# Check a report before it goes to the board: prompt chain Check a report for wrong or unsupported figures, a figure given two ways and a missing ask, and get a ready, ready after fixes or not ready verdict with a fix list that you decide on. **Made for:** Anyone who prepares or signs off papers for a board, such as a chief of staff, a program manager, an executive assistant or a small organization's office manager. ## Before you start Have these ready: - **The Report** (required): Paste the full text as it will be sent, with the paragraphs in order. Paste only what your organization lets you put into an AI tool. - **Source Figures** (optional): Paste the records the numbers should come from, such as a finance summary or a program log. Strongly advised. Without them, every figure is marked no source and only the report itself is checked. - **What The Board Is Being Asked To Decide** (required): State the decision in one line, in your own words. **How to use this chain** 1. Open a new chat in any AI assistant. 2. Copy the Step 1 prompt, replace every [PASTE HERE: ...] slot with your material, and send it. 3. Keep each answer: later steps ask you to paste it in. Run each step in the same chat or a new one; a new chat keeps steps from blurring together. 4. After a step that has a check, run the check before you move on. ## Step 1: List Every Figure And Claim Quote each number, date, percentage, name and word of change in the report, word for word, so the checks that follow have a fixed list to work from. Copy this prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer who checks a report before it goes to a board. Your task is to list every figure and claim in the report below and judge nothing yet. The report: [PASTE HERE: The Report] Rules: - Quote every number, date, percentage, name and word of change (such as "up", "grew" or "doubled") from the report, word for word, in the order they appear. - Quote each one as short as you can. Do not correct it and do not reword it. - In the Type column, write exactly one of: number, date, percentage, name, change. - One row for each quote. Do not add a quote the report does not have. Return one markdown table and nothing else: | # | Quote | Type | ```` **You get back:** A numbered table of every figure and claim, each quoted from the report. **Check after Step 1: Every Row Quotes The Report** Check by eye: Each quote in the Quote column appears in the report, with shortened fragments in the same order. If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. ## Step 2: Tie Each Figure To Its Source Match each figure to a passage in the source figures, say whether they agree, and recompute every percentage, total and change. Copy this prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer who matches a report's figures to the records behind them. Your task is to tie each figure in the table below to the source figures. The figures: [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 1 (List Every Figure And Claim)] The source figures: [PASTE HERE: Source Figures] Rules: - One row for each figure in the table. Keep its number and its quote. - In the Source Passage column, quote the matching passage from the source figures word for word, as short as you can. If no passage speaks to the figure, write exactly No source. - In the Verdict column, write exactly one of: matches, differs, no source. A figure that is only a name, a date or a word of change is no source unless a passage speaks to it. - For every percentage, total or change, recompute it from the source figures and show the sum in the Sum column, such as 310 minus 210 is 100, and 100 divided by 210 is 48 percent. For any other row, write Not worked out. - If the source figures are empty or say none given, write no source in every Verdict cell and say so in one line below the table. - Do not choose which figure is right when they differ. Show both. Return one markdown table and nothing else, apart from the one line if the source figures are empty: | # | Quote | Source Passage | Verdict | Sum | ```` **You get back:** A table that sets each figure beside its source passage, with a verdict and the working for every worked-out figure. **Check after Step 2: Every Verdict Is One Of The Three Allowed Words** Check by eye: Every row of the table has one of "matches", "differs" or "no source" in the Verdict column. If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. ## Step 3: Check The Report Agrees With Itself Find a figure given two ways, parts that do not add up to their total, and a name or a period that changes. Copy this prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer who reads a whole report for statements that disagree with each other. Your task is to check the report below against itself. The report: [PASTE HERE: The Report] Rules: - Number the paragraphs of the report from the top: paragraph 1, paragraph 2, and so on. - List every quantity, name and period that appears more than once, and every list of parts that has a stated total. One row for each. - In the Appearances column, quote each place it appears, word for word, with its paragraph number. - In the Agrees column, write exactly one of: yes, no. Write no if the versions differ, if the parts do not add up to the stated total, or if the period a figure covers changes (for example calendar year to financial year). - In the Sum Check column, show the sum of the parts against the stated total for a list of parts. For any other row, write Not a total. - If nothing appears more than once and there is no total, write one row with None found in every cell. - Do not decide which version is right. Return one markdown table and nothing else: | # | Item | Appearances | Agrees | Sum Check | ```` **You get back:** A table of repeated items and totals, each with its places in the report and whether they agree. **Check after Step 3: Every Row Is Filled In** Check by eye: Every row of the table has something written in "Appearances", "Agrees" and "Sum Check" (a blank or a dash does not count). If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. ## Step 4: Read It As The Board Will Check that the ask, the recommendation, the main risk, the cost or effort and the result of saying no are all there, each with a quote or the word Missing. Copy this prompt: ````text You are a board member who reads the first page of a paper to see what is wanted from them. Your task is to check that the report below gives the board what it needs. The report: [PASTE HERE: The Report] What the board is being asked to decide: [PASTE HERE: What The Board Is Being Asked To Decide] Rules: - Quote the sentence in the first paragraph that states what the board is asked to decide. If the first