Very, very few charities train their fundraising staff in how to work with an agency.

One that does is Barnardo's. And I count myself very lucky to have them as a client.

Gill McLellan, who put the training sessions together, has experience working both sides of the fence. Its given her a great perspective on how to get the best from an agency. And I'm pleased to see that she's decided to share her advice with a wider audience on her new blog, best-laid plans.

She's going to be covering eight key areas and kicks off with knowing what you want.

If you work with, or for an agency, I'd strongly suggest that you follow each post.