TED ESPD Annual Seminar Report

Publications Office – ESPD EDM

Seminar Date/Time:

2023-11-30, 9.30 - 12.30

1. Summary of Seminar Objectives

  • Present the ESPD-EDM evolution during 2023

  • Present the implementation of version 3 carried out by interproc consortium

  • Show the evolution of the Procurement Ontology and eCertis

  • Introduce next steps, in particular the candidate ESPD-EDM release scheduled for Q2 2024

2. Seminar Agenda

  1. Introduction

  2. ESPD-EDM v3 - from Q4 2022 to Q3 2023

  3. ESPD-EDM v3.3.0 implementation

  4. ESPD-EDM v4.0.0 - 2024

  5. eProcurement Ontology eAccess - ESPD Request

  6. What’s up, eCertis? An Outlook

  7. Questions and answers (Q&A) - Slido

3. Seminar Report

3.1. Introduction

The main milestones since December 2022 were presented. These steps cover three minor versions of the ESPD-EDM (v3.1.0, v3.2.0, v3.3.0), as well as the candidate mayor (v4.0.0-rc) that is planned to be released in the second quarter of 2024.

Updated statistics (form mid-2023) about the versions of the ESPD-EDM used across Europe are presented.

A summary of the involvement and participation of the Open User Community through both the Open User Community meetings and the GitHub was provided.

3.2. ESPD-EDM v3 - from Q4 2022 to Q3 2023

The main updates included in the minor releases of the ESPD-EDM (v3.1.0 - December 2022, v3.2.0 - May 2023 and v3.3.0 - July 2023) were presented together with the related GitHub issues:

  • Occupation code list (ESCO):

    • The current technical code list is replaced by the Occupation code list published in EU Vocabularies (20220615-0) with the updated values from ESCO (Multilingual classification of European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations)

    • The ESPD-EDM v3.1.0 includes the gc generated and published on June 2022 by EU Vocabularies and maintains the metadata on the repository; the validation rules have been updated accordingly

    • Removal of the option “Other occupations” from the data structure and documentation, since this code list does not include the code "0000.0“ - other occupations, which was a customisation in the technical code list

  • Corrections in code lists:

    • Data Type: date format in code list Criterion

    • Financial ratio type: inconsistency between the language label and the actual language

  • Corrections in the data structure:

    • Data misplacement in several lines in Criteria 35, 52 and 53

    • Incorrect or missing cardinalities

    • Incorrect use of the UUID

    • New requirement within a requirement group to show the number of fiscal years to be covered and the threshold

  • Schematron rules

    • Incorrect validation related to the ProfileID version, rule deletion

  • SubCriterion

    • Documentation update to show how it should be used

  • Short Tag Name and Implicit Numbering

    • Documentation update and new section added with two figures

  • ESPD Test Cases Mapping Documentation:

    • For ESPD-EDM v2, the document “ESPD Test Cases Mapping” was provided with detailed information regarding business rules

    • In GitHub issue #331 it was reported that this document was a helpful tool for technical implementation (as it contained detailesd information regarding business rules) and was requested a similar document for v3

    • A simplified version of the ESPD Test Cases Mapping Documentation was elaborated and provided in Annex IV in the Technical Handbook for ESPD-EDM v3.1.0. The link to the Annex IV Businnes Rules Guide was provided

  • Corrections to the data structure:

    • Typos

    • UUDs

    • Update of mockups

    • Update of cardinalities

  • Removal of CustomizationID and ProfileID elements from ESPD artefacts

  • Re-introduction of the element ProcedureCode in the UML conceptual mode

  • Correction of date and time formats

  • Correction of several listId values and code lists updates

  • Percentage translation in ESPD XML files The link to the latest release tag which includes all changes and to the documentation were provided.

3.3. ESPD-EDM v3.3.0 implementation - Interproc consortium

Interproc consortium, started the implementation of the ESPD-EDM version 3.3.0 during 2023. The consortium has created several artifacts and supported the implementation of the ESPD in several systems. Interproc has been going during this year through the whole process of eTendering, not only the ESPD implementation and they have been concertrated into adapting to and implementing the eForms.

The consortium colleagues kindly shared their implementation of version 3 and its subversions in their ESPD platfoms during a live presentation with the Open User Community durin this Annual seminar. The demo includes the creation of a Request and of a Response using two diferent ESPD services, one by the contracting authority and a second one by the economic operator.

Also some expectations of what version 4.0.0 should cover were provided:

  • Move on with the xml path for the UUID logic to allow reuse of ESPD responses between tenders without mixin answers. This has been discussed during 2023 with the OUC

  • Support of distinct requirements under the same criteria when using lots.

In paralell the pending enhancements on eCertis side should be available to support multiple purely national exclusion grounds.

For a complete overview the video can be watched (chapter 1:00:29)

It is under consideration and discussion to publish the code as open source.

