Quality standards - ISO 20700
Procedure linked to the standard
IGNEOS applies the ISO 20700 standard to provide a structured framework for its consultancy work. This document should be considered as a general framework. It includes guidelines for evaluation and continuous improvement in the three phases of the assignment:
- Contracting phase: On the basis of a service offer, the client and IGNEOS reach a clear agreement on the scope and approach of the service to be provided, and undertake to work together. Transparency is essential to avoid misunderstandings and minimise risks.
- Implementation phase: Once agreement has been reached, the second phase of the assignment is implementation. IGNEOS implements its services according to the agreed approach and plan. To achieve the result expected by both parties, IGNEOS and the client must work together with trust, fairness and mutual respect.
- Closing phase: The final phase is the closing. Once the mission has been completed (including all deliverables and the evaluation of results), the mission is closed by the fulfilment of all legal and contractual obligations, and by the processing of all outstanding issues. The client then confirms formal acceptance and the end of the assignment.
The following clauses give more details on each of these phases.
REGULATORY AND ETHICAL FRAMEWORK
Regulatory framework
IGNEOS maintains an appropriate level of knowledge of the applicable laws, frames of reference, rules, regulations and standards that govern its services and those of the client.
Communication
A clear understanding between the client and IGNEOS is essential to ensure the full success of the mandate. IGNEOS applies a communication protocol throughout an assignment that maximises understanding, builds trust and minimises risk:
- we establish the briefing elements in a written document and share it with our clients;
- we see our work as a solution to our clients' needs;
- we communicate with our clients by means to be agreed (mail, online collaborative platform) to ensure that key points can be followed up;
- We confirm receipt of all documents, messages and instructions in writing;
- We require written sign-offs.
Aptitude
IGNEOS will only accept assignments that the company is able to carry out in a professional manner in accordance with this European Standard.
If IGNEOS has reason to believe that the agreed results of the assignment cannot be achieved according to the terms of the contract, the company will inform the client without delay and propose a renegotiation of the contract.
Qualité
IGNEOS follows a Quality Management approach to anticipate, manage and quantify risks and problems.
Garanties
IGNEOS offers a guarantee on the services to be provided, defined in the specific conditions of each quotation.
Evaluation and continuous improvement
IGNEOS implements a structured evaluation process to record and evaluate the results of its assignments in order to :
- diagnose the effectiveness of the assignment
- make recommendations for corrective action
- implement new processes and methods.
The evaluation policy is implemented for the entire duration of the relationship between the client and IGNEOS. Even if no evaluation is included in the agreement, IGNEOS follows a process aimed at learning from the work it undertakes. If an evaluation is required for contractual reasons to determine the amount of fees paid, IGNEOS and the customer will agree the most appropriate method of evaluation.
OFFER OF SERVICE
A number of activities take place prior to the execution of a consultancy assignment:
- identification of the customer's needs, expectations and wishes, to be carried out jointly by the customer or its agent, by IGNEOS or by both ;
- Selection of the supplier, to be carried out by the customer, taking into account the technical/economic proposals presented by IGNEOS;
- definition of the specifications, to be carried out by the customer, by IGNEOS or by both. The offer includes an analysis and conceptualisation of the problem to be solved, an approach to the services to be requested and a budget for these activities;
- negotiation and agreement including the commercial terms, to be carried out by both the customer and IGNEOS.
The objective of the offer phase is to reach an agreement between IGNEOS and the client on the services to be provided.
Contribution
The offer phase includes many elements, including the perceived needs, expectations and desires of the client, the constraints and potential risks associated with the assignment, as well as any significant changes.
Outcome
The outcome is a legally binding agreement between IGNEOS and the client. The result specifies the services and deliverables to be provided and establishes the rights and obligations of each party. Depending on the context, the agreement may refer to a ‘request for proposal’, describing a set of requirements and specifications for the services, deliverables and evaluation criteria.
Content
A proposal from IGNEOS to the customer always includes:
- the context ;
- details of services and deliverables
- approach and work plan;
- terms and conditions.
These points constitute the typical content of the collaboration agreement between IGNEOS and the customer. However, IGNEOS or the customer are free to add additional elements such as roles and responsibilities.
The contexte
The description of the context guarantees to the client that IGNEOS has taken into account all the significant information required for the assignment. It includes general information about the assignment, assumptions, scope and limitations, and specifies the stakeholders. It contains relevant facts, for example an accurate description of the organisation's current situation, the client's objectives, the reasons why the work is to be carried out, the assumptions and their impact, and the scope and limits of the assignment. It also specifies the constraints and risks associated with the assignment, insofar as they are known and identified. These risks will be taken into account during the execution phase.
Services and deliverables
The collaboration agreement contains a description of the services to be provided, the expected results and the deliverables. The objectives must be specific, measurable and achievable, relevant and limited in time so that the results of the assignment can be evaluated.
Approach and work plan
IGNEOS provides work plans for the operational planning of the services to be implemented.
Terms et conditions
IGNEOS provides its services in accordance with its own terms and conditions applicable to invoicing, such as fees and charges, payment schedule, expenses, and more generally all relevant information with regard to applicable legal and regulatory requirements and legal obligations, such as ownership of material and files, users' rights, licences, intellectual property rights, limits of liability, etc. The IGNEOS General Terms and Conditions also include a reference to applicable professional standards, as well as all requirements, responsibilities and activities related to policies applicable to the assignment, such as the regulatory framework, communication, ethics, social responsibility, capacity, quality, warranties, health and safety, and any other agreed elements. For cross-border and international services, they specify the applicable law.
