Format
One page, six sections, in this order. Use the same six every quarter, so a board member or inspector can compare quarters without relearning the page. Each section opens with its sentence pattern; fill the brackets with counted figures and delete the brackets you cannot fill, rather than guessing.
1. Status in one sentence
Pattern: "In [period], [N] possible diversion events were reported across [sites], [N] were substantiated, and [N] remain open."
Leave out: adjectives such as "strong" or "robust", and any comparison with other organisations you cannot source.
2. What we measure
Pattern: "We track [metric] = [numerator] out of [denominator], from [source], refreshed [cadence]."
Leave out: a list of every metric. Pick the three the board will act on, such as cases per 1,000 dispensing events and days from flag to investigation.
3. What changed since last report
Pattern: "[Metric] moved from [old] to [new]. The cause is [known / not yet known]."
Leave out: explanations you have not tested. "Not yet known" is a complete and honest answer.
4. Cases and actions
Pattern: "[N] cases closed: [N] substantiated, [N] unsubstantiated, [N] referred to [board, DEA, law enforcement], on [date]."
Leave out: names, unit identifiers small enough to identify someone, and details of open investigations. Report outcomes by category.
5. Known gaps
Pattern: "We cannot currently see [data not monitored], covering about [share of volume, if counted]. We plan to close this by [date], owned by [role]."
Leave out: softening. An inspector who finds a gap you disclosed treats it very differently from one you did not.
6. Decisions needed
Pattern: "We ask the board to [approve / fund / note] [specific item] by [date]."
Leave out: requests with no date and no owner. If no decision is needed, write "None this period."
The page as a skeleton
Copy this and fill it in. Anything you cannot fill from a counted source stays out.
Diversion risk report, [period]. Data pulled [date]. Owner: [name, role].
1. In [period], [N] possible events were reported across [sites]; [N] were substantiated; [N] remain open.
2. Measures: [metric = numerator out of denominator, source].
3. Changes: [metric] moved from [old] to [new]; cause [known / not yet known].
4. Cases closed: [N] substantiated, [N] unsubstantiated, [N] referred.
5. Gaps: we cannot see [X]; closing by [date], owned by [role].
6. Decision needed: [item], by [date].
Common mistakes
- Reporting the count without the rate. "Five cases" means something different at a 2-site clinic chain and a 40-site system.
- Burying the gap. Put section 5 on the page, not in an appendix.
- Changing the metrics every quarter. If a definition must change, state the old and new value for the same period.
- Treating zero cases as success. Zero may mean no diversion or no detection. Section 2 should let the reader tell which.
Rules for the whole page
- Every percentage carries its numerator and denominator. "4 of 120" beats "3%".
- State the period and the date the data was pulled at the top.
- A zero is reported as zero only when you looked. If a source was not checked, say "not checked", not "0".
- Small counts: when a category holds fewer than five people or cases, merge it into another or state "fewer than five".
- One named owner for the report, with a date.
For an inspector
Keep the same page and attach the evidence behind each figure: the alert log extract, the case log and the policy version in force. An inspector asking "how do you know?" should find the answer in the attachments, not in a conversation. Do not rewrite the page for the visit; the useful thing is that it existed before they arrived.
Before you finalise, run the twelve assurance checks on any figure that an AI tool helped produce, and check each metric definition against the dashboard guide.