Identify roles and responsibilities
Draw a simple chain showing the claimed producer, dealer or exporter, buyer, laboratory, logistics provider and relevant authorities. These roles may be held by different organisations, and a person presenting an offer may not have authority to act for every party. Note who claims to own the goods, who can authorise a sale, who would hold custody and who would receive payment. Treat this as an information request rather than an assumption that every link exists.
Ask what each item of evidence establishes
A photograph, a site observation, a sample test and a licence address different questions. A test result relates to the material tested and the sampling conditions; it does not by itself establish title or lawful export. Ask a qualified laboratory about suitable testing and sampling for the material. Confirm the scope and current status of relevant permissions through the appropriate issuing authorities. Keep goods, documents and the parties involved connected in the record, including unresolved gaps.
Include responsible sourcing
Commercial checks should be considered alongside supply-chain impacts. The OECD minerals guidance addresses risk-based due diligence for companies in mineral supply chains, including human-rights and conflict-related risks. Use the original guidance and specialist support appropriate to your role and context. A short course or worksheet cannot establish that a supplier, shipment or sourcing arrangement meets every requirement. The useful result of this exercise is a clearer set of questions and an evidence plan.
A fictional seller supplies a laboratory report for a sample and says this proves they own the full stock and may export it.
Use these prompts.
Work through a fictional example first. Keep confidential information out of shared learning discussions.
- 1. Parties, roles and authority claimed
- 2. Goods, location and custody claimed
- 3. Sampling and testing questions for a qualified laboratory
- 4. Ownership and document checks still needed
- 5. Responsible-sourcing questions and relevant expertise
- 6. Unresolved conditions and the decision owner
Reading & context
The explanations and worksheet are original Capital Africa material. Consult the following sources for their own guidance and current context.
Educational material. It does not replace legal, financial, tax or engineering advice, laboratory testing, or current guidance from relevant authorities. The scenario is fictional.