PERFORMANCE
Execution is the provision of the services agreed in the offer phase. In addition to complying with the agreement, providing the agreed services and carrying out the assignment, the ultimate aim of the execution phase is to satisfy the customer.
Objective
The aim of this phase is to deliver what was agreed in the offer phase.
Contribution
Execution should not begin until agreement has been reached. Significant changes in the context of the assignment that have an impact on execution may require the agreement to be renegotiated.
Résultat
Results are of the following type:
- services or deliverables ;
- recommendations and action to be taken, where appropriate;
- continuous assessment and improvement.
Content
The components of the execution phase must include:
- implementation of the work plan, adjusted if necessary ;
- management of the assignment ;
- approvals and formal acceptance.
Implementation of the work plan
The work plan agreed during the tender phase must be refined in detail to reflect the actual conditions at the start of the execution phase. Once the work plan has been validated, IGNEOS executes the assignment in accordance with it.
Management and monitoring of assignments
Ongoing planning and coordination between the client and IGNEOS is essential to the success of the assignment. To ensure that the assignment is carried out successfully, a number of activity points are addressed, including :
- Project management (governance and project management method),
- resource management and involvement
- progress monitoring and change control
- risk management
- quality management
- communication and reporting;
- evaluation and feedback
Project management
Final decisions regarding the assignment are to be made by the client. IGNEOS will make all reasonable efforts to provide relevant information about the assignment. The governance of the project will respect the terms of the agreement between the client and IGNEOS, in order to be able to deal with the consequences of any breach of the agreement.
IGNEOS will apply the agreed methodology and project management principles throughout the engagement.
IGNEOS ensures that the assignment is carried out effectively and efficiently.
Resource management
All resources involved in the assignment will be adequate, and managed in accordance with the agreement between IGNEOS and the client.
Progress monitoring and change control
The progress of the assignment against the work plan is monitored and formally established. Significant changes may occur that go beyond the initial scope of the agreement. These will be considered as new entries in the offer and/or execution phases.
Risk management
Both commercial and assignment-related risks (deviations from the work plan, changes in the context, new customer expectations, etc.) will be continually assessed and managed as far as possible. Risk management identifies, analyses, evaluates and prioritises potential risks, and coordinates and applies the resources required to minimise, monitor and control the probability and impact of unforeseen events.
Quality
The client and IGNEOS follow an agreed quality plan to ensure that the service is delivered and the results are delivered.
Communications et reporting
The communication principles agreed at the tender stage will be followed throughout the engagement and will include regular progress and risk reports as appropriate.
Approvals and acceptances
A process is agreed for the validation of all services provided during the engagement. The commercial implications of validation or rejection will be dealt with in accordance with the agreement.
CLOSURE
The assignment is completed when the client approves and accepts the service provided and the deliverables. IGNEOS cannot consider the assignment closed until the closing procedures have been completed. These cover the following points
- legal and contractual issues
- final assessment and improvements
- administrative issues
- communication
- intellectual property;
- minor outstanding issues.
Objectives
The aim of the closure phase is to agree on the end of the assignment in a structured way after the service has been completed.
Contribution
The close-out process begins when it is decided that the engagement is complete, normally when the agreed service has been delivered. A close-out cannot occur until the originally agreed service has been provided. In such cases, the initial agreement between the client and IGNEOS may be amended.
Résult
The closing process has a number of outcomes, including:
- The release of all parties from their obligations under the terms of the agreement;
- The fulfilment of ongoing obligations between IGNEOS and the customer (e.g. warranties, confidentiality, management of outstanding issues, etc.);
- payment of invoices, expenses, etc.
Content
Legal and contractual issues:
IGNEOS implements all necessary arrangements to ensure that all legal and contractual matters can be dealt with promptly and efficiently in accordance with the agreement. These arrangements include:
- Invoicing and payment;
- IGNEOS' statement of expenditure;
- validations;
- release of resources (including subcontractors);
- guarantees,
- confidentiality
- intellectual property rights;
- obligations remaining after closing (e.g. legal provisions, confidentiality and
- confidentiality and non-competition clauses, outstanding issues, etc.).
Final evaluation and improvement:
Although no evaluation method is specified in the agreement, IGNEOS learns from its assignments so that it can apply them for all purposes of improvement. An evaluation may be required for contractual reasons in order to determine the fees paid. If this is the case, IGNEOS and the client will agree on the most appropriate valuation method.
IGNEOS has expertise in appraisal and ensures that strengths and opportunities for improvement are recorded and shared amongst staff.
Administratives issues :
IGNEOS ensures that all administrative matters are dealt with quickly and efficiently. These processes may include:
- indexing, filing, archiving;
- backup of data and records
- the return of customer property, equipment and facilities (e.g. files, records, data, security passes);
- the use of subcontractors and internal resources;
- completion of internal quality assurance procedures.
Communication :
IGNEOS ensures that all communication obligations regarding the assignment are fulfilled (confidentiality agreements, preparation of case studies, articles, reference requests, etc.) and that the client is debriefed at the end of the assignment.
Minor outstanding issues :
IGNEOS follows a process, agreed with the client, to resolve any outstanding minor issues after completion of the assignment so that closure can be agreed.
made in Bruxelles, on 15 February 2021 and updated on 6 june 2024