I am writing to kindly seek your advice regarding a review assignment I was recently invited to support as a volunteer analyst.

 

A few days ago, I was contacted to assist in analyzing two businesses that were selected for a $5,000 grant each, as part of an entrepreneurial empowerment initiative. From the briefing I received, a total of 595 businesses applied for the grant from 12 countries across 4 continents, out of which 60 were shortlisted for a bootcamp phase and eventually 10 businesses emerged as final recipients of the grant.

 

I have since received the profiles of the two businesses assigned to me for review. However, one of the businesses presents a few compliance challenges — it does not currently have a corporate bank account and only completed its business registration a few weeks ago. This raises questions regarding its readiness and eligibility for disbursement at this stage.

 

In an effort to ensure that my assessment aligns with proper organizational standards, I formally requested the official operations or assessment manual from the coordinating team — to understand the evaluation framework, disbursement criteria, and reporting format. Unfortunately, despite several follow-ups, the document has not been shared.

 

Given the sensitivity of the task and the financial implications of the grant, I would greatly appreciate your guidance on the appropriate course of action. Specifically, I would like to know:

 

1. Whether it would be advisable to proceed with a preliminary review based solely on standard business and financial analysis principles, pending receipt of the official manual; or

 

 

2. If it would be more appropriate to await the organization’s official framework before finalizing any analysis or submitting reports.

 

 

 

My goal is to ensure that the review is carried out with transparency, accuracy, and professional integrity, consistent with best practices and the values we uphold.

 

Thank you very much for your attention and anticipated guidance.

Thanks and regards