1. Conformity Assessment in the Public Procurement of Accessible ICT
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

2. Contents Introduction Approach The dimensionsCF
Introduction
Approach
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

3. to verify that the products fulfil the accessibility requirements
Introduction I A D E C S CF
Public procurement as a tool for improving accessibility
Report 1 (ETSI)
Functional accessibility requirements, standards and current state of public procurement of accessible ICT
Europe: Mandate M/376  functional accessibility requirements for ICT
Report 2 (CEN / CENELEC)
Conformity assessment schemes and supplier’s ability and capacities
Phase 2
Phase 1
to verify that the products fulfil the accessibility requirements
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

4. The CEN/CENELEC Project TeamI A D E C S CF
Enrique Varela (ES)
Klaus-Peter Wegge (GE)
Clas Thorén (SE)
Project Leader
Eric Velleman (NL)
Loïc Martínez (ES)
Liaison with ETSI
Stephan Corvers
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

5. Some definitions Conformity Assessment Conformity Assessment SystemCF
A demonstration that specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or body are fulfilled
Conformity Assessment
A set of rules, procedures and management for carrying out conformity assessment
Conformity Assessment System
A conformity assessment system related to specified objects to which the same specified requirements, rules and procedures apply
Conformity Assessment Scheme
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

6. Our approach 1. Search for existing schemes and systemsCF
1. Search for existing schemes and systems
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

7. The functional model I A D E C Selection S CF Determination
Need to demonstrate fulfilment
of specified requirements
Selection
Information on selected items
Determination
Information on fulfilment of specified requirements
yes
Surveillance needed?
Review and attestation
Fulfilment of specified requirements demonstrated no
End
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

8. Method of determination External determination Review and attestation
The dimensions I A D E C S CF
Method of determination
Type of requirements
Selection
Determination
External determination
Scalability
Type of party
Type of party
Existence
Review and attestation
Surveillance
Detail of attestation
Complaint system
Publicity
Other
Mandatory
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

9. Types of parties I A D E C S CF
EN ISO/IEC 17000
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
First
The person or organization that provides the object
Type B
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
Or a body supplying inspection services only to their parent organization
Second
Person or organization that has a user interest in the object (purchasers, users,…)
Type of party
Third
Person or body that is independent of the person or organization that provides the object and of user interests in that object
Accredited
Type C
anybody that is involved in the design, manufacture, supply, installation, use or maintenance of items that they inspect)
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

10. Existing Systems and SchemesCF
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
General
Most for web sites
Several categories
For ICT Accessibility
CE marking, Cencer, Common criteria and Keymark
In other domains
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

11. The criteria I A D E C S CF
Type of product
Product
Market
Competition
State of technology
Market awareness
Time to market
Public admin. (contracting authority)
Market surveillance
Life span
Public procurement characteristics
Competitors’ surveillance
Rate of changes
Barriers to trade
Adaptability
Independent Expertise on accessibility
Interoperability with assistive technologies
Users
Size of suppliers of the product
Total cost of ownership
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

12. The criteria I A D E C S CF
Product
Market
Public task
Type of procurement
Geographical focus
Type of procedure
Public admin. (contracting authority)
In-house expertise on accessibility
Electronic procurement
Public procurement characteristics
Prior existence of the product
Legal requirements
Amount of units
Risk of harm
Users
Budget
Risk of social exclusion
Liability and accountability
Confidence
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

13. The hypothetical scenariosD E C S CF
To apply the analysis model of the procurement contexts
Detailing the influence of the criteria on the dimensions
Intention
Set of units of desktop laser printers
Frame contract for mobile communications
Development of a web site
Road traffic management system
Four scenarios
Description
Values assigned to the criteria of public procurement
Recommended values for the dimensions of conformity assessment
Recommended conformity assessment system
For each scenario
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

14. Contract for mobile communicationsD E C S CF
Local authority: employees
To substitute fixed phones and
Some accessibility requirements set by the procurers
Description
Type of product: service + hardware
Time to market: short
Risk of social exclusion: high
Relevant criteria
Type of requirements: other
Type of party (attestation): first
Detail of attestation: detailed (human)
Potential values for dimensions
Supplier’s declaration of conformity (ISO/IEC 17050)
Recommendations
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

15. Conclusions and future workCF
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.
Conclusions
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
Future work: phase 2
ITU-T Workshop on Accessibility Geneva, 2 November 2009

16. Recommendations for standardsCF
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

17. Thank you for listening!
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!
Geneva, 2 November 2009