ISO 20700:2017 Certification
Guidelines for Management Consultancy Services
Strengthening Professionalism, Transparency, and Trust in Consulting Engagements
ISO 20700 provides internationally recognized guidelines for management consultancy services, focusing on ethical conduct, transparency, and professional delivery throughout the consulting lifecycle.
For consulting firms, advisory practices, and independent consultants, ISO 20700 helps formalize how consulting services are offered, delivered, and concluded—building trust with clients while preserving professional judgment and flexibility.
What Is ISO 20700?
ISO 20700 is a guideline standard that defines best practices for:
- Management consultancy engagements
- Consultant–client relationships
- Ethical and professional conduct
Transparency of roles, responsibilities, and deliverables
Value creation through structured consulting processes
Unlike management system standards, ISO 20700 focuses specifically on consulting services themselves, not on organizational operations.
ISO 20700 is not certifiable as a standalone management system, but organizations can be assessed, attested, or aligned against its guidelines and integrate it with certifiable ISO standards such as ISO 9001.
Why ISO 20700 Matters for Consulting Firms ?
Consulting is built on trust, credibility, and professional integrity. ISO 20700 helps consulting organizations:
- Demonstrate ethical consulting practices
- Increase transparency in client engagements
- Clarify expectations, scope, and deliverables
- Reduce disputes and misunderstandings
- Strengthen credibility in competitive markets
- Support qualification for enterprise, government, and international clients
ISO 20700 is especially valuable where clients demand structured consultancy governance, not just individual expertise.
Who ISO 20700 Is For ?
ISO 20700 is designed for:
- Management consulting firms
- Strategy and transformation consultants
- Operational and performance consultants
- HR, leadership, and organizational development consultants
- Independent consultants scaling into structured practices
- Advisory firms working with public sector or large enterprises
It applies to both organizations and individual consultants, regardless of size.
What ISO 20700 Covers ?
ISO 20700 addresses the full consulting lifecycle, including:
- General Principles
- Professional conduct
- Ethical behavior
- Confidentiality
- Objectivity and independence
- Value creation for clients - Consulting Engagement Lifecycle
- Initiation and agreement
- Understanding client needs and context
- Scope definition and proposal clarity
- Consulting approach and methodology
- Communication and reporting
- Closure and follow-up - Roles and Responsibilities
- Consultant responsibilities
- Client responsibilities
- Governance of the consulting relationship
- Managing conflicts of interest - Deliverables and Outcomes
- Clear definition of outputs and outcomes
- Transparency in limitations and assumptions
- Documentation of conclusions and recommendations
ISO 20700 vs ISO 9001
| Aspect | ISO 9001 | ISO 20700 |
| Nature | Certifiable management system | Guideline standard |
| Focus | Organizational quality management | Consulting service delivery |
| Applicability | All industries | Consulting services only |
| Certification | Yes | No (guideline / alignment) |
Best practice:
ISO 20700 is often used together with ISO 9001 to demonstrate both:
- Strong organizational management (ISO 9001)
- Professional consulting conduct (ISO 20700)
How USQC Supports ISO 20700 Alignment ?
USQC helps consulting organizations align with ISO 20700 guidelines in a practical, non-bureaucratic way.
Our support includes:
- Gap assessment against ISO 20700 guidelines
- Mapping consulting practices to ISO 20700 principles
- Development of consulting engagement frameworks
- Integration with ISO 9001 and other ISO standards
- Independent conformity assessment or attestation (where applicable)
- We focus on real consulting workflows, not generic templates.
Benefits of ISO 20700 Alignment
- Increased credibility with corporate and public clients
- Clearer consulting engagement structures
- Reduced contractual and expectation risks
- Stronger ethical positioning
- Better integration with ISO-certified management systems
- Professional differentiation in crowded consulting markets
ISO 20700 and Training / Coaching Firms
ISO 20700 is especially powerful when combined with:
- ISO 29993 (Learning services outside formal education)
- ISO 21001 (Educational organizations management systems)
This combination supports consulting firms that also:
- Deliver training programs
- Offer coaching and development services
- Run academies or professional courses
Why Choose USQC ?
- Expertise in consulting, coaching, and professional services
- Deep understanding of ISO guideline and certifiable standards
- Practical, auditor-led approach
- Global recognition and professional credibility
- Integrated ISO solutions tailored to advisory businesses
- USQC focuses on how consultants work, not just how documents look.
