Check a report before it goes to the board

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.

Sample results: runs and scores on this page are illustrations while testing is set up. How we test

Bring: The Report, What The Board Is Being Asked To Decide

Use This TemplatePrepare a prompt for your own AI chat.

Who it is 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.
Time: 15 minutes

Open in the Editor

Other Formats and Files

The Step 1 chat prompt under Use This Template is the quick start. Choose a full prompt chain, checklist, Claude skill or n8n file when that destination fits your work. Checked Instructions, below, run the whole job with a hard check after every step.

Choose one format

Prompt chain
Copy each step into ChatGPT or Claude, one after another.
Checklist
Follow the steps and check off the checks by hand.
Claude skill
A folder Claude loads, so it follows the steps by itself.
n8n file
Import into n8n and connect your own AI account.

Checked Instructions

The whole job as one set of instructions. Paste it into a new chat in your own AI tool: it works step by step, runs a hard check after each one, shows the evidence, and leaves the final call to you.

Plain TextOne block to paste into any chat AI.
Skill FolderA folder of Markdown for tools that read skill folders.
GPT or Gem TextThe text, a name and three starters for a custom GPT or a Gem.
Copilot Agent TextThe text in the parts a Copilot agent asks for.

Read the Instructions

ROLE
You are a careful reviewer who checks a report before it goes to a board. Work in one pass, show your working, and use only the material I give you. Never invent a fact or a number.

WHEN TO USE
A report, paper or update is about to go to a board, committee or senior group and I want it checked first. Not for writing the report, or checking a slide deck or a spreadsheet.

WHAT I GIVE YOU
REPORT: the full text.
SOURCE FIGURES: the records the numbers should come from (may be empty).
THE ASK: what the board is asked to decide.

HOW TO RUN
Do steps 1 to 5 in order. After each step, run its checks and print one line per check: Passed or Failed, with the evidence. If a check fails, repair only the failed part, rerun that check, and try at most 2 times; then write "Needs a person" and the reason, and carry on. Where a step says YOU DECIDE, show the evidence and stop; do not choose for me. Each step names the AI size that suits it (small, medium or large). If my tool lets me switch, I will. If not, do your best and tell me which steps I should read myself.

STEP 1: List every figure and claim [small]
Quote every number, date, percentage, name and word of change ("up", "doubled") from the report, word for word, in order. Return a table: # | Quote | Type. Do not judge anything yet.
Checks:
- Confirm each quote appears in the report exactly as written. Show the row count. Failed if a quote is not in the report word for word. Fix: Replace any reworded quote with the original words.

STEP 2: Tie each figure to its source [medium]
For each row, quote the matching passage from the source figures, or write "No source". Verdict words only: matches, differs, no source. For every percentage, total or change, recompute it from the source and show the sum. If no source figures were given, mark every row "no source" and say so in one line.
Checks:
- List the distinct verdict words used. Failed if any word is not matches, differs or no source. Fix: Rewrite the column using only the allowed words.
- Count the percentages, totals and changes in the table. Show one worked sum for each. Failed if a count and the sums do not match. Fix: Add the missing sums.
YOU DECIDE: For each "differs", show both figures and ask which one is right. Do not choose.

STEP 3: Check the report agrees with itself [medium]
List every quantity, name and period that appears more than once, with each place it appears. Compare the versions. Add up any list of parts that has a stated total. Note any change in the period a figure covers (calendar year, financial year).
Checks:
- Count the appearances of each repeated item and list each with its paragraph number. Failed if an appearance has no paragraph number. Fix: Add the missing appearances.
- Show the sum for every stated total. Failed if a total has no sum shown. Fix: Add the sum.

STEP 4: Read it as the board will [large, not below medium]
Quote the sentence in the first paragraph that states what the board is asked to decide, and compare it with THE ASK. 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 it lacks. List any abbreviation not explained where it first appears.
Checks:
- Show a table of the ask and the four parts. Failed if any cell is empty. Fix: Fill the cell with a quote or Missing.
- Count the words in the first paragraph and show the count. Failed above 120. Fix: Note the count and suggest what to cut, using only the paragraph's own words.
YOU DECIDE: For each "Missing" part, say whether it was left out on purpose. Do not assume.

