RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE GPA/W/24/Add.2
30October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4567)
Original: English Committee onGovernment Procurement
QUESTIONNAIRE ONINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
INGOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
Response byCanada
Theattached communication contains thereplies from thedelegation ofCanada tothe
questionnaireonInformationTechnologyinGovernmentProcurementcontainedindocumentGPA/W/24,
dated 22August 1996.GPA/W/24/Add.2
Page2
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?
TheCanadian Government usestheOpen Bidding Service (OBS), aninternationally accessible
electronic database. MostPWGSC bidding opportunities forgoods andservices valued atover$25,000
areadvertised ontheOBS, aswellasconstruction, maintenance, architecture, engineering andleasing
opportunities over$60,000, communications professional services valued atover$50,000 andprinting
requirements valued atover$10,000. Allprocurement covered bytheWTO Agreement isadvertised
ontheOBS(acodeisusedtoindicate WTO coverage).
2. What function(s) would information technology serveinsuchsystems andwhowillbetheusers?
TheOBShasapproximately 25,000 subscribers. On-line subscribers canorder documents
directly while linked tothedatabase. Suppliers thatdonotusetheon-line feature oftheOBS, for
example users oftheGovernment Business Opportunities publication orsubscribers totheOBSbid
matching service, cancalltheBidRequest Line(phone orfax)toorder biddocuments. TheOBS
offers several options forthedelivery ofbiddocuments (fax,mail, courier, pickupordownload via
Internet forPWGSC opportunities).
Within theOBSmatching service, suppliers provide toOBSadescription ofthegoods and
services theysell.Using thisinformation, OBSscans itsdatabase andautomatically faxestosubscribers
those opportunities thatmatch theirprofile. Suppliers canthenorder thebiddocuments fromtheBid
Request Line. TheOBSalsolistsanumber ofinternational procurement opportunities from other
countries which areopen toCanadian suppliers. TheOBSsystem alsocontains news, information
andadvice ondoing business withthegovernment, export information from Foreign Affairs and
International Trade, andPublic Works andGovernment Services Canada 'sStandard Acquisition Clauses
andConditions manual.
3. Could delegations describe thetechnical aspects ofthesystems inuseorplanned? Inparticular
asregards infrastructure/hardware-software anditsoptions/standards?
TheOBSisaccessible byanymicrocomputer andmodem. Communications software provided
bytheOBSisforIBMs orcompatibles. Thebasic technical requirement forOBScommunications
canbemetwitha286computer andmodem. Telecommunications software isincluded withtheOBS
on-line subscription. Theservice isavailable seven daysaweek, 24hours aday. Easy-to-use menus
andkeyword search capability areavailable inbothFrench andEnglish.
4. Could delegations describe anylimitations affecting access toinformation available anduse
ofsystems? Howwideispotential access tointerested suppliers? What aretheaccess possibilities
forsuppliers ofother signatory countries? What possible obstacles toaccess might ariseforsuppliers
inother signatory countries?
Access tothedatabase isopentobothdomestic andinternational suppliers. Using theon-line
service, firms have immediate access toopportunity notices onthedaytheyarepublished. Bid
documents canbeordered andbeontheirwayinaslittleasfourhours. Tosubscribe totheOBS,
call(613) 737-3374 or1(800) 361-4637. TheOBS Web siteaddress ontheInternet is
http://www.obs.ism.ca.GPA/W/24/Add.2
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5. Forthose Parties whousedatabases which listgovernment procurement opportunities:
(i) What arethenames oftheirdatabases?
Thedatabase iscalled theOpen Bidding Service (OBS).
(ii) How longhave thedatabases been operational andhowmany suppliers usethe
databases?
TheOBSwasintroduced in1992 andhasapproximately 25,000 subscribers.
(iii) Isafeecharged tosuppliers using thesystem? Ifso,howmuch, andwhatisincluded
inthefee?
OBSsubscriber costs areasfollows:
- On-line subscription $130/year
or
- BidRequest Line $37/year
or
- BidMatching including On-line Subscription $395/year
or
- BidMatching including theBidRequest Line
forConstruction andMaintenance, Architectural
andEngineering Services $195/year
Anadditional pre-payment deposit account of$100 which isdrawn down tocover thecosts
ofon-line time ($0.40/minute or$24/hour) forsubscribers accessing through datapac lines or
$12.00/month through theInternet, biddocuments, bidupdates andbidmatching leads.
(iv) Cansuppliers obtain tender documentation electronically? Ifso,how?
TheOBSoffers several options forthedelivery ofbiddocuments (fax, mail, courier, pick
upordownload viaInternet forPWGSC opportunities).
(v) Howisinformation onthedatabases organized?