paragraph does not state it, write Missing. - Then quote where the report gives its recommendation, its main risk, its cost or effort, and what happens if the board says no. Write Missing for any part the report does not give. Do not write a part for the report. - In the Matches Ask column, for the first row only, write yes if the quote says the same as the decision above, no if it differs, or Not applicable if the row is Missing. For the other rows, write Not applicable. - After the table, add one line starting with "Abbreviations:" that lists any abbreviation not explained where it first appears, or says None. Return the table, then the one line, and nothing else: | Part | Quote | Matches Ask | Use these five rows in this order: Ask, Recommendation, Main Risk, Cost Or Effort, If The Board Says No. ```` **You get back:** A table of the five things a board looks for, each with a quote or Missing, and a line of unexplained abbreviations. **Check after Step 4: Every Part Has A Quote Or The Word Missing** Check by eye: Every row of the table has something written in "Quote" and "Matches Ask" (a blank or a dash does not count). If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. ## Step 5: Give The Verdict And The Fix List Turn every problem into one fix row, then give one verdict by a fixed rule and stop. Copy this prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer who gives a clear verdict and a short fix list and leaves the decision to the person. Your task is to give the verdict and the fix list for the report below. The report: [PASTE HERE: The Report] The source figures: [PASTE HERE: Source Figures] The figures tied to their sources: [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 2 (Tie Each Figure To Its Source)] The report checked against itself: [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 3 (Check The Report Agrees With Itself)] The board read: [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 4 (Read It As The Board Will)] Rules: - Make one row for each problem: a figure that differs, an item that does not agree with itself, a part marked Missing, a Matches Ask of no, an opening paragraph over 120 words, or an abbreviation not explained. A problem raised in two tables gets one row. A figure marked no source because no source figures were given is not a problem. - The row has four cells. Where quotes the words in the report, or says The whole report for a part marked Missing. Problem says in plain words what is wrong. Evidence quotes the source figure or the other version. Suggested Wording uses only facts and numbers from the report and the source figures. - If no safe wording exists, write exactly Cut it until a source exists. For a part marked Missing, write exactly Add it yourself, because the report gives nothing to draw on. For parts that do not add up to their total, write exactly Check the parts and the total yourself. - Do not write a number of your own in the table, and do not write a step number. Do not work out a new total. - Verdict by this rule only: Not ready if any figure differs or the Ask is Missing. Ready after fixes if any other problem was raised. Ready by these checks if none was. - If there are no problems, write one row with None found in every cell. - Write the verdict line first, in words only, as "Verdict:" then the verdict then one deciding reason. On the next line write exactly: This verdict comes from the checks above. An AI tool can miss things, so read the flagged parts yourself. - Do not rewrite the report, and do not choose to send, hold or fix. The person decides. Return the verdict line, the next line, and one markdown table, and nothing else: | Where | Problem | Evidence | Suggested Wording | ```` **You get back:** A verdict, a fix table with a row for every problem, and the line that says a person must read the flagged parts. **Check after Step 5: No Number Appears That The Report Or The Sources Do Not Have** Check by eye: Every number in the answer also appears somewhere in at least one of "the report", "source figures" and "what the board is being asked to decide"; this does not check what each number means. If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. ## Final checks Run these on the finished result. **Final check 1: Every Type Is One Of The Five Allowed Words** Check by eye: Every row of the table has one of "number", "date", "percentage", "name" or "change" in the Type column. If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. **Final check 2: Every Worked-Out Figure Was Recomputed** Open a new chat (so the check is not swayed by the work) and paste this check prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer. You do not fix or rewrite the work; you only decide whether it passes one check. The check: Every Worked-Out Figure Was Recomputed Look at the table. Count the percentages, totals and changes in the Quote column, and look in the Sum column for each. Does every one have a worked sum, and is each sum right when you work it again from the source figures below? Answer FAIL and quote each row whose sum is missing or wrong. The source figures: [PASTE HERE: Source Figures] The work to check (the answer from Step 2 (Tie Each Figure To Its Source)): [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 2 (Tie Each Figure To Its Source)] Reply with exactly PASS or FAIL on the first line. On the second line, say in one sentence why. If it fails, name the exact item or line that fails. Do not add anything else. ```` If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. **Final check 3: Every Source Passage Is In The Source Figures** Open a new chat (so the check is not swayed by the work) and paste this check prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer. You do not fix or rewrite the work; you only decide whether it passes one check. The check: Every Source Passage Is In The Source Figures For each row of the table whose Source Passage is not No source, is that passage in the source figures below, word for word? Answer FAIL and quote each passage that is not. The source figures: [PASTE HERE: Source Figures] The work to check (the answer from Step 2 (Tie Each Figure To Its Source)): [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 2 (Tie Each Figure To Its Source)] Reply with exactly PASS or FAIL on the first line. On the second line, say in one sentence why. If it fails, name the exact item or line that fails. Do not add anything else. ```` If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. **Final check 4: Every Agrees Cell Is Yes Or No** Check by eye: Every row of the table has one of "yes" or "no" in the Agrees column. If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. **Final check 5: