Agency Onboarding
Part of Agency reporting and accountability
Choosing a report that connects work to agreed outcomes
Choose an agency report that traces agreed outcomes through delivered work, observed response and the next decision.
Choose a report by the decisions it must support. For each agreed outcome, the main view should show the relevant work, the response observed, the outcome measure and any gap between them. If a reader cannot tell what to do next, the view needs changing.
Build one line for each outcome
Start with the outcome in the current work plan. Name its measure, owner, baseline, reporting period and review date. Add only the activity and response measures needed to explain progress.
A content programme and a paid campaign may need different intermediate measures. One dashboard layout need not force them into the same story.
Try drafting the reporting line as a sentence: “We agreed to pursue [outcome]; the agency completed [work]; [response] was observed during [period]; the business record shows [outcome or unknown]; so we will [decision].” Missing definitions become visible before they disappear inside charts.
Include / Ask before accepting it
- Agreed outcome
- Is this the result the client approved?
- Work delivered
- Can the items be checked against the plan?
- Response measure
- Does it show relevant behaviour, with a clear definition?
- Business measure
- Who owns the record, and what does it leave out?
- Decision
- What changes, continues or needs investigation?
Check the label on each platform measure
When a report uses a Google Analytics key event, the client still needs an operational definition: a submitted form, for example, is not automatically a qualified enquiry or sale.
Google Ads distinguishes primary and secondary conversion actions. A report labelled simply “leads” can therefore hide what was counted.
Ask for the event or conversion-action names alongside the business definition. If the desired outcome happens outside the platform, use the relevant client record to report it.
Try the format on a past period
Before adopting a template, examine one past reporting period. Can the client trace a headline figure to its source and dates? Does the report separate completed work from observed response?
Does it show a missing or delayed outcome as unknown? Can both sides identify the next action and its owner?
If those answers are hard to find, shorten the main view and clarify the chain. Keep detailed exports available for investigation. Revisit the format when the engagement's outcome or measurement changes.