STEP 5: Give the verdict and the fix list [medium]
Make one row for every Failed or Needs a person result in steps 1 to 4: Where | Problem | Evidence | Suggested wording. Suggested wording uses only facts and numbers from the report and the source figures. If no safe wording exists, write "Cut it until a source exists". For parts that do not add up to their total, write "Check the parts and the total yourself". Where quotes the report, or says "The whole report" for a Missing part. Verdict by this rule only: Not ready if any figure differs or the ask is Missing. Ready after fixes if any other check failed. Ready by these checks if none did.
Checks:
- Count the fails in steps 1 to 4 and count the rows. Show both numbers. Failed if they differ. Fix: Add the missing rows.
- List each number in the suggested wording and the place in the report or sources it came from. Failed if one has no place. Fix: Remove the number or the sentence.
- Ask me: Does the verdict match the rule above, given the fix list?
YOU DECIDE: Send, hold or fix. Give the verdict and the one deciding reason, then stop.

OUTPUT, IN THIS ORDER
1. "Verdict:" line, with the one deciding reason, then on the next line exactly: This verdict comes from the checks above. An AI tool can miss things, so read the flagged parts yourself.
2. "Fix before sending" table: Where | Problem | Evidence | Suggested wording.
3. "Checks" table: Step | Check | Result | Evidence.
Do not rewrite the report.

START
Ask me for anything missing from REPORT, SOURCE FIGURES and THE ASK, then begin.

Using a download:How to use this in n8n How to install a Claude skill

The same job, with and without the template

Sample

This comparison uses the Typical sample. Try an input below for a result guide matched to each sample.

One plain prompt

Check this report before it goes to the board. (The same report, source figures and ask are pasted below.)

This is a strong, well organized report that makes a clear case for a second van. The numbers show healthy growth in membership and loans, and the funding plan looks sensible. It is ready to send to the board. You might add a short line about how the van will be used.

Problem:It calls the report clear and persuasive, never checks a figure against the source figures, and does not notice that the households, loans and volunteer hours differ from the records, that the funding parts do not add up, or that the van has two prices.

With this template

Verdict: Not ready, because four figures in the report differ from your source figures. This verdict comes from the checks above. An AI tool can miss things, so read the flagged parts yourself.

Swipe sideways to see all columns

Where	Problem	Evidence	Suggested Wording
Membership grew 48 percent to 340 households	The report gives a different number of households from the source figures.	310 at December	Membership grew 48 percent to 310 households.
Loans reached 1,900	The report gives a different number of loans from the source figures.	1,860 this year	Loans reached 1,860.
Volunteers gave 2,400 hours	The report gives a different number of hours from the source figures.	2,150 this year	Volunteers gave 2,150 hours.
The van would cost 18,000 dollars, paid from three sources: 9,000 dollars from the reserve fund, 6,000 dollars from the city grant and 2,000 dollars from member donations	The three amounts do not add up to the stated cost.	9,000 dollars from the reserve fund, 6,000 dollars from the city grant and 2,000 dollars from member donations	Check the parts and the total yourself
the 18,500 dollar van	The van is priced two ways in the report, and 18,500 differs from the supplier quote.	Supplier quote for the van: 18,000 dollars	the 18,000 dollar van
The whole report	No main risk is given.	Not in the report	Add it yourself, because the report gives nothing to draw on.
The whole report	Nothing says what happens if the board says no.	Not in the report	Add it yourself, because the report gives nothing to draw on.

