Chapter 11 resources

The Agency Leak

Review an outside provider’s scope, fees, reporting, account arrangements, and responsibility for the work.

About this chapter

Know what you are paying for and who handles it.

Compare the provider agreement with the work being delivered. List the recurring activities, project deliverables, fees, approvals, and responsibilities on both sides.

Use the review to ask specific questions. A useful discussion explains completed work, current problems, the evidence behind recommendations, and the decisions needed from your team. Account ownership and access should be documented explicitly.

What to check

Questions worth reviewing.

Agreed scope

Match invoices and reported activity to the services and deliverables in the agreement.

Relevant reporting

Check whether reports explain the outcomes being measured and the limits of the data.

Ownership and access

Confirm the terms for websites, content, data, advertising accounts, and other assets.

Working arrangements

Review response expectations, approval responsibilities, contract terms, and transition procedures.

Chapter resources

Request The Agency Audit Checklist.

Your request goes to the Caboodle team. Please leave out private financial or customer records.

After the review

Choose what to change first.

01

Gather the agreement and recent reports

Create a clear record of the work and fees being reviewed.

02

Discuss the gaps

Ask for explanations and agree on specific corrections where needed.

03

Document the next review

Set responsibilities, dates, and the information you will use to assess progress.