The Revised Intake Form Release
You are the administrative assistant at a regional workforce development office. On Wednesday at 2:15 p.m., your supervisor emails: 'Send the revised intake form to all 14 partner agencies by Friday. Do not release it until Legal clears the data-sharing clause. Also pull the old form from the shared drive immediately.' Legal tells you clearance is expected Thursday afternoon but could slip to Monday. Two partner agencies have scheduled site visits Friday at 9:00 a.m. and need the form then. A third partner is new and has never received any version. The shared drive contains three files: intake_v2.1, intake_v2.2, and intake_v3.0_draft. Your supervisor is in meetings until 4:30 p.m. and does not use chat. You must decide what to send, what to remove, and how to respond.
1. Identify the conflicts and ambiguities in the supervisor's email. What must be clarified before you act?
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Conflicts and ambiguities
- Deadline versus clearance: 'Send by Friday' conflicts with 'do not release until Legal clears.' If Legal slips to Monday, Friday delivery is impossible without violating the release restriction.
- 'Pull the old form' is ambiguous: It could mean remove access, move to an archive, or delete. Deleting records may violate retention rules and could destroy the only approved version.
- Which version is 'old'? The drive has v2.1, v2.2, and v3.0_draft. v2.2 may be the current approved version rather than an obsolete one.
- New partner: A partner with no prior form cannot be treated the same as agencies that already have an approved version.
Clarifications needed before acting
- If Legal does not clear by Friday, should the release date move to Monday, or should an approved interim version go to the two Friday sites?
- Does 'pull' mean remove from the general drive and restrict access, or permanently delete?
- Which file is the currently approved version: v2.1 or v2.2?
- May the new partner receive an approved version, or should it wait for v3.0?
Until these are answered, do not delete files and do not release the draft.
2. Write the reply you would send to your supervisor at 4:30 p.m. Include your proposed actions and timeline.
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Subject: Intake form release - decision needed on Friday deadline
Hi [Supervisor],
I need two decisions before I act on the intake form email.
- Legal expects clearance Thursday afternoon but says it could slip to Monday. If it slips, do you want me to miss the Friday release, or send the currently approved version to the two agencies with Friday site visits?
- By 'pull the old form,' do you mean move v2.1 and v2.2 to a restricted archive folder, or delete them? I recommend moving, not deleting, to preserve records.
Proposed actions unless you direct otherwise:
- Move intake_v3.0_draft to a restricted folder; no external release.
- Move v2.1 and v2.2 to an archive folder with access limited to you and me; do not delete.
- Contact the two Friday agencies Thursday noon with a status update; offer to reschedule if clearance slips.
- Hold the new partner's packet until you confirm which version it should receive.
I will check with Legal Thursday at 2:00 p.m. and send you a status note by 3:00 p.m.
Thanks, [Name]
3. What do you tell the two partner agencies with Friday 9:00 a.m. site visits, and what do you do with the three shared-drive files before Friday?
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To the two Friday agencies: Call or email by Thursday noon. Say: 'The revised form is still in legal review. We do not want you to use an uncleared version. You may keep your Friday site visit and use your existing approved materials, or we can reschedule the form review. I will confirm by Thursday 4:00 p.m.' Do not send the draft. If the supervisor authorizes an interim approved version, send only that version with a clear label and a note that v3.0 will follow.
Shared-drive files before Friday:
- v3.0_draft: move to a restricted folder accessible only to the supervisor and you; do not email it.
- v2.1: if confirmed obsolete, move to an archive folder; do not delete.
- v2.2: keep available only if the supervisor confirms it is the current approved version; otherwise archive it as well.
- New partner: send nothing until the supervisor confirms which version is approved.
This protects the release restriction while preserving records and keeping the Friday sites informed.