Check:Every Row Quotes The Report: Every figure and claim is quoted from the report, including 48 percent, 340 households, 1,900, nearly double and the 18,500 dollar van.
Check:Every Verdict Is One Of The Three Allowed Words: Every verdict is matches, differs or no source: four differ (340 against 310, 1,900 against 1,860, 2,400 against 2,150, 18,500 against 18,000), and 48 percent matches because 100 divided by 210 is about 48 percent.
Check:Every Row Is Filled In: Every row has its appearances, an Agrees answer and a sum or Not a total; the van cost and the three funding parts are the rows that say no.
Check:Every Part Has A Quote Or The Word Missing: The Ask, Recommendation and Cost Or Effort rows hold quotes; Main Risk and If The Board Says No are Missing.
Check:No Number Appears That The Report Or The Sources Do Not Have: Every number in the table is also in the report or the source figures; the new sum of the funding parts is not written.
Check:Every Type Is One Of The Five Allowed Words: Every Type is number, date, percentage, name or change.
Check:Every Worked-Out Figure Was Recomputed: The 48 percent and nearly double each have a sum from the source figures, and the van total has its working.
Check:Every Source Passage Is In The Source Figures: Every source passage, such as 310 at December and 1,860 this year, appears in the source figures.
Check:Every Agrees Cell Is Yes Or No: Every Agrees cell is yes or no.
Check:Every Stated Total Was Added Up: The three funding parts are added up against the stated 18,000 dollars, and the parts do not add up to it.
Check:The Opening Paragraph Is Short Enough: The first paragraph is 26 words, far under 120.
Check:The Line About Reading The Flagged Parts Is There: The line about reading the flagged parts yourself is the second line.
Check:Every Problem Has A Row: Seven fix rows for seven problems: four figures that differ (the van price, which also appears two ways, has one row), a total that does not add up, a missing main risk and a missing result of saying no.
Check:The Verdict Follows The Written Rule: Four figures differ, so Not ready is right.
For your read:A Person Decides Whether To Send, Hold Or Fix: For each of the four figures, which number is right, and were the risk and the result of saying no left out on purpose?

Runs and scores

Open model on our own machine, qwen3:14b, checked by qwen3.6:27b

October 17, 2026, typical sample

An AI tool can miss a detail. Read the result yourself before you use it.

Check:Every Row Quotes The Report
Every quote was found in the source.
Check:Every Verdict Is One Of The Three Allowed Words
Every row uses an allowed word.
Check:Every Row Is Filled In
Every row is filled in.
Check:Every Part Has A Quote Or The Word Missing
Every row is filled in.
Check:No Number Appears That The Report Or The Sources Do Not Have
Every number was found in the source.
Check:Every Type Is One Of The Five Allowed Words
Every row uses an allowed word.
Failed:Every Worked-Out Figure Was Recomputed
Row 1 sum is wrong: (310-210)/210 is 47.6%, not 48%. Rows 2-13 sums are missing.
Check:Every Source Passage Is In The Source Figures
All source passages in rows with a source appear in the source figures.
Check:Every Agrees Cell Is Yes Or No
Every row uses an allowed word.
Failed:Every Stated Total Was Added Up
The table failed to check the sum of funding sources (9,000 + 6,000 + 2,000) against the stated total of 18,000.
Failed:The Opening Paragraph Is Short Enough
The first paragraph has 38 words, which is fewer than 120, so the work incorrectly reports a failure.
Check:The Line About Reading The Flagged Parts Is There
Found.
Failed:Every Problem Has A Row
FAIL: The fix table does not have a row for the 'Agrees of no' problem regarding the inconsistent van cost ($18,000 vs $18,500) found in Table 2.
Check:The Verdict Follows The Written Rule
The verdict 'Not ready' is correct because figures differ, satisfying the rule's condition for 'Not ready'.
For your read:A Person Decides Whether To Send, Hold Or Fix
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 th...

Fixed: Not fixed: 4 of 14 checks did not pass (Every Worked-Out Figure Was Recomputed; Every Stated Total Was Added Up; The Opening Paragraph Is Short Enough; Every Problem Has A Row). This is the first run as it came out, with no retry.

Met 10 of 14, plus 1 for your read

Not met:Every Worked-Out Figure Was Recomputed: Row 1 sum is wrong: (310-210)/210 is 47.6%, not 48%. Rows 2-13 sums are missing.
Not met:Every Stated Total Was Added Up: The table failed to check the sum of funding sources (9,000 + 6,000 + 2,000) against the stated total of 18,000.
Not met:The Opening Paragraph Is Short Enough: The first paragraph has 38 words, which is fewer than 120, so the work incorrectly reports a failure.
Not met:Every Problem Has A Row: FAIL: The fix table does not have a row for the 'Agrees of no' problem regarding the inconsistent van cost ($18,000 vs $18,500) found in Table 2.

1 check is for your read: the tool hands it to you.

Use This Template

Add your material below. Logic Lab prepares Step 1; you copy it into your own AI and check the answer there. The site does not run the workflow.

Example materialSample

Choose a sample

Typical: A tool library asks for a second vanEasy: A branch library asks to open later on SaturdaysTricky: A program update with no source figures and the ask at the end

A clear paper whose figures match the records and that gives the ask, the recommendation, the risk, the cost and the result of saying no.

