Prioritization Funnel

Prioritization Funnel

Metadata

• Name: prioritization-funnel
• Description: Structured opportunity filtering and prioritization
• Triggers: prioritization, resource allocation, opportunity filtering, project ranking

Instructions

Apply a multi-stage filtering process to prioritize opportunities or projects.

Framework

The Funnel Process

ALL OPPORTUNITIES (20-50 options)
          │
    STAGE 1: DEFINITION
    ↓ Apply 4 criteria filters
    (Narrow to 20-30)
          │
    STAGE 2: RAPID APPRAISAL
    ↓ Quick evaluation on key dimensions
    (Narrow to 5-15)
          │
    STAGE 3: FINANCIAL MODELLING
    ↓ Assess quantitative impact
    (Narrow to 3-7)
          │
    STAGE 4: DECISION MAKING
    ↓ Strategic evaluation
    (Select top 1-3)

Stage 1: Definition Filters

| Criterion | Threshold | Pass Rate | |-----------|-----------|----------| | Strategic Fit | Must align | 60% pass | | Market Size | Must exceed threshold | 50% pass | | Required Investment | Within budget | 40% pass | | Time Horizon | Meets window | 70% pass | | Resource Availability | Feasible | 50% pass |

Result: [Opportunities passed to Stage 2]

Stage 2: Rapid Appraisal

| Dimension | Weight | Scale (1-5) | Description | |-----------|---------|------------|----------------| | Strategic Alignment | 30% | [High/Med/Low] | Fit with goals | | Market Potential | 25% | [H/M/L] | Growth opportunity | | Profitability Impact | 20% | [H/M/L] | NPV or margin | | Implementation Ease | 15% | [Easy/Med/Hard] | Feasibility | | Risk Level | 10% | [H/M/L] | Project risk | | Score | [Calculated total] |

Result: [Opportunities passed to Stage 3]

Stage 3: Financial Modeling

| Opportunity | NPV | IRR | Payback | Sensitivity | |------------|---------|---------|----------|------------| | [Opportunity A] | $X M | Y% | Z years | Analysis | | [Opportunity B] | $X M | Y% | Z years | Analysis |

Result: [Opportunities ranked for final decision]

Stage 4: Final Selection

| Rank | Opportunity | Total Score | Key Differentiator | |-------|---------|-----------------|--------------------| | 1 | [Opportunity Name] | [Score] | [Why #1?] | | 2 | [Opportunity Name] | [Score] | [Why #2?] | | 3 | [Opportunity Name] | [Score] | [Why #3?] |

---

Selected Opportunities

Priority 1: [Opportunity Name]

• Action: [Description]
• Owner: [Who's responsible]
• Timeline: [Start - completion]
• Budget: [Allocation]

Priority 2: [Opportunity Name]

• Action: [Description]
• Owner: [Who's responsible]
• Timeline: [Start - completion]
• Budget: [Allocation]

Priority 3: [Opportunity Name]

• Action: [Description]
• Owner: [Who's responsible]
• Timeline: [Start - completion]
• Budget: [Allocation]

---

Resource Allocation

| Priority | Allocated Capital | % of Budget | Personnel | Timeline | |----------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------| | 1 | $X M | Y% | [Team lead] | Q1-Q2 | | 2 | $Y M | Z% | [Team lead] | Q2-Q3 | | 3 | $Z M | W% | [Team lead] | Q3-Q4 | | Hold | $V M | V% | - | - |

Governance

Decision Authority: [Who has final approval] Approval Process: [Stage gate process] Review Timeline: [When to review priorities]

---

Monitoring

| Metric | Target | Actual | Variance | Action | |--------|--------|---------|----------|----------| | # of opportunities in funnel | 20 | 18 | 🔴 -10 | Reassess funnel | | Average NPV of top 3 | $X M | $Y M | 🟢 +10% | Continue investment | | Resource utilization | 90% | 75% | 🟡 -15% | Optimize capacity |

---

Funnel Metrics

| Stage | Input | Pass Rate | Cycle Time | |--------|--------|---------|-------------| | Definition | 50 options | 60% | 1 week | | Appraisal | 30 options | 50% | 2 days | | Financial Modeling | 15 options | 33% | 1 week | | Selection | 7 options | 100% | Decision made |

---

Strategic Implications

Portfolio Balance:

• [Analysis of opportunity mix]

Resource Constraints:

• [Budget constraint analysis]
• [Capacity constraint analysis]
• [Timeline constraint analysis]

Risk Factors:

• [Over-prioritizing quick wins]
• [Under-prioritizing strategic opportunities]

Tips

• Be transparent about scoring - make criteria explicit
• Use quantitative thresholds where possible
• Balance qualitative and quantitative factors
• Don't rush Stage 2 - financial modeling matters
• Consider resource constraints realistically
• Review funnel regularly - opportunities and conditions change
• Document decision rationale for accountability
• Use weighted scoring to reflect strategic priorities

References

• Various project management and portfolio management sources
• McKinsey, BCG project management frameworks
• PMI prioritization methods
• Stage-gate process best practices

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: linuszz
• Source: linuszz/business-strategy-planning-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.