A new ISO standard, ISO 20700, has been developed to cater for the increasing popularity of management consultancies in recent years as businesses and governments look to improve their performance and processes.

ISO 20700, Guidelines for management consultancy services, aims to increase transparency and effectiveness for both client and consultancy and gives practical guidelines based on outcomes and emphasizes the importance of understanding clients’ needs.

The standard draws on research and experience from a range of management consultancies worldwide. It is useful to all management consultancies, regardless of size, and maintains a focus on innovation, differentiation, and ethical behaviour. ISO 20700 is also useful to help clients better understand what they can expect from a management consultant in a consultancy project.

Robert Bodenstein, Chair of ISO/PC 280, Management Consultancy, the ISO project committee that developed the standard, said ISO 20700 brings together industry best practice to help make management consultancies more effective.

“Management consultancies can bring valuable expertise to an organization, with their in-depth knowledge and broad experience of an industry, to help clients bring about growth or change more effectively,” Bodenstein said. “In this way, they make a strong contribution to the economy.

“This new standard is aimed at not only helping consultancies work even more effectively and efficiently, but helping with the development of the profession.”