Home / Non-Accredited / Supply Chain, Procurement & Contracts / Mastering Service Level Agreements and Contracts (3 days)
Quick Look Course Summary:Mastering Service Level Agreements and Contracts (3 days)
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Length: 3 day(s)
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Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 14,997 EX VAT 3 Person R 11,205 EX VAT 10 Person R 8,120 EX VAT
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Certification Type:Non-Accredited
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Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
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Mastering Service Level Agreements and Contracts (3 days)
Your managers appoint the right service providers on clear terms of reference and SLAs with measurable service levels, so expectations are agreed before work starts.
No organisation runs on its own staff alone. Parts, maintenance, IT support, logistics and specialist services all come from outside providers, and each one affects what you can promise your own customers. Problems usually start before the work does: a need that was never properly defined, a provider chosen without checking capacity, or an agreement with no measurable standard. This service level agreement training deals with those problems at the source.
Over three days, delegates take one service from first need to signed agreement. Day one is about defining the need: confirming that outsourcing makes sense, consulting stakeholders, writing basic terms of reference, grouping services into clusters and setting specifications. Day two covers sourcing and contracting: choosing the right sourcing route, understanding the tender process, evaluating applications, obtaining sign-off from the right authority and notifying all bidders in writing. Day three is the SLA itself: service levels and KPIs, measurement and reporting, service credits and penalties, escalation, governance meetings and review.
Delegates draft terms of reference and an SLA for a real service from their own workplace, and leave with templates they can reuse for the next appointment.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Service providers chosen on verified capability, not just price
- SLAs with measurable standards that can be enforced
- A consistent, documented contracting process that stands up to audit
- Fewer disputes about what was agreed
- Stakeholders involved before, not after, a provider is appointed
For your delegates
- A clear method for scoping and specifying a service
- Terms of reference and an SLA built on your own service
- Confidence writing measurable service levels and KPIs
- A working understanding of the tender and appointment process
What delegates will be able to do
- Identify and confirm the need to contract an outside service provider
- Consult stakeholders and build their input into the need and scope
- Draft basic terms of reference for a required service
- Group services into logical clusters and write specifications for each
- Choose an appropriate sourcing route and explain the tender process
- Evaluate applications or bids and recommend the most suitable provider
- Obtain sign-off from the right authority and notify all bidders of the outcome in writing
- Write an SLA with measurable service levels, KPIs, reporting and remedies
- Set up governance and review meetings that keep the SLA current
Who should attend
Supervisors, team leaders and managers who appoint or oversee outside service providers; procurement and contracts staff; facilities, IT and operations managers; and administrators who prepare terms of reference or look after SLAs.
Course outline
Day 1 – Defining the service you need
Why service level agreements matter
- How outside providers affect your own customer promise
- What an SLA is and how it relates to the main contract
- Common SLA failures and their causes
- Case: a supplier failure traced back to a weak SLA
Identifying and confirming the need
- Deciding whether to outsource: capacity, cost, risk and expertise
- Defining the nature of the service required
- Involving stakeholders and role players early
- Recording the business case for outsourcing
Terms of reference
- Purpose and structure of terms of reference
- Background, objectives, scope, deliverables and timeframes
- Reporting lines, roles and responsibilities
- Exercise: drafting terms of reference for a real service
Clusters and specifications
- Grouping services into logical clusters
- Writing output and performance specifications
- Fair specifications that do not favour one provider
- Checking specifications with end users
Day 2 – Sourcing, selecting and contracting providers
Sourcing routes
- Quotations, requests for proposal and open tenders
- Choosing the right route for the value and risk involved
- Supplier databases and market research
- Public-sector tender requirements, in general terms
The tender process
- Bid invitation, briefing sessions and closing
- Evaluation criteria and weightings
- Checking a provider's ability to deliver: references, capacity and finances
- Evaluating applications and recording the reasons
Appointment and sign-off
- Recommending the preferred provider
- Delegated authority and sign-off of the agreement
- Notifying successful and unsuccessful bidders in writing
- Handling queries and objections from bidders
Contracting the service provider
- Elements of a service provider contract
- Price, payment terms, term and termination
- Linking the contract, terms of reference and SLA
- Legal points as general guidance, not legal advice
Day 3 – Writing and running the service level agreement
Service levels and KPIs
- Choosing what to measure: availability, response, resolution, quality and timeliness
- Writing service levels that are specific and measurable
- Setting realistic targets and baselines
- Exercise: service levels for your own service
Measurement and reporting
- Data sources and who measures what
- Monthly reports and dashboards
- Handling exclusions and dependencies
Remedies and escalation
- Service credits, rebates and penalties
- Escalation levels and timeframes
- Persistent failure and termination triggers
Governance and review
- Service review meetings and minutes
- Changing the SLA as needs change
- Annual review and renewal
- Personal action plan and close
How it is delivered
Three days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; in-house groups can work on their own SLAs and service contracts. Workbook, a terms of reference template and an SLA template are included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
“BOTI provided professional and structured training focused on strengthening participants’ practical knowledge and understanding of contract management, service level agreements, contract administration, managing service providers, monitoring performance, and managing contractual obligations”
“[The organisation] was satisfied with the quality and professionalism of the training services provided by BOTI and would recommend Business Optimization Training Institute (PTY) Ltd as a competent and reliable training provider”
“We have been very impressed with their service and rollout of the training.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Can we work on our existing SLAs?
Yes. Bring an SLA or a service you are about to outsource, and the facilitator uses it in the day-three exercises. In-house groups can have the whole course built around their own templates.
How is this different from the service provider management course?
This course covers the contracting stage: defining the need, selecting the provider and writing the SLA. Manage Service Providers in a Selected Organization picks up after appointment and concentrates on monitoring delivery, payment and non-delivery.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
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