How to run an agency performance review
By Joel Andren · Published by PressFriendly, a PR agency · Reviewed July 15, 2026 · 3 of 5 in this section
Address an agency problem with a documented performance review. State the observed condition, compare it with the agreement and plan, examine causes on both sides, and choose a corrective action with owners and a review date. Do not make an earned placement the only recovery condition because neither party controls an independent editor.
Prepare the evidence before the meeting
Bring the current scope, objectives, baselines, reports, activity record, decision log, approval history, invoices, and relevant correspondence. Separate five questions:
- Did the agreed work occur?
- Did the work meet the agreed quality and relevance standards?
- What did stakeholders receive, understand, or do?
- Which internal, agency, or external conditions affected the result?
- Which assumption should the team test or change next?
Use specific observations. “The last two reports omitted the target rationale and response data required by the scope” is inspectable. “The agency has lost energy” is an interpretation that needs evidence.
Send a short agenda and include the decision-makers
Tell the agency which conditions need discussion and which decisions may follow. Include the company owner and the agency lead who can change staffing, scope, fees, or process. Add legal, finance, security, or executive participants only when the issue requires their authority.
A useful opening is:
We agreed to [requirement] in [document]. The record for [period] shows [observation]. The result or risk is [effect]. I want to confirm the cause, choose a corrective action, assign owners, and set a review date today.
Invite the agency to correct incomplete evidence. The objective is a reliable diagnosis.
Match the corrective action to the cause
| Cause | Possible response |
|---|---|
| The objective or stakeholder was wrong | Revisit research and rewrite the strategy |
| The story lacked evidence or relevance | Stop outreach, improve the proof, test a different angle |
| Company inputs or approvals failed | Change owners, service levels, access, or escalation |
| Agency work was late or below standard | Replace the owner, add review, redo work, or adjust the fee |
| Scope and available capacity do not match | Remove work, add capacity, revise timing, or change the model |
| Reporting cannot support a decision | Restore the baseline, activity record, definitions, and analysis |
| Trust or ethics failed | Preserve evidence, follow the contract, and plan an exit |
Define the recovery period according to the work being tested. A factual report correction may be due immediately. A new message test may need several stakeholder interactions. A reputation outcome may require a longer measurement period. Record leading indicators and decision criteria for the chosen period.
Write the decision while the facts are fresh
The same-day record should name:
- the agreed facts and any disputed facts;
- the root-cause hypothesis;
- each corrective action and owner;
- company inputs and agency work required;
- measures, definitions, and data sources;
- the review date and decision authority;
- the consequence if the condition persists;
- any contract change that requires a signed amendment.
If the parties change scope, fees, staffing commitments, rights, or term, follow the agreement's amendment process. Keep routine coaching distinct from a formal breach notice.
Use the program diagnostic before the meeting, then choose among pause, renegotiation, or termination after the corrective test. If the decision is to end the engagement, move to the offboarding checklist.