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On this page
- About this approach
- Before you start
- Create your digital specialist opportunity
- While your specialist opportunity is open
- Create a work order
- Evaluate candidates
- Notifying sellers
About this approach
Buyers can use this approach to source digital specialists that fall under our digital specialist categories. Digital specialists may be hired as contractors or consultants for an agreed contract period.
You can request for multiple specialists to fill the same type of role if you need more than one person with similar skills. If you need a team with varying skills, we recommend other pathways to ask the market or seek proposals and quotes.
To help draft your opportunity you can view past or current specialist opportunities that may be similar to your specialist requirement.
Who can view and respond to specialist opportunities?
The Digital Marketplace has over 1300 sellers who cover a broad range of digital services and expertise. Buyers can invite responses from any seller on the Marketplace. Sellers must be approved in your chosen panel category before they can respond.
All sellers on the Digital Marketplace have passed a value for money assessment and are approved to offer services in specific categories on the panel.
How long can opportunities stay open?
Before deciding how long to keep an opportunity open:
- consider the complexity of your requirements and response format
- give sellers enough time to submit their response
You can indicate when publishing an opportunity how long you want the opportunity to stay open.
What do you get when you download responses?
For each candidate submitted, sellers must include:
- résumés or CVs
- responses to evaluation criteria
- availability and eligibility to work in Australia
- daily or hourly rate (based on your preference)
- information on existing security clearance (if requested)
- previous work experience in your agency
- any additional information you request
You may also indicate any further actions that shortlisted candidates may need to do after the closing date:
- interviews
- scenarios/tests
- presentations
- provide references
Before you start
We recommend you:
- consider your requirements and project objectives, and check if Marketplace categories can meet your needs
- discuss specific procurement rules, legal requirements and delegate approval policies with your internal procurement team
- download the specialist questions template to draft your opportunity and prepare offline before publishing
If you plan to submit candidates for specialist opportunities in Queensland, South Australia or Victoria, you must hold a current labour hire licence.
Create your digital specialist opportunity
To get started:
- Log in to your dashboard and select 'Create new request'.
- Select 'Specialist'.
- Complete the steps to publish the opportunity. Your work is saved as you progress.
If you selected specific sellers, they will receive an email inviting them to view the specialist opportunity and submit candidates.
While your specialist opportunity is open
Answer seller questions
You will be notified by email if a seller submits a question. Follow the link in the email or go to your dashboard and select the opportunity title to respond. Once published, questions and answers will be publicly visible on the opportunity.
Questions for team opportunities
From the ‘Team opportunities’ tab on your dashboard, you can answer questions for opportunities published by another user in your team.
Read more about working with internal teams in your organisation.
Edit your opportunity
Before your opportunity closes, you can:
- add or remove documents
- edit the title and summary
- extend the closing date
- invite more sellers to respond
You can make edits through the live opportunity or from your dashboard.
To edit your opportunity from the dashboard:
- Select the opportunity title.
- From the overview, select 'Edit live opportunity'.
For edited opportunities, we recommend extending the closing date to allow sellers enough time if they need to update their response.
Withdraw your opportunity
To withdraw your opportunity before the closing date:
- Go to your dashboard and select the opportunity.
- Select 'Withdraw opportunity'.
- Enter your reason for withdrawal.
- Confirm your authority to withdraw the opportunity, then select 'Submit'.
The opportunity page will display your reason for withdrawal. Once you withdraw an opportunity, you will not be able to reopen it again.
Create a work order
- Go to your dashboard and select your opportunity from the ‘Closed’ tab.
- On the overview page select ‘Download work order’.
Varying a work order
Buyers may choose to vary a work order (or contract) from time to time. This may include things like a change to the service type, delivery, timeframes, terms, price etc.
Evaluate candidates
Once your opportunity closes, you can download all submitted documents and start evaluating candidates submitted by sellers.
To download candidate responses:
- Log in to your dashboard and select your closed opportunity.
- From the overview page select ‘Download responses’.
- You will receive résumés, candidate responses and other details in a spreadsheet and an HTML file.
If you want to request an interview, conduct testing or require a presentation, you must contact the seller directly.
Notifying sellers
Buyers are responsible for informing sellers of the outcome of their submission.
Request for debrief
Federal agencies must offer the option of a debriefing to sellers who responded. This is a requirement of the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. If a seller requests a debrief, you must organise this outside the Digital Marketplace.
Organise interviews for shortlisted candidates
Once you have evaluated responses and shortlisted candidates, you may contact sellers directly to organise interviews and next steps.
Need help?
Contact us for sourcing advice related to hiring a digital specialist. You may also request a demo of the Digital Marketplace for your organisation.