We have an outsourced agency managing our IT and security. How do we represent an entire third-party outsourced company as a single seat on our internal Accountability Chart without causing reporting confusion?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Whether a seat is filled by a full-time employee, a fractional executive, or an entire outsourced agency, the rules of the Accountability Chart do not change. Every seat must have one name, five core roles, and clear accountability.

To represent an outsourced IT agency on your chart, you do not list the agency's name or all of their individual technicians. Instead, you put the name of the specific agency partner, account manager, or lead engineer who is ultimately accountable for their deliverables. Underneath their name, list the five core roles of the IT and Security seat, such as system uptime, data compliance, hardware provisioning, helpdesk response times, and network security.

This person must GWC the seat. They must get the role, want the accountability, and have the capacity to deliver the results. Even though they are not on your direct payroll, they must operate within your company's structure and standards.

To prevent reporting confusion, clearly define who this outsourced leader reports to. Typically, an IT and Security seat will report directly to the Chief Financial Officer or the head of Operations.

During your weekly Level 10 Meeting, this outsourced leader does not need to attend every session, but they must feed their weekly metrics to their manager to keep your Scorecard accurate. By putting a single name from the agency on your Accountability Chart, you eliminate the risk of the outsourced team pointing fingers when something breaks, ensuring clear, singular accountability for your technical infrastructure.