Which consultant should we hire? An explorative study of how quality is evaluated ex ante in public procurement

The aim of this study is to investigate how the quality of management consulting services is evaluated ex ante by public contracting authorities. Building on an explorative document study of 96 invitations to tender for management consulting services published in 2008-2012, seven different evaluation methods and four quality dimensions are identified. The findings indicate a trend among the contracting authorities from mainly using objective and quantitative evaluation methods, towards an increased use of subjective and qualitative evaluation methods. Based on the findings, it is suggested that public contracting authorities are becoming more professional and reaching higher levels of purchasing maturity.