RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE GPA/W/24
22August 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-3288)
Committee onGovernment Procurement
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: REVISED QUESTIONNAIRE
Note from theSecretariat
Attheinvitation oftheInterim Committee, theSecretariat prepared, on16September 1994,
aquestionnaire ontheuseofinformation technology ingovernment procurement inthevarious
Signatories (GPA/IC/W/4/Rev.1). Replies werereceived fromSweden, Japan, Switzerland, Finland,
theEuropeanCommunities,theUnitedStates,Norway,Austria,Canada,KoreaandIsrael(GPA/IC/W/7
andAddenda 1,2,3,4,5,6andSuppl. 1,7,8,9and10,respectively). Atitsmeeting of4June1996,
theCommittee onGovernment Procurement asked theSecretariat torevise thequestionnaire inthe
wayproposed indocument GPA/W/15, Information Technology: Compilation ofIssues (GPA/M/2,
paragraphs 44and45).
Themaindifferences between theattached revised questionnaire andtheearlier questionnaire
aretheadditional subpoints (ix)to(xiv) toQuestion 5andQuestion 6which focused onelectronic
procurement. TheoldQuestion 5hasbeendeleted because thenormative aspects ofthematter are
under discussion intheCommittee andthefactual aspects arepicked upinQuestion 6.Parties are
invited toprovide updated responses tothequestionnaire asawhole, where possible before the
Committee meeting of20September 1996 and,inanyevent, by15October 1996.GPA/W/24
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QUESTIONNAIRE ONINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
1. Could delegations giveabriefdescription ofanystepstaken orplanned tointroduce information
technology intopublic procurement? Ifso,doesthiscover contracts which arecovered under the
1994 Agreement? Atalllevels ofgovernment? Intheevent thatdelegations arenotconsidering
introducing information technology intopublic procurement, could theyexplain thereasons?
2. What function(s) would information technology serve insuchsystems andwhowillbetheusers?
Examplesoffunctions:managementofprocedures,notificationoftenderopportunities,exchange
oftenderinformation,distributionoftenderdocumentation,submissionoftenders,notificationofcontract
awards, payment, added value services, including technical assistance tousers, surveillance.
Examples ofusers: contracting entities, suppliers (SMEs inparticular), supervisory authorities.
3. Could delegations describe thetechnical aspects ofthesystems inuseorplanned? Inparticular
asregards infrastructure/hardware-software anditsoptions/standards?
4. Could delegations describe anylimitations affecting access toinformation available anduse
ofsystems? How wideispotential access tointerested suppliers? What aretheaccess possibilities
forsuppliers ofother signatory countries? What possible obstacles toaccess might ariseforsuppliers
inother signatory countries?
Forexample, intheevent thatanelectronic database isavailable, howcansuppliers (both
domestic andforeign) access thedatabase?
5. Forthose Parties whousedatabases which listgovernment procurement opportunities:
(i) What arethenames oftheirdatabases?
(ii) How longhave thedatabases been operational andhowmany suppliers usethe
databases?
(iii) Isafeecharged tosuppliers using thesystems? Ifso,howmuch, andwhatisincluded
inthefee?
(iv) Cansuppliers obtain tender documentation electronically? Ifso,how?
(v) How isinformation onthedatabases organized?
(vi) Dothedatabases offer anyother features?
(vii) What istheapproximate number ofprocurement opportunities listed onthedatabases
annually?
(viii) Arethesystems managed bythegovernment oraprivate company?GPA/W/24
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(ix) CanParties 'databases beinterrogated using international standards, suchasSQL-
Standard Query Language?
(x) Areallnotices which arerequired tobepublished under Articles IXandXVIII:1 of
theAgreement -forentities inAnnexes 1,2and3-alsoavailable ondatabases? If
so,dosuchnotices contain atleasttheminimum information required tobepublished
under Articles IXandXVIII:1?
(xi) How areAgreement-covered notices identified?
(xii) Towhatextent doeseachtypeofnotice contained indatabases conform toastandard
structure?
(xiii) Isanyparticular classification usedinsuchnotices todescribe purchases and,ifso,
which classification?
(xiv) Where databases exist inanon-WTO language, towhat extent arenotices and
information summarized inaWTO language?
6. Forthose Parties whoareinvolved inaction intheareaofelectronic commerce:
(i) Pleaseprovidefullinformationonprojectsandplanswithregardtoelectroniccommerce.
(ii) Could thoseParties whohaveexperience withelectronic commerce provide information
onsuchexperiences?
Inresponding tothese questions, Parties areinvited to:
- provide anyadditional information torespond tothepoints inQuestions 4and5as
theyrelate toelectronic procurement systems;
- indicate thepresent andplanned coverage ofprocurement operations byelectronic
systems andhowthisrelates toGPA coverage;
- indicate theextent towhich electronic procurement isplanned toco-exist withorreplace
hard-copy-based procedures;
- indicate thestandards used/planned forelectronic communication under thesystems
andhowthese relate totheUNEDIFACT standard;
- indicate anyexperience/plans inregard todeadlines forsubmission oftenders andother
time-limits;
- indicate anyexperience with thenumber oftenders received under electronic
procurement systems compared tohard-copy-based systems;
- provide information ontechniques evolved forensuring theconfidentiality andsecurity
ofinformation exchanged andpayments made andthelegal validity ofdocuments
submitted.