The IDA (Interchange of Data Between Administrations) has announced a public survey tool for an eProcurement XML Study related to the revision of data models and XML schemas for e-procurement systems.

Evaluation of the IDA XML schemas by eProcurement experts follows publication of IDA working documents earlier in 2004, where four phases were covered: ordering, invoicing, tendering, and awarding. IDA intends to produce another release of the data models and XML schemas, and solicits public input that will affect major design decisions.

A posting from Pim van der Eijk (OASIS) reports that "there is an ongoing dialogue between IDA and some people in OASIS/UBL. We are encouraging organizations in the IDA community and their contractors to work with(in) the UBL TC to make sure the UBL schemas meet European requirements for public procurement. Several of the leading European public e-procument systems already use UBL and are eager to see it more widely adopted."

In keeping with the IDA's requirements for an integrated information model, "the structure of the current XML schemas is extensible. Other phases that have not yet been modelled, such as eCatalogue exchanges, harmonisation and modelling of administrative information, may easily be integrated in a second step."

In order to test the XML schemas and data models across European Member States, "pilot projects at national level are under consideration, involving Member States as well as software vendors. Moreover, in cooperation with CEN/ISSS and UN/CEFACT, the XML schemas are currently being reviewed by eProcurement experts to make these compatible with international standards and further improve and enhance their scope for standardisation. This process should involve constant exchange and feedback with national initiatives."

IDA is a "European programme using information and communication technologies to support exchange of information between administrations. Its objective is to improve Community decision-making, facilitate operation of the internal market and accelerate policy implementation. In the public procurement area, interactive services have been identified as key to reducing borders and contributing to the enforcement of the single European Market and the competitiveness of European businesses."

In 2003 and 2004 IDA funded an eProcurement XML Schemas Initiative as a study "in order to define and promote pan-European guidelines for data exchange in the public e-procurement domain, using common and standard data description syntax (XML schemas). This study is in line with the new legislative framework for electronic public procurement in the European Union."

The IDA's underlying XML model "strongly relies upon existing work already carried out by Member States or by international standardisation groups such as OASIS, UN/CEFACT or RosettaNet. Care has been taken to keep the XML model as simple as possible, to make it easy to understand and to implement for SMEs and big companies alike, as well as for the different public administrations within the European Member States."

Based on a bottom-up approach, the modelling cycle "started with the analysis of existing works carried out by Member States or by international standardisation bodies. The initiative covers all types of purchases made in the public sector (supplies, services and/or works) as well as the different award procedures established in the Directives: open procedure, restricted procedure, competitive dialogue, negotiated procedure with or without advertisement and framework agreement. Using the IDA XML schemas initiative will enable economic operators to be notified of new business opportunities, to download tender documents, to interact with public Contracting Authorities and submit their offer through electronic means."

Bibliographic Information

Current designs for data models and XML schemas are provided in two IDA working documents:

• IDA E-Procurement Protocol XML Schemas Initiative: e-Ordering and e-Invoicing Phases. IDA working document. Version 2.0. October 2004. 77 pages.

  The scope of this document is the specification of business documents exchanged between a public sector buyer and an external supplier during the ordering and invoicing phases, from the phase of ordering through to remittance. It covers any type of purchase made in the public sector, ie supplies, services or works.

  The specification has been greatly inspired from the OGC model developed by the Office of Government Commerce in the UK, the eHandel model developed in Norway and the UBL standard edited by OASIS. It describes business processes involved and data models using UML diagrams. This document includes in appendix a gap analysis between the three models indicated above and the one we herein propose.

  Many projects or standards (EDIFACT, X12, Rosettanet, UBL and other national, regional or industryspecific initiatives) have developed electronic order and invoice messages. All the message definitions are very similar in essence but all have significant differences. The gap is usually due to different decisions as regards recurring questions or issues that arose during the process of designing them. For this reason, a dedicated section lists issues and decisions made; this section ensures traceability and subsequently eases understanding of the IDA e-procurement model as well as maintaining it.

  Although an implementation of the proposed model in the form of a set of XML schemas is also provided, the model (processes and information model) does not rely on XML. It could therefore be implemented using a different technology such as ASN1 for example..." [Scope Statement]

• IDA E-Procurement Protocol XML Schemas Initiative: e-Tendering and e-Awarding Phases. Copyright (c) European Communities, 2004. 55 pages. IDA working document. Version 1.3. June 2004.

  "This study aims at specifying the business documents exchanged between a public sector buyer and suppliers during the e-Tendering and e-Awarding phases in electronic public procurement. The scope of this document is the specification of business documents exchanged between a public sector buyer and an external supplier during the tendering and awarding phases in electronic public procurement. It covers the different award procedures established in the Directives: open procedure, restricted procedure, competitive dialogue, negotiated procedure with or without advertisement and framework agreement.

  The study provides for an implementation of the proposed model in the form of a set of XML schemas. However, the processes and information model itself does not rely on XML. It could therefore be implemented using a different technology such as ASN1 for example. The specification includes: (1) The present document which details business processes involved and data models using UML diagrams; (2) A set of .xsd files containing the definition of the W3C XML schemas..." [Scope Statement]

About IDA

"IDA (Interchange of Data Between Administrations) is a European programme using advances in information and communication technology to support electronic exchange of information between public administrations across Europe. Its objective is to set-up and manage networks and services enabling administrations in the Member States and at EU level to exchange data electronically in order to implement European policies and legislation.

By providing essential tools supporting secure communications across Europe, IDA plays a decisive role in the fulfilment of EU policy objectives and the efficient management of the Internal Market. In particular, IDA is a major contributor to reaching the eGovernment objectives of the eEurope Action Plan. IDA is managed by the IDA Unit in the European Commission's Enterprise Directorate General..." [IDA home page]