Expectation of performance levels pertinent to consultant performance evaluation

More and more clients seek to measure the performance of Engineering Consultants (ECs) and amass a set of Consultant Performance Evaluation (CPE) records with an intention to monitor the quality of consultancy service and facilitate subsequent decisions. To extent the breadth and hence the reliability of the data source, an exchange of performance records amongst different clients is desirable. However, as CPE criteria could vary from one client to another, the desired aim of establishing a more comprehensive performance profile of ECs may not be realised even if clients agree to share such information. Furthermore, in the absence of a systematic guideline, the appraisal of ECs' performance is likely to be conducted in an individualistic manner. In this paper, a set of common CPE criteria pertinent to the service offered at the design stage and the Quantitative Indicators (QI) pertinent to each criterion are first identified. In order to improve the fairness of CPE, the expectations that best describe the various performance levels of each QI are unveiled. Having a better understanding on the expectations of various performance levels could ensure the CPE be conducted in a more objective and unified manner. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd and IPMA.