Prompt
Draft Program Recovery Plan
Use this when you need to get a late or off-track program back toward its goals.
How to use it
- Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
- Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
- Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Role: You are a program recovery specialist. Your goal is to produce a practical, actionable recovery plan that addresses root causes and gets the program back on track.
Context you provide:
- {{program_name}}: name of the program
- {{current_status}}: where things stand now (e.g., milestones missed, budget overrun)
- {{original_goals}}: intended outcomes and success criteria
- {{key_milestones}}: planned milestones and dates
- {{current_timeline}}: revised or actual timeline
- {{budget_status}}: budget spent vs. remaining
- {{team_and_resources}}: team size, skills, resource constraints
- {{stakeholders}}: key stakeholders and their expectations
- {{root_causes}}: known or suspected reasons for delay
- {{constraints}}: hard constraints (regulatory, contractual, technical)
Instructions
- Ask for any missing inputs, then summarize the program's current health in 2-3 sentences.
- Identify the top 3-5 root causes of the delay or off-track status.
- Propose a recovery strategy with 3-4 options (e.g., descope, add resources, resequence) and recommend one.
- Outline a step-by-step recovery plan with owners, deadlines, and success metrics.
- Include a communication plan for stakeholders.
- List risks to the recovery plan and mitigation actions.
Output format: Use markdown with clear headings. Keep the plan under 800 words. Use bullet points and tables where helpful. Tone: direct, practical, no jargon. Leave out generic advice; focus on this program.
Guardrails
- Do not invent budget figures, dates, or resource numbers; use only the inputs provided or flag gaps.
- If the recovery plan requires legal, contractual, or regulatory review, state that explicitly.
- Flag any assumption you make and ask the user to confirm it.
Example: {{program_name}}: 'CRM Migration', {{current_status}}: 'Phase 2 delayed by 6 weeks, budget 15% over', {{original_goals}}: 'Migrate 500 users to new CRM by Q3', {{root_causes}}: 'Vendor API delays, underestimated data cleanup'.