FAQ
Procurement, contracting, and engagement details.
The questions enterprise L&D and procurement teams usually send via email, answered up front. If something’s missing, email me directly via the contact page.
Procurement & contracting
- Do you provide an MSA / SOW template?
- Yes. A standard MSA + SOW pair is available on request before any signed engagement. We're also happy to work under your organisation's MSA if you have a preferred form.
- What is your stance on PDPA / GDPR / data residency?
- Cohort participant data (names, survey responses, pre/post assessments) is held under PDPA 2010 (Malaysia) and equivalent regional rules. Data is processed only for program delivery and measurement. We don't use cohort data to train AI models. EU/UK participant data is handled under GDPR; ask for our data-processing addendum.
- Who owns the IP we create together?
- Client owns the deliverables produced in their engagement (curriculum customisations, prompt libraries, evaluation rituals, cohort materials). I retain the underlying methodology (Pertama AI Maturity Model, Kirkpatrick-aligned evaluation design, facilitator playbook structures). Standard in the industry; happy to walk through the line if useful.
Engagement & delivery
- What's a typical engagement length?
- From a half-day workshop through to a 13-month executive program. Most fall in the 8–16-week implementation range. See the Engagement Shapes section on the homepage for the four common patterns.
- Do you sub-contract the delivery?
- Lead engagements are delivered personally by Michael. For multi-site or multi-language rollouts, named senior facilitators from the Pertama Partners network deliver under shared standards and methodology. Sub-contractor disclosure is provided in writing at engagement start.
- What languages can you deliver in?
- Michael personally delivers in English or Mandarin. The Pertama Partners network covers Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia, Mandarin, and English for regional SEA rollouts. Other languages on a network-availability basis.
- What's your cancellation / rescheduling policy?
- Pre-engagement: full refund minus directly-incurred costs (travel, etc.) up to 14 days before kickoff; 50% retention inside 14 days. In-engagement: pro-rated to work delivered. Force majeure handled in good faith; we've delivered through COVID-era postponements without issue.
- What if the program doesn't hit its outcomes?
- Kirkpatrick L3 and L4 targets are agreed in writing at kickoff. If we don't hit them in the agreed window, the next quarter's retainer is on the table for renegotiation. The job is to land outcomes, not bill hours.
- How do training engagements relate to capital?
- They don't, on the commercial side. Training engagements never trigger investment outreach unless you ask. The four Pertama Group entities are linked intellectually (training generates operator insight; capital backs the operators who put it to work) but commercial sales motions are kept separate.