This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000309 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA/PD-CQUIROZ 
INFO IIP/G/WHA-JMANES; IIP/T/DHR-MESQUETINI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CS OIIP KPAO
SUBJECT:  REPORT ON SAN JOSE ANTI-CORRUPTION 
SPEAKER ERIC ROJO 
 
 
¶A.   DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES: AS PART OF POST'S 
ONGOING ANTI-CORRUPTION PROGRAM, FROM 11/21-11/22 PAS 
SAN JOSE SPONSORED THE VISIT OF MR. ERIC ROJO, 
EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT AT SHAW ENVIRONMENTAL & 
INFRASTRUCTURE. OVER THE COURSE OF HIS TWO-DAY VISIT, 
MR. ROJO GAVE TALKS AT SEVERAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND 
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 
PRIVATE SECTOR IN GUARANTEEING TRANSPARENCY IN THE 
PROCUREMENT PROCESS. THE HIGHLIGHT OF MR. ROJO'S VISIT 
WAS HIS PARTICIPATION IN A LARGE AND WIDELY COVERED 
EVENT AT THE GENERAL COMPTROLLER'S BUREAU IN WHICH 
CONCRETE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE IN COSTA RICA'S 
TROUBLED PUBLIC PROCUREMENT SYSTEM WERE PRESENTED. THE 
RECOMMENDATIONS CAME AS THE RESULT OF AN OCTOBER 2005 
NATIONAL FORUM, FACILITATED BY MR. ROJO, IN WHICH 80 
PARTICIPANTS FROM THE COSTA RICAN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE 
SECTORS WORKED TOGETHER TO PRODUCE A SERIES OF 
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. 
 
THE EVENT ALSO FEATURED SUPPORTING SPEECHES BY 
THE AMBASSADOR, THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL, THE 
PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME ELECTIONS TRIBUNAL, AN 
AMCHAM REPRESENTATIVE, AND MR. ROJO. THE EVENT 
WAS WIDELY COVERED BY THE LOCAL PRESS. 
 
¶B.   DATE, FISCAL YEAR AND QUARTER: NOVEMBER 21-22, 
2005; FIRST QUARTER, FY-2006 
 
¶C.   JUSTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVE:  OVER THE LAST YEAR 
AND A HALF COSTA RICA HAS BEEN ROCKED BY A SERIES OF 
HIGH LEVEL CORRUPTION SCANDALS WITH ROOTS IN THE 
COUNTRY'S TROUBLED PROCUREMENT SYSTEM.  IN RESPONSE TO 
THESE SCANDALS, POST HAS SPONSORED AN ONGOING ANTI- 
CORRUPTION INITIATIVE TO ENCOURAGE GREATER TRANSPARENCY 
AND EFFICIENCY IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS.  MR. ROJO 
HAS BEEN A CENTRAL PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, WITH HIS 
OCTOBER VISIT PRODUCING A SERIES OF CONCRETE 
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE IN PROCUREMENT. MR. ROJO'S 
PRESENCE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, 
AS WELL AS HIS FOLLOW-UP SEMINARS AND PRESS ACTIVITIES 
WERE ESSENTIAL IN GIVING THE PROJECT THE HIGH LEVEL OF 
ATTENTION IT NEEDS FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION. 
 
¶D.   RESULTS/IMPACT: MR. ROJO'S VISIT WAS WELL COVERED 
BY THE PRESS; HE CONDUCTED EIGHT INTERVIEWS AND SEVERAL 
ARTICLES ABOUT HIS VISIT APPEARED IN THE PRINT MEDIA. 
 
ADDITIONALLY, BOTH THE PRESIDENT OF THE POWERFUL 
SUPREME ELECTIONS TRIBUNAL AND THE COMPTROLLER 
GENERAL TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HIS VISIT TO ANNOUNCE 
THE ON-GOING COMMITMENT OF THEIR INSTITUTIONS TO 
THE ANTI-CORRUPTION INITIATIVE AND TO 
IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE; 
THIS WAS AN ESPECIALLY REMARKABLE POSITION FOR 
THE COMPTROLLER AS MANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS 
DEMAND MAJOR CHANGES IN THE COMPTROLLER 
GENERAL'S BUREAU. FURTHER, SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER 
MR. ROJO'S VISIT, THE SUPREME ELECTIONS TRIBUNAL 
AGREED TO ACT AS THE HOST INSTITUTION FOR THE 
PROJECT, AND THE FULBRIGHT ASSOCIATION PLEDGED 
ITS INVOLVMENT IN THE INITIATIVE. 
 
¶E.   NON-USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN-KIND 
SUPPORT AND AMOUNT: THE GENERAL COMPTROLLER'S BUREAU, 
THE SUPREME ELECTIONS TRIBUNAL AND THE FULBRIGHT 
FOUNDATION PROVIDED LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO THE PROGRAM. 
 
¶F.   QUALITY OF U.S. SUPPORT AND AGENCY OFFICE: 
EXCELLENT. POST THANKS JEAN MANES AND MONA 
ESQUETINI OF IIP FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS 
PROGRAM. 
 
WARM REGARDS, 
 
LANGDALE