Service level agreement (SLA)

Roles that need it

• Service Delivery Manager (Outsourcing & Shared Services)
• Transition Manager (Outsourcing)
• Payments Operations Analyst
• Operational Risk Analyst

Skills it belongs to

• Service delivery and outsourcing management
• Vendor and service contract management
• Defining and using KPIs

Related concepts

• Outsourcing (EBA Guidelines)Outsourcing is an arrangement in which a service provider performs a process, service or activity that the institution would otherwise perform itself. The EBA Guidelines on outsourcing arrangements (EBA/GL/2019/02) set governance, risk assessment, contract and register rules, with stricter terms for critical or important functions.
• Key performance indicator (KPI)A KPI is a measurable value that shows how well a team, process or business is meeting a goal, for example straight-through processing rate or cost-to-serve. A key risk indicator (KRI) does the same for risk exposure. Good KPIs have a clear definition, owner, target and source.
• Statement of work (SOW)A statement of work is the contract document that defines the services or deliverables a supplier or consultancy will provide: scope, deliverables, milestones, acceptance, team, fees and assumptions. Fixed-price and time-and-materials are the two common commercial models.

Sources

• EBA Guidelines on outsourcing arrangements (EBA/GL/2019/02), EBA (external site) accessed 31 Oct 2026

Updated 31 Oct 2026.