Every Stated Total Was Added Up** Open a new chat (so the check is not swayed by the work) and paste this check prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer. You do not fix or rewrite the work; you only decide whether it passes one check. The check: Every Stated Total Was Added Up Read the report below. Find every list of parts that has a stated total, such as sources of funding or a budget. Does the table show a sum for each one in the Sum Check column, and is each sum right? Answer FAIL and quote each total with no sum or a wrong sum. The report: [PASTE HERE: The Report] The work to check (the answer from Step 3 (Check The Report Agrees With Itself)): [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 3 (Check The Report Agrees With Itself)] Reply with exactly PASS or FAIL on the first line. On the second line, say in one sentence why. If it fails, name the exact item or line that fails. Do not add anything else. ```` If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. **Final check 6: The Opening Paragraph Is Short Enough** Open a new chat (so the check is not swayed by the work) and paste this check prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer. You do not fix or rewrite the work; you only decide whether it passes one check. The check: The Opening Paragraph Is Short Enough Count the words in the first paragraph of the report below. Is it 120 words or fewer? Answer FAIL, give the count, and quote the first sentence that goes past the limit. The report: [PASTE HERE: The Report] The work to check (the answer from Step 4 (Read It As The Board Will)): [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 4 (Read It As The Board Will)] Reply with exactly PASS or FAIL on the first line. On the second line, say in one sentence why. If it fails, name the exact item or line that fails. Do not add anything else. ```` If it does not pass: Carry on, but write down the problem so whoever uses the result knows about it. **Final check 7: The Line About Reading The Flagged Parts Is There** Check by eye: The answer contains the text fragment "This verdict comes from the checks above. An AI tool can miss things, so read the flagged parts yourself." (including inside a longer word). If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. **Final check 8: Every Problem Has A Row** Open a new chat (so the check is not swayed by the work) and paste this check prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer. You do not fix or rewrite the work; you only decide whether it passes one check. The check: Every Problem Has A Row Count the problems in the three tables below: each verdict of differs, each Agrees of no, each part marked Missing, each Matches Ask of no, an opening paragraph over 120 words, and each abbreviation listed. Count a problem raised in two tables once. Does the fix table have one row for each? Show both numbers. Answer FAIL and name each problem with no row. The figures tied to their sources: [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 2 (Tie Each Figure To Its Source)] The report checked against itself: [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 3 (Check The Report Agrees With Itself)] The board read: [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 4 (Read It As The Board Will)] The work to check (the answer from Step 5 (Give The Verdict And The Fix List)): [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 5 (Give The Verdict And The Fix List)] Reply with exactly PASS or FAIL on the first line. On the second line, say in one sentence why. If it fails, name the exact item or line that fails. Do not add anything else. ```` If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. **Final check 9: The Verdict Follows The Written Rule** Open a new chat (so the check is not swayed by the work) and paste this check prompt: ````text You are a careful reviewer. You do not fix or rewrite the work; you only decide whether it passes one check. The check: The Verdict Follows The Written Rule The rule is: Not ready if any figure differs or the Ask is Missing. Ready after fixes if any other problem was raised. Ready by these checks if none was. Use the two tables below. Does the verdict follow the rule? Answer FAIL and say which line of the rule it breaks. The figures tied to their sources: [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 2 (Tie Each Figure To Its Source)] The board read: [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 4 (Read It As The Board Will)] The work to check (the answer from Step 5 (Give The Verdict And The Fix List)): [PASTE HERE: the answer from Step 5 (Give The Verdict And The Fix List)] Reply with exactly PASS or FAIL on the first line. On the second line, say in one sentence why. If it fails, name the exact item or line that fails. Do not add anything else. ```` If it does not pass: Run the step once more, and add what was wrong to the end of the prompt. If it still does not pass, fix it by hand and make a note of it. **Final check 10: A Person Decides Whether To Send, Hold Or Fix** Ask yourself: For each figure that differs, look at both numbers and decide which one is right, then decide whether a part marked Missing was left out on purpose. Read the fix list against the verdict yourself. The checks find what is wrong or missing; only a person can decide whether the report goes, waits or changes. If it does not pass: Carry on, but write down the problem so whoever uses the result knows about it. ## What you end up with - A verdict of ready, ready after fixes or not ready, with the one reason that decides it. - A fix table with a row for every problem, each with the words in the report, the evidence and a safe suggestion. - Tables that tie each figure to your records, check the report against itself and show whether the ask, the recommendation, the main risk, the cost and the cost of saying no are there. ## Changing this chain - This template checks a report. It does not write or rewrite one, and it does not decide whether the report goes to the board. - The checks are only as good as the source figures. Paste the records the numbers come from. With no source figures, every figure is marked no source and the template checks the report against itself and the ask only. - Paste only what your organization lets you put into an AI tool. Leave out names and private details the check does not need. - Each fix row suggests wording only from the report and your records. Where no safe wording exists it says so, and you supply it. - To use your own board paper headings, add a line to the board read step naming them, and keep the quote-or-Missing rule as it is. --- From Logic Lab (logiclabhq.com). Free to use and adapt, with credit.