Overview
EN ISO 20700:2018 (ISO 20700:2017) - Guidelines for management consultancy services - provides internationally harmonized guidance for the effective delivery of management consultancy services. Adopted by CEN and published in 2018, it supersedes EN 16114:2011 and aligns with the ISO 20700:2017 international text. The standard describes a typical consulting process and sets out principles to improve clarity, quality and professionalism in consultancy engagements.
Key Topics
EN ISO 20700:2018 covers practical requirements and recommended practices including:
- Principles and policies
- Scope of services, responsibilities, stakeholder engagement, ethics and professional conduct.
- Consulting process
- Typical phases: pre-assignment, contracting, execution, and closure.
- Contracting essentials
- Purpose, inputs, expected outcomes, deliverables, work plans, roles and responsibilities, acceptance criteria and terms and conditions.
- Execution and monitoring
- Refining and implementing the work plan, assignment management, approvals, quality control and progress monitoring.
- Closure and handover
- Final evaluation, legal/contractual matters, administrative close-out, communication and unresolved minor issues.
- Risk, quality and capability
- Guidance on risk management, capability assessment, data protection, confidentiality, intellectual property and health & safety.
- Supplementary guidance
- Informative annexes provide examples on stakeholders, codes of conduct, conflict-of-interest management, capability criteria, typical activities and risk guidelines.
Applications
EN ISO 20700:2018 is designed for practical use by organizations involved in or procuring management consultancy services:
- Management consultants and consulting firms - to standardize proposal, delivery and closure practices and demonstrate professional conduct.
- Client organizations and procurement teams - to define clear scopes, acceptance criteria and contract terms when engaging consultants.
- Project and program managers - to integrate consultancy outputs into organizational change, strategy deployment or improvement programs.
- Legal, compliance and quality professionals - to align consultancy contracts with data protection, IP, risk and quality management policies.
- Professional bodies and auditors - as a benchmark for competency, ethics and process quality in consultancy engagements.
Related Standards
- Supersedes EN 16114:2011.
- Based on ISO 20700:2017 (international standard).
- Works alongside organizational standards for quality management, data protection and occupational health & safety where applicable.
EN ISO 20700:2018 is a practical, process-oriented guideline promoting transparency, accountability and consistent quality in management consultancy services. Keywords: EN ISO 20700:2018, ISO 20700, management consultancy services, consulting process, contracting, risk management, code of conduct.