CMO INDEX — FRACTIONAL CMO ONBOARDING: 30 / 60 / 90 DAYS
Adaptable working template • Editorial update: 7 October 2026

Copy this file into your own document. Fill brackets, assign named people and
replace suggested windows with actual dates. This is a proposed structure,
not a client case, required pace or promise of results within 90 days.
A part-time engagement may need a different sequence or longer timetable.
CMO Index does not receive anything you enter in your copy.
Do not put passwords, tokens, customer records or confidential exports here.
Use approved company systems for restricted materials.

1. AGREEMENT BEFORE STARTING
Engagement start date: [ ]  Review dates for days 30 / 60 / 90: [ ]
Business question and current constraint: [ ]
Scope included / explicitly excluded: [ ]
CMO capacity, working windows and response expectations: [ ]
Budget / delivery team capacity / unavailable resources: [ ]
Business sponsor and backup decision-maker: [ ]
Marketing delivery lead: [ ]  Sales lead: [ ]  IT/system administrator: [ ]
Who may approve strategy / spend / publishing / exports: [ ]
What the CMO may decide independently and within which limits: [ ]
Escalation route and time agreed for approvals: [ ]
Success measures, definitions, baseline period, source and gaps: [ ]
Sales-cycle length and when business outcomes can reasonably be reviewed: [ ]

2. TASK RECORD — REPEAT FOR EVERY TASK
Task: [ ]
One responsible person: [ ]  Approver: [ ]
Due date: [ ]  Available capacity: [ ]
Minimum access required (or 'none'): [ ]
Dependency / missing input / blocker: [ ]
Deliverable and completion evidence: [ ]
Status (not started / in progress / blocked / complete): [ ]
Next decision and date: [ ]
Use an actual named person, not 'the team'. Responsibility for a task does
not automatically authorize spending, publication or elevated access.

3. SUGGESTED TASKS — ADAPT AND ASSIGN EACH USING THE TASK RECORD
Before start: sponsor + CMO agree scope, capacity and decision rights;
  evidence: written brief approved by the sponsor; access: none.
Before start: delivery lead gathers current offer, positioning, campaigns,
  budgets and team/agency commitments; evidence: dated source index;
  access: selected documents only.
Before start: administrator grants approved individual accounts;
  evidence: access register and MFA setup confirmation, no credentials;
  access: minimum approved role, read-only where sufficient.
Days 1–30: CMO and sales/marketing leads review the buyer journey and
  measurement; evidence: dated baseline, definitions and known gaps;
  access: necessary reports, preferably aggregate/read-only views.
Days 1–30: sponsor decides which proposed priorities to fund and staff;
  evidence: short approved priority list, dependencies and exclusions;
  access: none beyond the diagnostic work already approved.
Days 31–60: delivery lead and agreed executors run a limited approved
  initiative; evidence: task log, approved changes and measurement;
  access: restricted write permissions only if the task requires them.
Days 31–60: CMO reviews blockers, implementation and early signals;
  evidence: decision log separating activity from business outcomes;
  access: selected reports; do not grant broad admin rights by default.
Days 61–90: sponsor + CMO review mature evidence and delivery;
  evidence: continue / adjust / stop / wait decision with rationale;
  access: relevant reports, no unnecessary additional privileges.
Days 61–90: delivery lead records the next plan and handover needs;
  evidence: assigned actions and company-controlled documents;
  access: selected working documents.
At change of scope or end: administrator removes access no longer needed;
  evidence: dated confirmation after the handover, preserving business
  accounts, files and campaigns; access: administrator handles revocation.

4. ACCESS REGISTER — REPEAT FOR EACH SYSTEM
System / selected workspace or resource: [ ]
Named account (no password): [ ]  Administrator: [ ]
Approved task and data needed: [ ]
Role / read-only or allowed changes: [ ]
Approver and approval date: [ ]
MFA enabled / company recovery administrator confirmed: [ ]
Expiry or next access review date: [ ]
Export, sharing, spend and publication limits: [ ]
Revocation date and confirmation: [ ]
Keep company control of administration, billing and recovery. Use named
accounts and MFA, not shared logins. Only request personal data or an export
if necessary and approved; aggregate or redacted views may suffice.
Review permissions when scope changes; revoke unneeded access promptly.
The register documents permissions, not credentials or security guarantees.

5. REVIEW AT EACH AGREED CHECKPOINT
Work delivered / incomplete / blocked, with evidence: [ ]
Baseline and current measures using the same definitions and periods: [ ]
Open or immature sales opportunities / missing data: [ ]
Other changes (pricing, offer, sales staffing, seasonality): [ ]
Observed business outcomes: [ ]
CMO decisions and contribution; attribution limitations: [ ]
Decision (continue / adjust / stop / wait) and why: [ ]
Next action / responsible person / approval / date: [ ]
Do not treat completion, visits or pipeline as guaranteed revenue or proof
that the CMO alone caused a result. Keep unknowns visible; do not fill them
with zero or invent benchmarks.

6. HANDOVER AND END OF ACCESS
Company-controlled location of plans, reports and decision log: [ ]
Outstanding tasks and future responsible people: [ ]
Active campaigns, spend and renewal commitments requiring a decision: [ ]
Approved handling of local copies/exports under company policy: [ ]
Named accounts, shared-resource invitations and delegated integrations
  to review/remove: [ ]
Administrator confirms unneeded permissions and sessions revoked: [ ]
Company access to assets, billing and recovery checked: [ ]
Completion confirmed by sponsor and administrator on: [ ]
Do not delete company assets or cancel campaigns simply to remove access.
If credentials were exposed, follow the company's security response
procedure; the system administrator handles required credential changes.

Guide:
https://www.cmoindex.com/blog/fractional-cmo-onboarding-checklist-setting-up-your-new-marketing-leader-for-success/
KPI review:
https://www.cmoindex.com/blog/how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-fractional-cmo-key-performance-indicators-to-track/