Waitlist Length
Number of eligible beneficiaries waiting to access services, indicating unmet demand
What is Waitlist Length?
Waitlist length is the number of people waiting for a service at a point in time. It shows how much unmet demand there is.
Long waiting lists mean delays for those in need, and are an important signal for planning capacity.
How this KPI is measured
- Function
- Operations & Supply Chain
- Sub-function
- Service Delivery
- Industry
- All Industries
- Type
- Leading
- Impact
- Operational
- Unit
- #
- Measurement frequency
- Monthly
- Formula
- Count of individuals on active service waitlist at point in time
How to calculate it
Count the individuals on the active waitlist at a point in time.
For example, if 340 people are on the waitlist at the end of the month, the length is 340.
Track the time people wait as well as the count, and remove people who no longer need the service so the list stays accurate.
Where it is used
Planning capacity
Understand unmet demand.
Prioritising need
Manage urgent cases.
Reporting
Show pressure on services.
How to improve it
Tips and common mistakes
- Length alone is not enough. Track how long people wait.
- Keep in touch with people waiting.
- Remove duplicates.
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