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By October, many regulatory and compliance teams are managing two competing demands. Year-end deadlines are intensifying existing work, while the planning cycle is already requiring them to define Q1 priorities. The instinct is often to protect the plan by asking the team to stretch a little further. That may work briefly, but it may not be sustainable when the work is sensitive, deadline-driven or likely to generate rework.
The more useful question is not simply whether the team is busy, but whether its current capacity matches the nature of the work ahead. A backlog of routine tasks can often be prioritized. A regulatory exam, remediation plan, policy refresh, transaction, or extended absence is different: it creates work that needs experienced judgment, momentum, and clear ownership now.
Four Signals That Indicate a Capacity Gap
- Work is being delayed because the same senior people must review every material decision.
- The team is choosing between forward-looking planning and urgent remediation instead of progressing both.
- Temporary gaps are being filled informally, with no one clearly accountable for the outcome.
- The Q1 plan assumes the current workload will simply recede, although there is no credible reason it will.
These signals do not necessarily point to a permanent hiring need, but they may indicate that the current resourcing model should be reassessed. Depending on the duration, complexity, and expertise required, firms may consider reprioritizing work, reallocating internal resources, or bringing in interim support.
What to Do Before the Calendar Turns
Map the work that cannot move, identify the decisions that require senior attention, and distinguish a short-term spike from a structural gap. Then decide what must be owned internally and what can be supported by an embedded resource. This is more useful than a generic headcount request because it defines the mandate, seniority, and timeframe required to protect the outcome.
When the need is clearly defined but not permanent, interim support may complement internal reprioritization or resource reallocation. A secondment can help address a defined workload, provide coverage during a leadership transition or leave, support a regulatory change initiative, or keep business-as-usual work moving during a critical period. This approach can fill an immediate resource gap without requiring the long-term commitment of a full-time hire.
The goal is not simply to make Q4 more manageable. It is to help the team enter Q1 with critical work progressing, clear ownership of identified risks, and sufficient capacity to address upcoming priorities.
How ACA Can Help
ACA’s Secondments team provides experienced compliance professionals who can embed with your team to support defined initiatives, leadership transitions, and periods of elevated regulatory workload.
Contact ACA to discuss the coverage, expertise, and timeframe that best fit your team’s needs.