Project Context
NovaBank's Risk Analytics team has completed an analysis of a new fraud detection model for its small-business credit card product. The model improves fraud capture by 18%, but it also increases manual review volume and may affect customer approval speed. You are the program manager responsible for preparing a recommendation for a non-technical executive audience before the quarterly operating review in 3 weeks.
The core team includes 1 data scientist, 2 engineers, 1 fraud operations lead, 1 finance manager, and you. The CEO wants a clear go/no-go recommendation for a phased launch, while the Head of Sales is concerned that any increase in false positives could hurt customer experience and renewal rates.
Key Stakeholders
Primary stakeholders include the CEO, Head of Risk, Head of Sales, Fraud Operations Director, and Compliance Counsel. Risk wants stronger fraud prevention, Sales wants minimal customer friction, and Compliance wants a defensible explanation of how decisions will be made and communicated.
Constraints
- You have 15 business days before the executive review
- Budget for additional analysis and presentation support is capped at $25,000
- Only 2 analysts can support ad hoc requests because the team is also preparing month-end reporting
- A pilot launch decision must be made by June 30 to meet Q3 roadmap commitments
- The fraud operations team can absorb at most 12% more manual reviews without adding headcount
Complications
- The model performs well overall, but results vary significantly by customer segment.
- The Head of Sales has already told regional leaders that approval speed will not worsen.
- Compliance has asked for a simple explanation of model logic and escalation paths if customers challenge decisions.
Deliverables
- Build an execution plan for preparing and presenting the findings to a non-technical audience.
- Define how you would tailor the message for executives with competing priorities.
- Recommend the decision framework, trade-offs, and success criteria for a pilot launch.
- Identify the top risks to alignment and how you would mitigate them before the review.
- Outline the materials you would bring into the executive meeting and the follow-up plan after the decision.
