of the training budget year, and how many days before a certificate expires the renewal must be done. Name who approves, who arranges outside courses and who arranges teaching inside the team. Decide what counts as evidence for each count, and who may read the analysis. A new starter's first weeks run on the employee onboarding plan; when one person holding an ability is leaving, departing-employee knowledge capture keeps what they know. It runs in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini from the lists and notes you supply, with no connection to your HR system.

What has been checked

Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template. It was editorially reviewed on 9 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example in Claude on 9 and 10 November 2026 in three runs: the template was revised after the first, and again after an independent review of the second, and the record of the third is published with it. 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 team your HR lead knows well, plus hard cases written in advance, each with its expected behavior: a certificate that lapses before the horizon, an ability one person holds, a note that blames a broken checklist, a renamed column, a request to say who is weakest. The HR lead checks every count against the coverage list before anyone relies on it. Pilot acceptance-test preparation builds that test set, 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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