Optional facilitator support for the strategic decisions, consolidations, and vendor work in Phases 2–8 of your AI readiness program. Per-session or bundled. Remote or on-site. From $400 per session.
The Data Defenders self-guided workbook is built so your team can move through Phases 2–8 independently. But there are points in that work where an experienced external voice changes the outcome — where internal biases, politics, or capability gaps create real risk to the quality of the decision.
Facilitator Sessions are optional, defined-scope engagements at those points. Each session is scoped as a fixed deliverable — facilitation time only — billed at a fixed rate. Bring us in for one session, four, or all eight. Compatible with both Self-Guided and Facilitator-Led assessments.
"I want to do this myself, but I need help at the hard parts." You're working through the self-guided workbook, but you know your team will struggle with SWOT consolidation, use case prioritization, or the build/buy/partner decision. Pick the touchpoints that matter most. Bundle 2 (Strategic Anchors) is built for this profile.
"We need an expert in the room for the high-stakes decisions." You have specific moments where bias-free facilitation matters — vendor selection, sourcing decisions, executive-deck reviews. Pick à la carte or use Bundle 1 (High-Value Decision Points).
Each session below is a defined-scope facilitation deliverable. Pricing reflects facilitation time only; the client team is responsible for documenting session outputs in their workbook.
Phase 1 · Standard · ~1 hour
A single kickoff call to orient your team on the workbook, phase sequence, and how the assessment report feeds into Phase 2. Sets expectations, answers structural questions, confirms the participant roster.
Phase 2 · High Value · 2–3 hours
After participants complete individual SWOTs, the facilitator runs a consolidation workshop to synthesize inputs, surface conflicts, and build the group SWOT and TOWS. An external facilitator produces a cleaner, more honest output than an internal stakeholder with their own biases.
Phase 3 · High Value · 2–3 hours
After the Use Case Fit Matrix is scored, the facilitator validates scoring, challenges assumptions, and helps the team reach consensus on which use cases move forward. Particularly valuable when internal politics, vendor relationships, or technology preferences influence prioritization.
Phase 4 · Medium · 1–2 hours · M/L tier
Reviews completed TCO models for reasonableness, challenges assumptions, and helps interpret outputs for non-financial stakeholders. The facilitator is reviewing the model, not building it. Financial assumptions are where self-guided buyers most often produce unreliable outputs.
Phase 5 · High Value · 2–3 hours
Facilitates the build/buy/partner decision conversation using the Risk Assessment Matrix and TCO outputs. Highest downstream consequence of any session in the model — internal teams frequently have pre-existing vendor preferences, technology biases, or political considerations that distort the sourcing decision.
Phase 6 · Medium · 1–2 hours · M/L tier
Reviews the completed Gap Register for completeness, challenges timeline assumptions, and ensures remediation owners and milestones are realistic. Also reviews the executive presentation draft before it goes to leadership — catching framing issues before the board sees them.
Phase 7 · High Value · 3–4 hours across 2 sessions · M/L tier
7A — RFI/RFP Review (before distribution): The facilitator reviews the RFI/RFP to ensure questions are clear and will produce scoreable responses. 7B — Final Scoring Session (after vendor responses): Challenges evaluations, surfaces inconsistencies across evaluators, and validates the selection decision. Vendor selection is where internal biases are most operationally dangerous.
Phase 8 · Medium · 1–2 hours
Reviews the final report package before the board or leadership presentation, checks framing and completeness, and briefs the client on AI guardrail technology considerations. Also serves as the natural entry point for scoping the next Data Defenders engagement.
Gold left border = High Value session. Phases 4, 6, and 7 are scoped to Medium and Large enterprise tiers, or Small if the corresponding workbook tool was purchased à la carte.
Three suggested bundles. All bundles reflect the 4+ session discount tier (25% off remote; 25% off on-site for same-visit engagements). Custom selections are also supported.
Bundle 1
Sessions 2, 3, 5, 7 — the four highest-stakes strategic and decision-support touchpoints.
Bundle 2
Sessions 1, 2, 5, 8 — the natural arc of strategic anchoring across the engagement.
Full Coverage
All 8 touchpoints. Comprehensive coverage from kickoff through next-steps briefing.
Discounts apply automatically based on session count and delivery mode. Better discount replaces lower discount — discounts do not stack.
On-site sessions are priced at $650/hr facilitation rate, with travel time partially built into the rate. The model is structured to encourage efficient travel:
Each session is scoped as a defined facilitation deliverable. To be clear about what you are and are not buying:
Schedule a no-cost consultation to choose the right sessions for your engagement, or reach out with questions about scope, timing, or how facilitator sessions fit alongside your assessment.