3.9 Work with a Training Subcontractor

Engage an external trainer, facilitator, consultant, or organization to deliver an ASG course, workshop, fellowship component, or other learning activity.

The objective is not simply to outsource training.

It is to enable another person or organization to deliver part of ASG's work reliably, consistently, and with appropriate adaptation to context.

Your Pathway

1. Define the Need → 2. Find → 3. Assess → 4. Agree → 5. Prepare → 6. Train → 7. Deploy → 8. Support → 9. Review → 10. Reuse or Exit

1. Define the Need

Start with the work, not the subcontractor.

Clarify:

What needs to be delivered?

For whom?

Where?

When?

How many times?

What outcomes are expected?

What expertise is required?

What must ASG retain responsibility for?

Then decide what should actually be subcontracted.

A subcontractor might deliver:

Entire Training Program

Specific Module

Facilitation

Technical Session

Field Exercise

Coaching

Assessment

Training of Trainers

Local Delivery

You're done when: The assignment can be explained clearly to a potential subcontractor.

2. Find a Potential Subcontractor

Search existing relationships first.

Look across:

Previous ASG Trainers

Teaching Fellows

Impact Fellows

Project Advisers and Mentors

Universities

Partner Organizations

Professional Networks

ASG Affiliates

Local Experts

Existing Subcontractors

Ask:

Do we already know someone capable of doing this well?

Avoid running a new search when a trusted and capable provider already exists.

[Find a Person or Organization →]

3. Assess Fit

Evaluate the subcontractor against the actual assignment.

Consider:

Technical Capability

Do they know the subject?

Training Capability

Can they facilitate learning rather than simply present information?

Relevant Experience

Have they worked with similar participants or contexts?

Local Knowledge

Do they understand the setting?

Values and Approach

Can they work collaboratively with communities, partners, and participants?

Reliability

Can they deliver what they promise?

Operational Capacity

Can they manage logistics, documentation, reporting, and coordination?

Cost

Is the proposed cost appropriate for the assignment?

Do not select solely on credentials or price.

4. Agree on the Assignment

Make expectations explicit before substantial work begins.

Define:

Scope

What exactly will they deliver?

Outputs

What must be produced?

Schedule

When will work happen?

Roles

What will ASG do? What will the subcontractor do?

Quality Standards

What does acceptable delivery look like?

Adaptation

What can the subcontractor modify?

Non-Negotiables

What must remain consistent?

Documentation

What must be captured?

Reporting

What information must come back to ASG?

Payment

How much, when, and against what deliverables?

Intellectual Property

Who may use and adapt materials?

Branding

How should ASG, Labs, partners, and the subcontractor be represented?

Use the appropriate agreement, contract, or Terms of Reference.

[Prepare TOR / Agreement →]

Odoo Trigger

Once ASG makes a formal financial or delivery commitment, record the necessary hard state in Odoo:

Subcontractor • Assignment • Amount • Deliverable • Owner • Deadline • Payment Status

5. Prepare for Delivery

Create one Delivery Pack rather than sending materials across multiple emails and chats.

It might contain:

Assignment Brief

Program Overview

Facilitator Guide

Session Plans

Presentations

Participant Materials

Templates

Assessment Tools

Reporting Requirements

Brand Guidelines

Contact and Escalation Information

Use existing institutional resources before creating new ones.

[Find Materials in Shared Drive →]

[Open Shared Canva →]

[Ask Claude to Assemble Delivery Pack →]

6. Train the Subcontractor

Do not assume subject expertise means readiness to deliver an ASG program.

Use the dedicated pathway:

[Train Subcontractors →]

The subcontractor may need:

Orientation

Understand the program, participants, partners, and desired outcomes.

Content Familiarization

Understand the curriculum and materials.

Practice

Deliver a sample session or activity.

Feedback

Receive specific improvement guidance.

Validation

Demonstrate readiness before deployment.

Classify readiness:

🟢 Ready

🟠 Ready With Support

🔴 Not Yet Ready

7. Deploy

Before the subcontractor begins, confirm:

People

Who is delivering and who is the ASG contact?

