Consultant thinking: A new European standard for Management Consultancy

EN16114 is not a term to get the pulses racing but it may affect the work of management consultants in Europe and, if it proceeds like many other European standards to becoming an ISO standard, in the rest of the world.

The new standard was launched in Brussels on 9 November and is the result of the work of a multinational European task force that started in 2008. The focus of the standard is to improve the specification, execution, acceptance and closure of management consultancy services and is part derives from EU Services Directive 2006/123/EC which is to drive the creation of ‘borderless’ market for services; EN16114 is one of a set of service standards to support this strategy.

The standard is directed at management consultancy service providers and is for guidance rather than certification. Among the principles in its drafting are that it is based on outcomes; protects innovation and differentiation; and emphasises importance of understanding clients needs;

You can see the press release for the launch event in Brussels at www.tinyurl.com/elNov11-4; the cost of purchasing the standard from the British Standards Institute is a hefty £92 but if you feel minded to buy it, go to http://tinyurl.com/elNov11-5

Calvert Markham