Describe the usable unit
Executed agreements, revisions and approval workflows. Explain whether the archive preserves the connections between records and the process they represent. File count alone does not show coverage, quality or usefulness.
Ask this before preparing a sample
Ask whether templates and metadata can satisfy the use before considering executed agreements.
Review sensitive and restricted elements
Counterparty confidentiality, signatures and privileged negotiation material. Check the actual contents, including hidden fields, metadata, embedded files and related records. Data minimization and de-identification are separate from confirming the right to license the material.
Evidence to bring to a fit discussion
Prepare a schema or category-level description, date range, approximate volume, export format, known gaps and exclusion list. Clearly distinguish measurements from estimates. Do not upload the underlying archive simply to obtain a preliminary opinion.
Compare the proposed use
Ask whether the provider wants training examples, evaluation material, retrieval content or a simulated environment. These are different purposes and should not be bundled into vague unrestricted language. Confirm downstream recipients, duration and any right to sublicense.
Tests to agree before a sample
- Keep executed versions separate from templates, drafts and unsigned revisions.
- Check whether exhibits and linked schedules are included in the proposed unit.
- Mark excluded clauses or counterparties without disclosing their confidential terms in the brief.