Suppliers canbrowse through thelistings ordoaquick search using keywords tofind
opportunities thatareofinterest.
(vi) Dothedatabases offeranyother features?
TheOBS offers abidmatching service. On-line suppliers canalsofindoutwhich other
companies haveordered biddocuments. TheOBSalsolistsanumber ofinternational procurement
opportunities from other countries which areopentoCanadian suppliers. TheOBSsystem contains
news, information andadvice ondoing business withthegovernment, export information fromForeign
Affairs andInternational Trade andonPublic Works andGovernment Services Canada 'sStandard
Acquisition Clauses andConditions manual.
Byaccessing thedatabase offormer procurement opportunities, subscribers canfindwhatthe
government haspurchased inthepast,fromwhich companies andthetotaldollar value oftheawarded
contracts.GPA/W/24/Add.2
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(vii) What istheapproximate number ofprocurement opportunities listed onthedatabases
annually?
Intotalthere areapproximately 23,000 bidopportunities listed annually.
(viii) Arethesystems managed bythegovernment oraprivate company?
Thegovernment contracts thisservice toaprivate firm,ISMInformation Systems Management
Corporation.
(ix) CanParties 'databases beinterrogated using international standards, suchasSQL-
Standard Query Language?
TheOBSoffers user-friendly search features: menu driven, keyword, date,solicitation number,
truncation, logical andproximity connectors.
(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?
Procurement notices thatarerequired tobepublished under Articles IXandXVIII:1 forentities
inAnnex 1,Federal Government Entities, arepublished ontheOBS.
Thenotices onthedatabase contain alltheinformation forwhich publication isrequired under
Articles IXandXVIII:1, including themeans ofidentifying theoriginal tender notices towhich the
award notices relate.
(xi) HowareAgreement-covered notices identified?
Acodeisusedtoidentify thataprocurement iscovered bytheWTO Agreement.
(xii) Towhatextent doeseachtypeofnotice contained indatabases conform toastandard
structure?
Each typeofnotice isprepared using astandard "Procurement Notice" form.
(xiii) Isanyparticular classification usedinsuchnotices todescribe purchases and,ifso,
whatclassification?
Purchases areidentified summarily using theFederal Supply Classification forgoods, andthe
NAFTA Common Classification System forservices andconstruction. TheCommon Classification
System forconstruction work isbased ontheUnited Nations Central Product Classification.
(xiv) Where databases exist inanon-WTO language, towhat extent arenotices and
information summarized inaWTO language?
Procurement opportunities appear inCanada ’stwoofficial languages, French andEnglish.GPA/W/24/Add.2
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6. Forthose Parties whoareinvolved inaction intheareaofelectronic commerce:
(i) Pleaseprovidefullinformationonprojectsandplanswithregardtoelectroniccommerce.
Since 1992, Canada hasusedanelectronic tendering system called theOpen Bidding Service
(OBS), toadvertise procurement opportunities, distribute thedocuments necessary forasupplier to
submit aformal bid,andadvertise contract award notices. Allprocurement covered bytheWTO
Agreement isadvertised ontheOBS. Alarge number ofGovernment ofCanada non-WTO-covered
procurements, aswellasopportunities from theProvinces ofAlberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec,
NewBrunswick andSaskatchewan arealsoadvertised ontheservice.
TheOBS, managed byaprivate company, currently hasapproximately 25,000 subscribers.
Subscription options vary, fromon-line access viatheInternet, tobidrequests viaatoll-free telephone
line,to"bidmatching"wheresuppliersareautomaticallynotifiedbytheserviceproviderofopportunities
matching aprofile provided bythesupplier. Anyindividual ororganization worldwide maysubscribe.
Atanygiven time,therearemorethan1,000 active opportunities posted ontheOBS, withapproximately
60newnotices posted eachday.
Thecontract fortheexisting OBSexpires inMay1997, andtheprocurement forasuccessor
service iswellunder way. While theexact makeup ofthenewservice isnotknown atthistime, it
isfeltthattheprocess ofcontracting foranewservice provides theopportunity tocontinue thosefeatures
considered tobeofvalue tosuppliers, while affording theflexibility tomake improvements tothe
services insuchareas astechnology, easeofuse,andprice.
Itisanticipated thatthenewservice willbeeasily accessible toallsuppliers worldwide, and
willfeature allWTO-covered procurement plusmany non-WTO-covered opportunities. Suppliers will
beabletochoose fromelectronic andhardcopydocument delivery. Detailed information onthefeatures
available from thenewservice willbeavailable inMay1997.
(ii) Could those Parties whohaveexperience withelectronic commerce provide information
onsuchexperiences?
n.a.