With the rapid development of China’s economy and the acceleration of industrialization, the engineering consulting industry—playing a crucial role as a key support for economic and social development—has its service quality directly impacting the success or failure of projects and the sustainability of economic growth. Against this backdrop, the General Principles for Evaluating the Quality of Engineering Consulting Services (No. 12 of 2024) has been introduced, providing clear guidance and standards for the development of the engineering consulting industry.

I. The Importance of the Engineering Consulting Industry

Engineering consulting is a highly specialized service that is intensely knowledge- and technology-intensive, covering numerous fields in both natural sciences and social sciences. It brings scientific insights into national economic and social development, investment decision-making for construction projects, and the implementation of economic activities. Engineering consulting plays a crucial role in promoting the quality improvement of engineering planning, construction, operation, maintenance, and the entire industrial chain, as well as in fostering high-quality economic development and accelerating the growth of new, high-quality productive forces. The engineering consulting industry plays a pivotal role in stages such as project initiation and investment decision-making, serving as the foundation for ensuring the scientific rigor, rationality, and feasibility of projects.

II. Background for the Development of the General Principles for Evaluating the Quality of Engineering Consulting Services

To implement the "National Standardization Development Outline" (Zhong Fa [ In accordance with the spirit and arrangements of documents such as Document No. 34 [2021] and the “Administrative Measures for Group Standards of the China Engineering Consulting Association (Trial),” we are steadily advancing the standardization efforts in the engineering consulting industry, enhancing the quality and efficiency of engineering consulting services, regulating the conduct of practitioners and the management of engineering consulting service institutions, and promoting high-quality development of the engineering consulting industry. To this end, the China Engineering Consulting Association has released the “General Principles for Evaluating the Quality of Engineering Consulting Services.”

III. Main Contents of the General Principles for Evaluating the Quality of Engineering Consulting Services

The "General Principles for Quality Evaluation of Engineering Consulting Services" is the guiding document for the series of quality evaluation standards for engineering consulting services. Its evaluation principles, methods, indicator system, and basic procedures serve as the fundamental guidelines for the preparation of all implementation guidance documents. This general principle applies to the quality evaluation of engineering consulting service activities and aims to lay the foundation for the establishment of the engineering consulting standards system by the China Engineering Consulting Association.

(1) Evaluation Principles

The General Provisions clearly define the principles that should be followed in evaluating the quality of engineering consulting services, including scientific rigor, fairness, and objectivity. These principles ensure the credibility and authority of the evaluation results and provide engineering consulting service providers with clear guidelines for their conduct.

(2) Evaluation Method

The general provisions specify concrete evaluation methods that cover all stages—from project planning to operation and maintenance. These methods take into account both the complexity and diversity of engineering consulting, while also emphasizing the feasibility of practical implementation, thereby providing clear guidance for evaluation work.

(3) Indicator System

The indicator system is the core component for evaluating the quality of engineering consulting services. The General Provisions have established a comprehensive and systematic indicator system that covers all aspects of engineering consulting—from technical capabilities and management levels to customer satisfaction—providing quantifiable standards for evaluation work.

(4) Basic Procedures

The basic procedures for evaluation have been clearly defined, including stages such as initiating the evaluation, collecting data, conducting analysis and assessment, and providing feedback on the results. These procedures ensure that the evaluation work is systematic and standardized, thereby helping to improve both the efficiency and quality of the evaluation.

(5) Scope of Application

This document establishes the scope, principles, content, methods, and basic procedures for evaluating the quality of engineering consulting services.

This document applies to planning consulting, project feasibility study consulting, project evaluation consulting, policy research consulting, preparation of project application reports and funding application reports, preparation of energy-saving reports for projects, social stability risk assessment consulting, and public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives. Engineering consulting services including PPP project consulting, project investment and financing planning consulting, post-project evaluation consulting, real estate investment trust (REITs) valuation consulting, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) assessment consulting.

Note 1: The scope of engineering consulting services referred to in this document primarily encompasses various engineering consulting services under the jurisdiction of national and local development and reform authorities.

Note 2: Engineering consulting services managed by other government administrative departments—such as design consulting, cost consulting, engineering supervision, project management, and project operation and maintenance consulting—shall have their quality evaluated in accordance with the relevant evaluation standards. This document is for reference only.

IV. The Significance of the General Principles for Evaluating the Quality of Engineering Consulting Services

The release and implementation of the General Principles for Evaluating the Quality of Engineering Consulting Services mark an important step forward for China’s engineering consulting industry in terms of standardization and regularization. This initiative not only helps enhance the quality and efficiency of engineering consulting services, standardize the conduct of practitioners and the management of engineering consulting service providers, but also enables the engineering consulting industry to play a pivotal role in a series of advisory services related to project planning and investment decision-making, thereby providing strong support for promoting the sustained and healthy development of the industry. At the same time, it offers engineering consulting service providers clear directions for development and behavioral guidelines, which will help elevate the industry’s overall professionalism and service quality.