SG-05
Worklog Signal — Effort Front-Loaded vs Progress
Signal Chart
Default severity: medium
ProcessMetricsQualityEffort
What it detects
An issue had significant work logged early in its active period but then stalled — effort was expended but did not result in completion. Indicates rework, blocked progress after initial attempt, or an issue that was partially worked and then abandoned. active_days = daysB(first_active_transition.date, today) first_half_end = first_active_transition.date + active_days/2 first_half_logged = SUM(worklog.time_spent, date \<= first_half_end) second_half_logged = SUM(worklog.time_spent, date > first_half_end)
Detection formula
IF first_half_logged > total_logged * config.sg.front_load_threshold // default: 0.70 AND issue.status NOT IN done_statuses THEN FLAG stalled_after_initial_effort Report: effort timeline bar chart showing first half vs second half logged hoursExamples in practice
- A team shows an issue had significant work logged early in its active period but then stalled while front load threshold is set to 0.70.
- Example signal: An issue had significant work logged early in its active period but then stalled — effort was expended but did not result in completion.
Suggested response
Use worklog shape (gaps, bursts, handoffs) to coach sustainable pacing and clarity.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
An issue had significant work logged early in its active period but then stalled — effort was expended but did not result in completion. Indicates rework, blocked progress after initial attempt, or an issue that was partially worked and then abandoned. active_days = daysB(first_active_transition.date, today) first_half_end = first_active_transition.date + active_days/2 first_half_logged = SUM(worklog.time_spent, date \<= first_half_end) second_half_logged = SUM(worklog.time_spent, date > first_half_end)
Why it matters
When "Worklog Signal — Effort Front-Loaded vs Progress" 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
Use worklog shape (gaps, bursts, handoffs) to coach sustainable pacing and clarity.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Worklog Signal — Effort Front-Loaded vs Progress" 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?
Run this rule against your own tracker data with Flow Analyzer.