3.4. ESPD-EDM v4.0.0 - 2024

After the break the main updates that will be included in the major release v4.0.0, scheduled for Q2 2024, were presented, together with the related GitHub issues:

  • Different requirements for different lots:

    • Correction of an issue so different requirements can be set for different lots within a selection criterion (the current technical implementation in ESPD-EDM v3 does not allow multiple and different requirement per lot)

  • Purely National Exclusion Grounds:

    • Creation of an xml file test that includes question subgroup with multiple cardinality "1..n" replicated twice, allowing to provide more than one Purely National Exclusion Ground criterion

    • Update of the Data Structure, aimed at a more natural (semantic) way of providing evidences, the whole Criteria Excel file (not only Purely National Exclusion Grounds)

  • Update of the current UUID for repeatable subgroups:

    • Update excel criterion files and generation of xml samples files

    • XSLT updates: transformation from Excel to XML ESPD

  • Corrections in code lists:

    • Revision of description texts to ensure consistency between eCertis and the Taxonomy

    • Correction of a duplicated code in the occupations codelist and other possible ESCO updates

  • Validation rules:

    • Create validation rules for mandatory fields

    • Create validation rules for all ESPD code lists

  • UUIDs replacement by XML Path Like ID as discussed during 2023:

    • The problem statement: Currently, questions in criteria need to be instantiated for each procurement procedure instead of reusing criteria from earlier procurement procedures

    • The business requirements:

      • Ensure the connection for each criterion between ESPD Request and Response

      • Ensure reusability of criteria both in the Request and the Response across procurement procedures

      • Facilitate traceability and The Once-Only Principle (TOOP).

    • The proposed solution: Reduce the randomness on the ESPD by no longer using dynamic UUIDs and defining fixed identifiers for requirements and questions (identifiers are already fixed for criteria):

      • UUIDs will be replaced by a pre-defined short tag name for each element and a numbering according to the position within the tree structure, providing a path to a target criterion element. The new pattern focuses on the alignment of tags, syntax readability and indexing separation:

UUID Proposal1

  • The mapping between the criterion element short tag name proposed, the criterion element, and the UBL element, was provided. Several examples for the management of questions and the management of requirements were provided for a better understanding.

  • Only the UUID of the criteria, which is a fixed UUID, will be preserved as a link to eCertis, while UUIDs for question groups and subgroups, requirements and questions, will be replaced.

  • The VBA Scripts used for the generation the xml path like ids and XSLT updates were presented.

  • The link to resulting criterion files is provided https://github.com/OP-TED/ESPD-EDM/tree/v4.0.0-uuid/criterion

  • A summary of the implications of implementing this solution was provided, as well as the main expected benefits:

    • The link between an ESPD Request and its related ESPD Responses (one or several) will be consistent

      • Same structures will use the same identifier

      • There will no ambiguity when addressing structures represented by the same identifier

      • It will be possible to reuse the same data structure in different procedures

      • It will be possible to easily read and mapp ESPD Responses

      • It will be possible to reuse content of the ESPD when requirements are compatible

It is mentioned that the new mayor release 4.0.0 will be a candidate release for which users can provide comments during a period of time to be aggreed before it becomes a final release. Some users requested a comment’s period of six months, this will discussed during 2024.

Questions and answers

Q: Will we have a pilot implementation for v 4? One of the main issues during v3 is that there is a template standard but there is no refernece implementation since v 1 wg-hre users can see how the implementation should work and to confirm that the standard really works.

A: For the time being there is no room for the ESPD Team to implement a pilot service. GROW and the Publications Office will check the possibilities available to avoid that users start development for v4 from scratch.

3.5. eProcurement Ontology eAccess - ESPD Request

  • The eProcurement Ontology (ePO) and the ESPD-EDM teams meet every Tuesday with other users starting at 14:30 to create the eAccess model following the ESPD.

  • The main goal of the Ontology is explained: to provide a commonn understanding , which enables the correct input of data in procurement systems. the understanding of exchaged data, data quality.

  • The diagrams created during the last months are presented. The process includes the analisys of the already existing concepts in both, Ontology and ESPD models.

  • The Request can refer to a Notice and it also concerns a Procedure and from there the diagrams go the the Buyer and the ServiceProvider. It also can go to the Econoic Operator but its diagrams will be included in teh Request part (eSubmission)

  • The Legislation diagrams are also presented: Legislation is related to a Criterion. The ELI implementation has been chosen for the concepts of the procurement domain. The elements needed for the ESPD Request are presented

  • The ePO alignment to Core Criterion and Core Evidence Vocabulary (CCCEV) is presented. This vocabulary has already been implemented in the past in the ePO Core module, these concepts will be attcahed to the modules that concern the ESPD

  • The Requirements and Questions diagrams for eAccess are presented.

  • ESPD implementers were invited to contact the ePO or ESPD OP teams to clarify some questions related to the need of using certain elements.

3.6. What’s up, eCertis? An Outlook

The release planning for eCertis was presented: * 2024.01 - planned for February 2024 * 2024.02 - planned for November 2024 * 2024.03 - planned for December 2024 (mantenance release) * During the summer ecertis will get in touch with the ecertis com to see how the implementation could go and how to better aligned to eForms and espd

The way of connecting eCertis, ESPD, eForms (2023) and national systems was presented. Currently they live somehow on their on and the goal is to connect them. The artifact to connect these differnet elements and tools is already available in EU-Vocabularies: Criterion code list.

A high level view of how the four elements (eCertis, ESPD, eForms and national systems) can work together is shown in relation to the stages Planning, Competition and Result.

3.7. Questions and answers (Q&A) - Slido

The information on the Slido is available here