Place

Where or on what platform?

Participants

Who is attending?

Materials

Are final materials available?

Logistics

Are necessary arrangements complete?

Reporting

What must be submitted?

Escalation

What should the subcontractor do when something unexpected happens?

Give the subcontractor clear decision boundaries:

🟢 GREEN

Proceed independently within the agreed design.

🟠 AMBER

Adapt if necessary, but inform ASG.

🔴 RED

Stop and obtain approval before proceeding.

8. Support Delivery

Do not disappear after contracting the work.

Create a lightweight support loop:

Prepare → Deliver → Debrief → Adjust → Deliver Again

Claude can support routine preparation and sensemaking.

The AI Operator can support:

Materials

Scheduling

Documentation

File Management

Routine Coordination

Follow-Ups

The ASG program lead handles:

Major Adaptations

Quality Problems

Partner Issues

Sensitive Situations

Consequential Decisions

The subcontractor should know exactly who to contact for each type of issue.

9. Review Performance

After delivery, evaluate both the subcontractor and the system.

Ask:

Was the training delivered as intended?

Did participants achieve the expected learning outcomes?

What did the subcontractor do particularly well?

Where did they struggle?

What adaptations were made?

Were those adaptations useful?

Were materials adequate?

What should change before the next delivery?

Avoid reducing evaluation to:

Did participants like the trainer?

Look at delivery quality, learning, reliability, adaptation, and contribution to the program.

10. Reuse, Develop, or Exit

After the assignment, decide what happens next.

REUSE

Strong performance. Suitable for similar future assignments.

DEVELOP

Promising subcontractor who would benefit from further training or supervised delivery.

EXPAND

Capable of taking responsibility for larger assignments, additional locations, or training other subcontractors.

PAUSE

Do not assign further work until specific issues are addressed.

EXIT

Not appropriate for further ASG assignments.

This turns subcontracting from repeated procurement into development of a trusted delivery ecosystem.

Maintain a Subcontractor Memory

Create or update the subcontractor's Obsidian note.

Capture:

Organization / Person

Capabilities

Locations

Programs Delivered

Training Completed

Performance

Strengths

Limitations

Rates, where appropriate

Feedback

Lessons

Readiness for Future Assignments

Related Projects

Claude can update this institutional memory from emails, reports, evaluations, and project notes.

The next ASG team should not have to rediscover what ASG already knows about the subcontractor.

AI Operator Guide

Claude

Use Claude to:

• identify possible subcontractors from institutional memory

• prepare background briefs

• compare candidates

• draft TORs

• assemble training packs

• prepare subcontractor orientation

• generate practice scenarios

• analyze delivery reports

• synthesize participant feedback

• update subcontractor memory

• identify reusable lessons

Obsidian

Maintain:

Relationship + Capability + Performance + Learning

Shared Google Drive

Store:

Contracts

TORs

Training Materials

Delivery Packs

Reports

Evaluations

Final Deliverables

Shared Canva

Use for approved:

Training Decks

Participant Materials

Facilitator Materials

Certificates

Visual Learning Resources

Duplicate approved templates rather than creating isolated designs.

Odoo

Keep Odoo minimal.

Use it for:

Contractual Commitment

Amount

Deliverable

Responsible Person

Critical Deadline

Invoice / Payment

Formal Completion

Routine correspondence, learning, preparation, and working notes remain in Claude + Obsidian.

Related Pathways

[Find a Person or Organization →]

[Train Subcontractors →]

[Run a Training →]

[Manage a Project →]

[Get or Manage Resources →]

[Make a Presentation →]

[Start an Institutional Partnership →]

The Training Subcontractor Principle

Outsource delivery, not accountability.

Make expectations clear before work begins.

Train before assuming readiness.

Standardize what protects quality and allow adaptation where context requires it.

Support subcontractors while they deliver.

Remember what ASG learns about each provider.

Turn good subcontractors into a growing network of trusted delivery partners.