Output Handoff Review Worksheet

Use this worksheet when an AI-assisted draft is about to leave your private working space. It is more focused than the general evaluation checklist: this worksheet is about handoff.

The question is simple: can another person safely understand what was checked, what is uncertain, and what should happen next?

How To Use This Worksheet

Use this as a 5-10 minute review pass before sharing an AI-assisted draft. For low-stakes internal drafts, complete the Draft Snapshot, Review State, and Handoff Note. For anything another person may act on, complete every section.

The point is not paperwork. The point is to make the handoff honest: what was checked, what is still uncertain, what was removed, and who should review next.

Draft Snapshot

• Draft title or purpose:
• Intended receiver:
• Where it will go: message, document, ticket, meeting notes, training material, or other:
• AI role: summarize, draft, rewrite, organize, brainstorm, or recommend:
• Source material used:
• Review owner:

Stakes Rating

Choose the level that matches the handoff.

• Low: internal, reversible, no named people, dates, numbers, commitments, or sensitive details.
• Medium: guides work, names a claim someone may rely on, or goes to a wider internal audience.
• High: affects a decision, commitment, policy, sensitive data, external audience, or production workflow.

Higher stakes do not automatically mean “do not use.” They mean the review state and escalation path need to be stronger.

Review State

Choose one.

• Not reviewed: raw draft only; do not use without review.
• Spot-checked: structure, tone, and obvious claims checked; important details may remain uncertain.
• Verified: important claims checked against a source or responsible person.
• Escalate: needs qualified review before handoff.

Minimum bar:

• Not reviewed: label it as raw draft if it leaves your notes at all.
• Spot-checked: say what was checked and what still needs verification.
• Verified: name the sources or owners used for important claims.
• Escalate: name the reviewer or owner who must approve before use.

Selected state:

Reason:

Claim Check

List the claims a receiver might rely on.

Labels:

• Checked: supported by source material you inspected.
• Needs verification: plausible, but not confirmed.
• Assumption: useful for planning, but not proven.
• Remove: not needed or too risky to keep.

Common Failure Patterns To Scan For

Look for these before you write the handoff note:

• Fabricated citation or link: open the source or remove the reference.
• Invented number, date, owner, or deadline: verify it or label it as unknown.
• Recommendation written as fact: rewrite it as a suggestion or route it for approval.
• Meaning drift from source material: compare against the original and revise.
• Fact and recommendation blended together: separate what happened from what someone should do.
• Missing owner: name who verifies, approves, or decides next.

Uncertainty Labels To Add

Use labels inside the draft or in the handoff note.

• “Verified from [source].”
• “Needs owner confirmation.”
• “Assumption, not a confirmed fact.”
• “Source did not include [missing item].”
• “Suggested next step, not approved action.”
• “Requires qualified review before use.”

Labels added:

• [List labels added.]

Data And Channel Check

Before handoff, confirm:

• secrets, tokens, passwords, private keys, and credentials are not included
• private, personal, customer, employee, or financial details are removed or approved for this use
• the sharing channel is appropriate for the remaining details
• the draft does not expose source material that should only be summarized
• the receiver knows whether the output is draft, reviewed, or final

Concerns:

• [List concerns or write “none found.”]

Handoff Note

Copy and fill this block.

Review state:
Sources checked:
Important claims verified:
Items still needing verification:
Assumptions or suggestions:
Sensitive details removed or generalized:
Recommended next reviewer or owner:

Short version:

Spot-checked for structure and tone. Names, dates, numbers, and action owners still need verification before use.

Escalation Triggers

Stop and route to a qualified reviewer when the draft:

• affects a decision, commitment, policy, or production workflow
• includes legal, security, compliance, medical, HR, or financial guidance
• includes sensitive data that may not belong in the channel
• makes claims you cannot source
• changes the meaning of source material
• recommends an action that a person has not approved
• will be sent, published, or used outside the immediate working team

Escalation owner:

Reason:

Self-Check Before Final Decision

Answer before choosing the final decision:

• Can I name a source for every important claim?
• Did I preserve the meaning of the source material?
• Are recommendations labeled as suggestions unless approved?
• Is the channel appropriate for the remaining details?
• Did I write who should review or decide next?

If any answer is no, choose revise, verify, or escalate instead of ready.

Final Decision

Choose one:

• Ready to hand off with note.
• Revise and recheck.
• Needs source verification.
• Escalate before use.
• Do not use.

Decision:

Reviewer:

Date:

Reference Link

This public reference is a useful starting point for deeper study. It is linked for attribution and further reading; the worksheet above is synthesized as original LIW training guidance.

• NIST AI Risk Management Framework - useful for connecting review practices to risk measurement, monitoring, and accountability.