Akholi Academy / Foundation course

Outsourcing Lifecycle Management

Agentic AI outsourcing from preparation through exit.

Give the teams accountable for outsourced work a shared framework for the decisions, controls, and evidence required throughout an agentic AI outsourcing engagement.

Format: 2 days onsite
Private cohort: Up to 15 participants
Instructor: Phil Hatch

Arrange a private onsite class Explore the curriculum

The foundation course is required before either Akholi master class.

For the institution

A shared framework for the engagement team

CHROs, Chief People Officers, CROs, and heads of training can use this private class to develop a common management approach across the functions responsible for agentic AI outsourcing.

The class brings the lifecycle into one discussion: readiness before procurement, acceptance before production, and the governance and continuity arrangements required once delivery begins.

Build a cohort around the people responsible for the work, including outsourcing and procurement leaders, engagement managers, operations, risk, technology, data, and workforce development.

Learning outcomes

What participants will be able to do

Assess readiness and define agent authority, accountable owners, and human review capacity.
Translate the institution's requirements into vendor evaluation and commercial terms.
Set an evidence-based acceptance framework before production.
Address co-management, governance, oversight, reporting integrity, performance, risks, and issues.
Plan continuity and a workable exit from the start of the engagement.

The curriculum

A practical curriculum across five phases

The curriculum follows the engagement lifecycle. Each phase addresses the responsibilities, evidence, and controls specific to agentic AI outsourcing.

Preparation

Readiness and agent authority

Assess data, processes, workforce skills, and the business case. Define agent permissions, accountable owners, and human review capacity.

The management question: Where is the institution ready to proceed, and where does it need more evidence or remedial work?

Procurement

Vendor selection and commercial terms

Set requirements in the request for proposal. Assess vendor capability, human work behind automation, pricing, reporting obligations, and exit rights.

The management question: What must the vendor demonstrate, report, and agree before signature?

Transition

Production preparation and acceptance framework

Plan access and knowledge transfer. Validate agent outputs, human review, escalation, and acceptance criteria before production.

The management question: What evidence is required before the institution accepts production delivery?

Production

Co-management and performance assurance

Address governance, oversight, and control challenges with AI outsourcing. Examine reporting integrity and performance management. Address risk and issue management.

The management question: How will the institution and vendor govern the work, validate reporting, and resolve risks and issues?

Exit

Continuity and workable exit

Protect access to data, knowledge, and agent configurations. Define transfer responsibilities and continuity arrangements from contract signature.

The management question: How can work, knowledge, and data transfer without losing continuity?

Private institutional delivery

Course format and arrangements

Delivery: Two days onsite for the institution's private cohort.
Class size: Up to 15 participants.
Instructor: Phil Hatch teaches the class.
Prerequisite: No prior Akholi course is required. Completion of this foundation course is required before either the Governance, Oversight & Risk master class or the Performance Optimization master class.
Before the class: Pre-reading introduces the study and its findings. A pre-course survey identifies participants' questions and informs tailoring for the institution.
In the room: The five lifecycle phases are taught through discussion and practical work on a live engagement. Participants review their management plans with peers.
Practical output: A sponsor-ready management plan for a live engagement the participant owns, structured for presentation in the first week after the class.
After the class: A post-course participant survey and an executive sponsor report written by Phil Hatch.

Applied to a live engagement

A plan for the engagement sponsor

The practical work connects the curriculum to an engagement participants own. Each participant leaves with a management plan reviewed by peers in the room and prepared for discussion with the engagement sponsor.

Before the class

Use the pre-reading and survey to identify the institution's questions and the engagement context.

During the class

Apply the lifecycle framework to management decisions and develop the plan with peer review.

After the class

Present the plan to the sponsor. The participant survey and Phil Hatch's sponsor report support the institution's review of the class.

The research behind the curriculum

150 engagements. 850 delivery-team respondents.

The course draws on Akholi's 2026 study of agentic AI outsourcing at Tier 1 financial institutions. It connects the lifecycle to reported experience of readiness and co-management, governance, oversight, and control, and manual alteration by delivery teams.

Findings describe the engagements studied. The study design and evidentiary limits are published with the research.

Your instructor

Phil Hatch

Phil Hatch is the Chief Executive Officer of Akholi and the author of the 2026 study. He brings more than 30 years of experience in global outsourcing, workforce development, and service delivery.

He previously led the ManpowerGroup/Experis global outsourcing business. His Academy classes connect that operating experience with Akholi's primary research and the engagement questions participants bring to the room.

Read Phil's biography

The learning pathway

Continue after the foundation course

Complete Outsourcing Lifecycle Management before taking either master class. Select the next class according to the institution's management priorities.

Plan an institutional class

Questions before arranging the class

Is this a private class for our institution?

Yes. The course is delivered onsite for a private cohort of up to 15 participants. Discuss the institution's learning priorities and cohort when arranging the class.

How is the course tailored?

Pre-reading and a pre-course survey identify participants' questions. The course is tailored to the institution and those questions.

What do participants leave with?

Each participant develops a sponsor-ready management plan for a live engagement they own. Peers review the plan in the room. A post-course participant survey and an executive sponsor report written by Phil Hatch are also included.

Is the foundation course required before the master classes?

Yes. Participants complete Outsourcing Lifecycle Management before either the Governance, Oversight & Risk master class or the Performance Optimization master class.

Arrange a private onsite class for your institution

Discuss your learning priorities, the proposed cohort, and the engagement context with Phil Hatch.

Arrange a private onsite class Contact Akholi

p.hatch@akholi.com