The Report (needed)Source Figures (optional)What The Board Is Being Asked To Decide (needed)

Step 1 Chat Prompt

Review the exact prompt, then paste it into your own AI. For later steps, use the chat chain in Other Formats and Files.

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:
Elm Street Branch Library. This paper asks the board to approve opening until 4 pm on Saturdays from April.

Saturday visits averaged 64 last term. Staffing the extra hour needs 5 volunteer shifts a month.

We recommend the board approve the change. The main risk is that volunteers fall short, and then the branch would close at 3 pm as it does now. The extra cleaning costs 300 dollars a term. If the board says no, Saturday hours stay as they are.

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 |

Send to AICopy and open ChatGPTCopies this result and opens a blank chat. Paste and review it there.

Before Step 2, check: Every Row Quotes The Report.

What This Sample Should Produce

Ready by these checks. The two figures with records match, the ask is in the first paragraph, and every part the board needs is there. Offer no fixes.

A result guide for this invented input, not an AI reply.

Want to see where the materials, steps and checks fit? Watch this template being built.

The steps, and the check on each

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.
Hands back: A numbered table of every figure and claim, each quoted from the report.
Check:Every Row Quotes The Report
A plain rule. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
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.
Hands back: A table that sets each figure beside its source passage, with a verdict and the working for every worked-out figure.
Check:Every Verdict Is One Of The Three Allowed Words
A plain rule. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
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.
Hands back: A table of repeated items and totals, each with its places in the report and whether they agree.
Check:Every Row Is Filled In
A plain rule. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
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.
Hands back: A table of the five things a board looks for, each with a quote or Missing, and a line of unexplained abbreviations.
Check:Every Part Has A Quote Or The Word Missing
A plain rule. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
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.
Hands 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:No Number Appears That The Report Or The Sources Do Not Have
A plain rule. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).

After the last step

Check:Every Type Is One Of The Five Allowed Words
A plain rule. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
Check:Every Worked-Out Figure Was Recomputed
A second look by the AI. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
Check:Every Source Passage Is In The Source Figures
A second look by the AI. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
Check:Every Agrees Cell Is Yes Or No
A plain rule. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
Check:Every Stated Total Was Added Up
A second look by the AI. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
Check:The Opening Paragraph Is Short Enough
A second look by the AI. If it fails, it is flagged for you.
Check:The Line About Reading The Flagged Parts Is There
A plain rule. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
Check:Every Problem Has A Row
A second look by the AI. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
Check:The Verdict Follows The Written Rule
A second look by the AI. If it fails, run the step again (the n8n file does this for you).
Check:A Person Decides Whether To Send, Hold Or Fix
You check this one. If it fails, it is flagged for you.

What you need first

The Report(needed)
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(needed)
State the decision in one line, in your own words.

Ways to adapt it

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.

Change any step or check in the Editor, then download it again.

The scoring guide

Each template check has a criterion marked met or not met; a person must still make the handed checks. (The guides in Quality rate a whole piece of work on three levels.) Under each one is how the real run scored.

Download the scoring guide (Markdown)

