RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE GPA/IC/W/18
19April 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-0947)
Interim Committee onGovernment Procurement
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INGOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
Possible Issues forExamination Identified asaResult
ofConsultations withDelegations
Communication from theChairman
Thispaper reproduces thelistofpossible issues forexamination identified asaresult of
consultations withdelegations thatwassubmitted bytheChairman totheInterim Committee on
Government Procurement atitsmeeting of4April 1995. Thislistwasdrawn upbytheChairman
asagreed bytheInterim Committee atitsmeeting of15November 1994.
GENERAL
1. Thereplies given bydelegations (reproduced indocument GPA/IC/W/7 plustenAddenda)
tothequestionnaire (GPA/IC/W/4/Rev.1) basically address twodistinct categories ofuseofinformation
technology: onecategory addressing theaccess toprocurement opportunities contained ondatabases
andonecategory addressing thecarrying outofasignificant partoftheprocurement process through
electronic means, going beyond thedissemination ofopportunities. Dodelegations finditdesirable
tostructure thediscussion ontheuseofinformation technology along those twoseparate categories
ofuse?
FOLLOW UPTOQUESTIONNAIRE
2. Inrelation toeachcategory ofuseofinformation technology, afollow uptothereplies given
bydelegations tothequestionnaire maybedesirable. Delegations aretherefore invited tosubmit
supplementary questions (orsupplementary information) tothesecretariat forcirculation totheMembers
oftheInterim Committee, before thedateofthenextmeeting soastoallow forafruitful discussion
atthatmeeting.
ACCESS TOPROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES
3. Compatibility ofdatabases. Towhatextent dotheexisting andplanned databases ofsignatories
haveincommon witheachother information theycontain andthestructure within which itisorganized
andwhataretheimplications ofthisforthecompatibilities ofdifferent systems?
4. What common guidelines regarding format arerequired inorder toassist foreign, aswellas
domestic, suppliers retrieve information, encourage themtocompete, andensure thattheycanquickly
andpainlessly findthetenders relevant totheirlineofbusiness?
5. Howshould access besetupandwhoshould payforit?Willsuppliers havetosubscribe to
each system, orwillitbesetupontheInternet, freeforanyone whohasanInternet account?
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6. Dataswaps among Parties. Where databases arebeing developed orexist, should apossibility
existorbedeveloped toswap dataamong Parties? Dodelegations consider dataswaps economically
viable? What obstacles currently exist, suchaslicensing restrictions etc.?
7. Ifso,would itbedesirable tofindways andmeans tofacilitate those swaps? Itwould appear
thatthiswould tosome extent depend ontheexistence ofaminimum amount ofcommon, structured,
information andthepossibility toestablish correspondences between classification systems usedby
signatories intheirrespective databases (anygiven object ofprocurement, e.g.apen,should be
identified byallsignatories inarecognizable wayintheirdatabases).
ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT
8. Atthelastmeeting, thequestion wasraised whether, totheextent information technology had
been, orwasbeing brought intouseinprocurement systems, appropriate usewould bemade ofthe
international standards toensure thatdatainterchange becarried outinastructured standardized manner,
allowing forinternational use. Thequestion wasalsoraised whether, intheevent thatthiswasnot
thecase, delegations could make acommitment tousethese standards infuture, withaprecise time-
table.
9. Intheevent VAN'sarebeing usedandtotheextent thatinternational access tothemisdesirable,
howcanways andmeans bedefined toensure suchinternational access?
CONCERNING BOTH CATEGORIES
10. Compatibility oftheprovisions oftheAgreement withtheuseofinformation technology in
government procurement. Towhatextent aretheprovisions oftheAgreement sufficiently flexible
toallow fortheuseofinformation technology ingovernment procurement? Should governments be
allowed torequire firms totender exclusively byelectronic means? Ifso,forwhattypes and/or values
ofcontracts?