Hiring E-Procurement Assessment Specialist, - APAC

E-Procurement Assessment Specialist

Program Background

The Tonga Australia Support Platform (TASP) is a mechanism which supports the work of the Australian Government in meeting development objectives in Tonga. It is a multi-sector development facility that uses multiple modalities including development program management, technical advisory support, grants management, and subcontracting. TASP supports Australian Government policy development and dialogue to contribute to a resilient and prosperous Tonga.

About DT Global Asia Pacific

At DT Global Asia Pacific, we aim to positively impact people’s lives through delivery excellence. As a leading implementing partner across Asia and the Pacific, we co-create locally led solutions in partnership with governments, communities, and stakeholders. We bring together talented teams and deep regional expertise to deliver initiatives that promote inclusive economic growth, essential services, and resilient, secure communities. With over 1,500 staff, experts in 22+ countries and more than 60 years of development experience, we tackle complex community, national and transnational challenges — from governance and justice systems to climate resilience, infrastructure and social equity — with innovative thinking and a commitment to long-term impact.

For more information, please see www.dt-global.com

The Role
The Ministry of Finance and Central Procurement Unit require an objective evidence base before deciding the scale, sequencing and form of future procurement digitalisation. The assessment must therefore start with Tonga's business needs and operating context, rather than presuming that immediate acquisition of a full electronic government procurement (e-GP) platform is the preferred solution.

The assignment will examine procurement transaction data and workflows, the legal and regulatory environment, institutional arrangements, ICT and cybersecurity readiness, supplier capability, accessibility and inclusion, whole-of-life costs, implementation risks and sustainability. It will identify a proportionate minimum viable e-procurement pathway and assess whether, when and how broader e-GP functionality should be introduced.

The Specialist will accordingly undertake an independent assessment of the Government of Tonga's readiness and business case for electronic government procurement; define the functional, institutional, legal, technical, data, cybersecurity and capacity requirements; assess feasible technology and delivery options; and develop a costed, prioritised and phased implementation roadmap for the digitalisation of public procurement.

The assessment must provide a clear, evidence-based recommendation on whether Tonga should proceed with a full e-GP platform, adopt a staged or minimum viable approach, strengthen foundational arrangements first, or defer investment pending specified readiness actions.

The Specialist will work closely with the Ministry of Finance, CPU, relevant central agencies, selected MDAs, suppliers and TASP. At a minimum, the Specialist will undertake the following tasks.

Inception, methodology and evidence plan

• Confirm scope, methodology, work plan, consultation plan, decision criteria and deliverable schedule.
• Develop an assessment framework (people, process, governance, law, technology, data, market readiness, inclusion, costs, benefits and risks), recognizing potential data gaps.

Baseline data and current-state assessment

• Review available plans, records and reports, and use interviews to test value/volume, methods, timelines, competition, awards, contract management and current digital practice.
• Map a sample set of representative workflows and identify bottlenecks, control weaknesses, data gaps and pain points, distinguishing policy/process, capacity and technology problems.

Institutional, governance and capacity readiness

• Assess the roles, authority and capacity of CPU, Ministry of Finance, MDAs and other institutions that would own, govern, operate, oversee or use e-procurement.
• Recommend phase-by-phase ownership, governance, accountability and support arrangements, informed by staffing, digital literacy, procurement capability and change-management readiness.

Legal, regulatory, policy and probity readiness

• Review whether the legal and policy framework can support electronic notices, submissions, opening, approvals, records, signatures, publication, complaints and evidence.
• Identify only the amendments, procedures and safeguards needed before a pilot versus those that can wait, including privacy, transparency, retention, audit access and supplier review rights.

ICT, cybersecurity, interoperability and data readiness

• Assess, largely through interviews with ICT and finance counterparts, connectivity, devices, identity and access, hosting/cloud readiness, support, backups and business continuity.
• Identify cybersecurity and data-governance needs at a practical level: access control, audit trails, data quality, migration, retention and hosting location.
• Note current and desired future interoperability requirements with budgeting, financial management, payments, supplier/tax/company registers and document management.
• The assignment is not intended to constitute a detailed cybersecurity audit, penetration test or technical systems design.

Supplier, accessibility and inclusion assessment

• Assess supplier readiness through outreach covering SMEs, women-owned businesses, outer-island suppliers and other groups facing access barriers.
• Recommend steps or measures for proportionate onboarding, support and alternative-channel measures so digitalisation does not reduce competition or exclude capable suppliers.

Business and functional requirements

• Prioritise functions as essential for a minimum viable approach, desirable later, or not currently justified, covering the core cycle from planning to award, contract management, reporting, audit and complaints.
• State non-functional needs only at decision level: usability, accessibility, security, interoperability, supportability and scalability.

Options appraisal and business case

• Identify feasible delivery models without presuming any specific platform or architecture.
• Prepare an initial comparison of options against criteria (fit, access, complexity, security, vendor dependence, time, cost, sustainability and local capacity).

Minimum viable approach and implementation roadmap

• Recommend a practical first phase, likely starting with lower-risk functions such as planning, e-advertising, electronic submission, approvals, award publication and reporting.
• Set actions, dependencies, decision gates, pilot scope, responsibilities and go/no-go indicators, plus a concise operating model, change/supplier transition note and risk register.

Validation and finalisation

• Validate findings with Government, revise against consolidated comments, and final deliver editable source files, maps, requirements matrix, cost model and presentation materials.

Click on the link or copy paste it to access the full Terms of Reference for this position: https://tinyurl.com/bddmanas

About You

Essential Experience, Capacities and Knowledge

1. An advanced university degree in public procurement, information systems/ICT, digital transformation, public administration, contracts law, business, or a closely related discipline. A relevant first degree combined with substantial directly relevant experience may be accepted where permitted by the recruitment process.

2. At least 5 years of relevant professional experience spanning public procurement reform and digital procurement/e-government systems.

3. Demonstrated completion of at least two comparable government e-GP readiness, feasibility, business-requirements, business-case or implementation-planning assignments.

4. Strong understanding of the end-to-end public procurement cycle and the operational, control and data requirements of electronic procurement.

5. Excellent analytical, consultation, facilitation, report-writing and presentation skills in English.

Desirable

6. Prior experience in Tonga or in Pacific Island countries, Small Island Developing States or other small public administrations.

7. Experience in public financial management and integration between procurement, budget, financial-management and payment systems.

8. Relevant experience and/or professional certification in procurement, ICT, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, project/programme management or digital transformation.

Why join TASP?

By joining the Tonga Australia Support Platform (TASP), you will be part of a dynamic, high-performing environment where you collaborate with leading experts from diverse backgrounds, access meaningful professional development opportunities, and contribute to nationally significant reform initiatives – while broadening your perspective through a global outlook grounded in the Pacific context.

HOW TO APPLY
Click the 'Apply Now' button.

Please submit
1) Your CV
2) A cover letter addressing the selection criteria

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 12 October 2026 / 23h59 / UTC +13 (Tonga Standard Time)
Should this role be of interest, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Kindly note only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

People with lived experience of the regions in which DT Global operates are strongly encouraged to apply. DT Global welcomes applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds including First Nations peoples, diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC), and people with disabilities.

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