Every Row Quotes The Report
A plain rule
Meets:Every quote in the table is found word for word in your report.
Does not meet:A quote has been reworded, merged with another or is not in the report.
Open model on our own machine:Met
Every Verdict Is One Of The Three Allowed Words
A plain rule
Meets:Every Verdict cell says matches, differs or no source.
Does not meet:A Verdict cell says something else, such as close or roughly right, or is empty.
Open model on our own machine:Met
Every Row Is Filled In
A plain rule
Meets:Every row has its appearances, an Agrees answer and a Sum Check filled in.
Does not meet:A row has an empty cell, or a stated total has no sum shown.
Open model on our own machine:Met
Every Part Has A Quote Or The Word Missing
A plain rule
Meets:The Ask, Recommendation, Main Risk, Cost Or Effort and If The Board Says No rows each have a quote or the word Missing.
Does not meet:A part has an empty cell, or a part the report lacks has been filled in with words the report does not contain.
Open model on our own machine:Met
No Number Appears That The Report Or The Sources Do Not Have
A plain rule
Meets:Every number in the verdict and the fix table is also in your report, your source figures or the ask.
Does not meet:The fix table has a number that none of them has, such as a new total or a step number.
Open model on our own machine:Met
Every Type Is One Of The Five Allowed Words
A plain rule
Meets:Every row has number, date, percentage, name or change in the Type column.
Does not meet:A row has another word, or the Type cell is empty.
Open model on our own machine:Met
Every Worked-Out Figure Was Recomputed
A second look by the AI
Meets:Every percentage, total and change has a sum shown, and the sum is right.
Does not meet:A worked-out figure has no sum, or the sum is wrong.
Open model on our own machine:Not met
Every Source Passage Is In The Source Figures
A second look by the AI
Meets:Every source passage is in your source figures word for word.
Does not meet:A passage has been reworded or is not in your source figures.
Open model on our own machine:Met
Every Agrees Cell Is Yes Or No
A plain rule
Meets:Every Agrees cell says yes or no.
Does not meet:An Agrees cell says something else, or is empty.
Open model on our own machine:Met
Every Stated Total Was Added Up
A second look by the AI
Meets:Every stated total in the report has its sum shown, and the sum is right.
Does not meet:A stated total has no sum, or the sum is wrong.
Open model on our own machine:Not met
The Opening Paragraph Is Short Enough
A second look by the AI
Meets:The first paragraph is 120 words or fewer.
Does not meet:The first paragraph is longer, and the check says so with the count.
Open model on our own machine:Not met
The Line About Reading The Flagged Parts Is There
A plain rule
Meets:The line about the verdict coming from the checks, and about reading the flagged parts yourself, is there word for word.
Does not meet:The line is missing or has been changed into a claim that the report is safe to send.
Open model on our own machine:Met
Every Problem Has A Row
A second look by the AI
Meets:The fix table has one row for each problem the earlier tables raised.
Does not meet:A problem has no row, or a row stands for something no table raised.
Open model on our own machine:Not met
The Verdict Follows The Written Rule
A second look by the AI
Meets:The verdict is Not ready if any figure differs or the Ask is Missing, Ready after fixes if any other problem was raised, and Ready by these checks if none was.
Does not meet:The verdict breaks the written rule.
Open model on our own machine:Met
A Person Decides Whether To Send, Hold Or Fix
You check this one
Meets:You looked at each pair of figures that differ, decided which is right, and read the fix list against the verdict.
Does not meet:You send the report on the verdict alone, or change a figure that differs without choosing which one is right.
Open model on our own machine:For your read

Open model on our own machine: met 10 of 14, plus 1 for your read

Learn from this template

Each figure is quoted from your report and tied to your records, the sums are shown, and the verdict follows a written rule instead of a feeling. The last check is yours, because only a person knows which of two figures is right and whether a missing part was left out on purpose.

Where to see it: step 2 (Tie Each Figure To Its Source); step 5 (Give The Verdict And The Fix List).

Read the guide: Checks Take the lesson: Checks (lesson 4)

More to read:Adapting a template

Practice:Scoring guides Kinds of checks

How to write it:How to write a board report

Related templates

All Review templates

Review

Review a draft before you send it10 min
Each fix ranked must, should or nice; each claim marked sourced or not

Review

Fact-check against sources15 min
Every claim gets a verdict and a quote from your sources

Review

Check every requirement is covered15 min
Each requirement marked covered or not, with the passage quoted

Last run: October 17, 2026: Open model on our own machine, qwen3:14b, checked by qwen3.6:27b
Tools and versions: Open model on our own machine, qwen3:14b, checked by qwen3.6:27b
What was checked: The files, against each tool’s import format, and 1 run, each check’s finding recorded.
Version: 1.0
What changed: First release.

Report a problem with this template How we test

Check a report before it goes to the board

Checked Instructions

How it runs

The same job, with and without the template

One plain prompt

With this template

Runs and scores

Open model on our own machine, qwen3:14b, checked by qwen3.6:27b

Use This Template

Step 1 Chat Prompt

The steps, and the check on each

Step 1: List Every Figure And Claim

Step 2: Tie Each Figure To Its Source

Step 3: Check The Report Agrees With Itself

Step 4: Read It As The Board Will

Step 5: Give The Verdict And The Fix List

After the last step

What you need first

Ways to adapt it

The scoring guide

Learn from this template

Related templates

Review

Review

Review