CORA TRADECRAFT TRAINING / FIELD KIT v1.0
CORA Tradecraft Training
A practical civic records training program for turning public concerns into narrow, professional public-records requests.
WHAT THIS HELPS YOU DO
Turn concern into usable evidence.
CORA works best when the request is specific enough for a custodian to search without guessing and calm enough that the record, not the conflict, is the focus.
Map the record family
Start with reports, logs, packets, contracts, invoices, and records sufficient to show one public fact.
Control scope and cost
Use staged requests, finite date ranges, native electronic format, and estimate language before chargeable time.
Protect privacy
Minimize unnecessary requester exposure while staying truthful and avoiding deception.
Respond without escalation
Classify fee estimates, redactions, no-records replies, and clarification requests before writing back.
DOWNLOADS
The CORA field kit and training deck.
Use the documents in order: plan the request, practice the workflow, write the message, keep the reference tools nearby, and use the protected PowerPoint deck for facilitated training.
CORA Lifecycle Workbook
Plan the request. Move from concern to record family, first request, agency response, focused follow-up, and final review.
Download workbookCORA Scenario Practice Sheets
Eight practice sheets for identifying record families, traps, risks, and next moves in common civic records situations.
Download practice sheetsCORA Template Field Packet
Copy-ready request and response language for first requests, fee estimates, clarification, redactions, no-records replies, and follow-ups.
Download template packetCORA Student Take-Home Supplement
Reference tools for privacy, final-send review, agency-response classification, CORA Assistant prompts, quick routes, and scenario cards.
Download supplementCORA Tradecraft Training Deck
PowerPoint slides for facilitated training, participant walkthroughs, and field-kit instruction.
Download training deckWORKING ORDER
Plan, practice, write, review.
The sequence matters. The first request does not have to solve the whole concern. Its job is to reveal the dates, names, systems, reports, and identifiers that make the next request better.
01
Plan
Write the concern as a factual question and pick the first record family.
02
Practice
Use a scenario sheet to identify the likely trap and the next narrow move.
03
Write
Copy template language only after replacing placeholders and confirming scope.
04
Review
Check scope, privacy, fees, withholdings, custodian path, tone, and sources.
TRUST CONTRACT
Use public records carefully.
This training is built for calm, narrow, public-interest records work.
- Ask for existing records, not explanations, arguments, or admissions.
- Keep the first request narrow enough for a custodian to understand the search path.
- Use professional language even when the underlying concern is serious.
- Minimize unnecessary requester-identifying information.
- Do not use false identity information, impersonation, or deception.
- Review every template and GPT-generated draft before sending.
- Verify current fees, deadlines, policies, and legal citations before relying on exact legal details.
- Do not seek protected private information as a shortcut to public accountability.
Boundary: This is practical civic education, not legal advice.
CORA ASSISTANT
Use the drafting aid with guardrails.
The CORA Assistant can help turn a concern into narrow record targets, review a draft, classify an agency response, and draft a calm follow-up. Treat the output as drafting support, not legal authority.