FI-02
Long-Standing Flag — Unresolved Impediment
Flags
Default severity: medium
ProcessOutputRisk
What it detects
A flag was raised on an issue but no comment was added — the impediment exists in the system with no description of what the blocker is, who is affected, what has been tried, or what is needed. A flag without context is unactionable: nobody knows what to do or who to contact. flag_set_date = changelog.find(field=\'flagged\', new=\'Impediment\', LATEST).date comments_after_flag = comments.filter(created >= flag_set_date)
Detection formula
IF COUNT(comments_after_flag) = 0 AND flag_age_days > config.fi.flag_comment_grace_hours / 24 // default: 4h grace THEN FLAG no_comment_on_flag IF flag_age_days > 1 AND COUNT(comments_after_flag) = 0 THEN CRITICAL — flag active >1 day with no explanation at all Report: issue, flag_set_date, assignee, status, sprintExamples in practice
- A team shows a flag was raised on an issue but no comment was added while flag comment grace hours is set to 4h grace.
- Example signal: A flag was raised on an issue but no comment was added — the impediment exists in the system with no description of what the blocker is, who is affected, what has been tried, or what is needed.
Suggested response
Close the loop on flags—link blockers, set owners, and clear impediments with traceability.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
A flag was raised on an issue but no comment was added — the impediment exists in the system with no description of what the blocker is, who is affected, what has been tried, or what is needed. A flag without context is unactionable: nobody knows what to do or who to contact. flag_set_date = changelog.find(field=\'flagged\', new=\'Impediment\', LATEST).date comments_after_flag = comments.filter(created >= flag_set_date)
Why it matters
When "Long-Standing Flag — Unresolved Impediment" keeps appearing, the team is signalling a repeatable process gap. Left unexamined, the pattern hides where work really stalls and makes improvement metrics harder to trust.
What you can achieve
Close the loop on flags—link blockers, set owners, and clear impediments with traceability.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Long-Standing Flag — Unresolved Impediment" from firing again?
- What do the cited issues have in common — same root cause or same workaround?
- Who owns the two-week experiment and how will we verify on the next import?
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