Outsourced agencies

We've recently revamped our Delhi team including the agencies we were working with.

Some pointers while looking for agencies :

Please do a complete and thorough background check - references not only from existing clients but from clients who have stopped working with the agency. If possible, get an external evaluation done in addition to internal due diligence processes.

Pay out structures - Paying out in advance can be a problem area. Globally for a monthly giving donation sourced by agencies, payouts are in multiples of the 1st donation. That does not work in some Indian markets. Agencies that agree to a staggered payout are more likely to continue as partners in the long run. Many agencies just don't take a long-term view of the operation.

Systems and process audits - Its always a good idea to get an internal auditor run stress-tests on backend systems and processes. Ensures that fault points are identified early enough.

Audit the agency systems - An annual audit of the agency system is also a good idea. Ensure that this is written into the contract.

And at the end of all this, you could still end up with a bunch of crappy agencies.