ITU-T Workshop
"The impact of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities on the work of the ITU-T"
Geneva, 2 November 2009
Conformity Assessment in the Public
Procurement of Accessible ICT
Loïc Martínez1, Clas Thorén2
1Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
2Clas Thorén Consulting
Geneva, 2 November 2009
International
Telecommunication
Union
I
Contents
A
D
Introduction
E
C
Approach
S
CF
The dimensions
Existing conformity assessment systems and
schemes
The criteria
The scenarios
Conclusions and future work
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
Geneva, 2 November 2009
International
Telecommunication
Union
2
I
Introduction
A
D
E
C
Public procurement as a tool for
improving accessibility
S
CF
Europe: Mandate M/376 
functional accessibility
requirements for ICT
Phase 2
Report 1 (ETSI)
Functional accessibility
requirements, standards and
current state of public
procurement of accessible ICT
Report 2 (CEN / CENELEC)
Conformity assessment
schemes and supplier’s ability
and capacities
Phase 1
to verify that the
products fulfil the
accessibility
requirements
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
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I
A
The CEN/CENELEC Project Team
D
E
C
S
Enrique Varela (ES)
Klaus-Peter Wegge (GE)
CF
Clas Thorén (SE)
Project Leader
Eric Velleman (NL)
Loïc Martínez (ES)
Liaison with ETSI
Stephan Corvers
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
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I
A
Some definitions
D
E
C
S
CF
Conformity Assessment
• A demonstration that specified requirements relating
to a product, process, system, person or body are
fulfilled
Conformity Assessment System
• A set of rules, procedures and management for
carrying out conformity assessment
Conformity Assessment Scheme
• A conformity assessment system related to specified
objects to which the same specified requirements,
rules and procedures apply
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
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I
A
Our approach
D
E
C
1. Search for existing
schemes and systems
S
CF
2. Model to analyze the
properties of schemes and
systems: Dimensions
4. Define a model to analyze
a public procurement
context: Criteria
3. Describe schemes and
systems using the
dimensions
5. Apply criteria to describe
hypothetical scenarios and
recommend values for
dimensions
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
Geneva, 2 November 2009
International
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I
A
The functional model
D
E
Need to demonstrate fulfilment
of specified requirements
C
S
Selection
Information on
selected items
Determination
Information on
fulfilment of specified
requirements
CF
yes
Review and
attestation
Fulfilment of specified
requirements
demonstrated
Surveillance
needed?
no
End
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
Geneva, 2 November 2009
International
Telecommunication
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7
I
The dimensions
A
D
E
C
S
Type of
requirements
Method of
determination
Selection
Determination
Scalability
CF
External
determination
Type of party
Type of party
Existence
Review and
Detail of
attestation
Surveillance
attestation
Publicity
Mandatory
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
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Complaint
system
Other
International
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I
Types of parties
A
D
E
EN ISO/IEC 17000
C
S
First
The person or organization
that provides the object
CF
Second
Person or organization that
has a user interest in the
object (purchasers, users,…)
Type of party
Accredited
Third
Person or body that is
independent of the person or
organization that provides
the object and of user
interests in that object
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
Geneva, 2 November 2009
EN ISO/IEC 17020
Type A
A fully independent body, which is not
linked to a party directly involved in
design, manufacture, supply,
installation, purchase, ownership, use
or maintenance of the items inspected
or similar competitive items
Type B
a) A demonstrably separate and
identifiable part of an organization
that is involved in the design,
manufacture, supply, installation,
use or maintenance of items that
they inspect
b) Or a body supplying inspection
services only to their parent
organization
Type C
anybody that is involved in the design,
manufacture, supply, installation, use
or maintenance of items that they
inspect)
International
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I
A
Existing Systems and Schemes
D
E
C
S
CF
General
• As defined by International and European
Standards: first party, SDoC, second party, third party,
inspection, certification.
• In addition, a generic methodology for the web:
UWEM
For ICT Accessibility
• Most for web sites
• Several categories
In other domains
• CE marking, Cencer, Common criteria and Keymark
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
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I
The criteria
A
D
E
Type of product
C
State of
technology
Product
Time to market
Public admin.
(contracting
authority)
Market
Market awareness
S
CF
Life span
Adaptability
Total cost of
ownership
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
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Market
surveillance
Public
procurement
characteristics
Rate of changes
Interoperability
with assistive
technologies
Competition
Users
Competitors’
surveillance
Barriers to trade
Independent
Expertise on
accessibility
Size of suppliers
of the product
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The criteria
A
D
E
C
Public task
S
Geographical
focus
CF
In-house
expertise on
accessibility
Product
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
Geneva, 2 November 2009
Electronic
procurement
Public
procurement
characteristics
Prior existence of
the product
Amount of units
Risk of harm
Confidence
Type of
procurement
Type of procedure
Public admin.
(contracting
authority)
Legal
requirements
Risk of social
exclusion
Market
Users
Budget
Liability and
accountability
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A
The hypothetical scenarios
D
E
Intention
C
• To apply the analysis model of the procurement contexts
• Detailing the influence of the criteria on the dimensions
S
CF
Four scenarios
•
•
•
•
Set of units of desktop laser printers
Frame contract for mobile communications
Development of a web site
Road traffic management system
For each scenario
• Description
• Values assigned to the criteria of public procurement
• Recommended values for the dimensions of conformity
assessment
• Recommended conformity assessment system
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
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International
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A
D
E
C
S
CF
Contract for mobile communications
Description
•Local authority: 200-250 employees
•To substitute fixed phones and e-mail
•Some accessibility requirements set by the procurers
Relevant criteria
•Type of product: service + hardware
•Time to market: short
•Risk of social exclusion: high
Potential values for dimensions
•Type of requirements: other
•Type of party (attestation): first
•Detail of attestation: detailed (human)
Recommendations
•Supplier’s declaration of conformity (ISO/IEC 17050)
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
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International
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Conclusions and future work
D
E
C
S
CF
Conclusions
• The procurement of ICT is a highly complex process with many
variables
• It is unlikely that only one conformity assessment scheme or
system can be applied across all situations
• The European procurement legislation give the contracting
authority limited freedom of choice
• The assessment of conformity to specified requirements is a
fundamental element of the evaluation of tenders.
Future work: phase 2
• Phase 1: finished. CEN, CENELEC and ETSI have approved the
reports and have sent them to the European Commission
• Phase 2: to start in the near future
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
Geneva, 2 November 2009
International
Telecommunication
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15
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A
Recommendations for standards
D
E
1.
C
S
CF
2.
3.
Draft standards according to
relevant standards on conformity
assessment (ISO/IEC 17007)
Include testing methods for
requirements in the standards
Include criteria for conformity and
levels of accessibility
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility
Geneva, 2 November 2009
International
Telecommunication
Union
16
ITU-T Workshop
"The impact of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities on the work of the ITU-T"
Geneva, 2 November 2009
Thank you for listening!
loic@fi.upm.es
clas.thoren@gmail.com
Geneva, 2 November 2009
International
Telecommunication
Union