US embassy cable - 03ROME2260

UNCLAS ROME 002260 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
EMBASSY LONDON FOR G. PASCOE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP, EAID, IZ, IT 
SUBJECT: REACHING AN OVERWHELMED BECHTEL: ONE ITALIAN 
FIRM'S TRAVAILS 
 
REF: STATE 123390 
 
1.  ON THE EVE OF THE LONDON CONFERENCE ON IRAQ 
RECONSTRUCTION, AND WITH FRONT PAGE COVERAGE IN THE MAY 21 
    ISSUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE OF HOW BECHTEL IS 
BEING OVERWHELMED WITH INQUIRIES FROM COMPANIES TRYING TO 
REGISTER AS POTENTIAL SUBCONTRACTORS, WE OFFER HERE THE 
PERSPECTIVE OF ONE ITALIAN COMPANY THAT IS STILL STRUGGLING 
WITH THE REGISTRATION PROCESS. 
 
2.  IN RESPONSE TO DEPARTMENT GUIDANCE DISSEMINATED BY 
EMBASSY ROME ON ABOUT MAY 6, AN ITALIAN HOLDING COMPANY WITH 
EXTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELDS OF DRILLING 
AND OIL PLATFORM CONSTRUCTION AND A SUBSIDIARY IN THE U.S., 
BEGAN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO REGISTER WITH BECHTEL.  MORE 
THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, THE COMPANY IS STILL LABORING WITH THE 
PROCESS.  FOLLOWING IS ITS ACCOUNT. 
 
3.  BEGIN QUOTE: WE ENTERED THE WEB-PAGE WWW.BECHTEL.COM AND 
CHOSE OUR LOGIN USERNAME AND PASSWORD.  WE ALSO TICKED THE 
BOX TO BE AUTOMATICALLY LOGGED IN FOR FUTURE VISITS. 
 
WITH THE ABOVE PROCEDURE, WE ENTERED THE PAGE FOR THE 
REGISTRATION OF THE "SUPPLIERS AND CONTRACTORS8 AND TRIED TO 
FULFILL THE STEPS LISTED IN THE PARAGRAPH &HOW TO REGISTER8. 
 
WE ENTERED ALL REQUESTED DATA (DUNS NUMBER, ADDRESS, AND NAME 
OF THE RESPONSIBLE); THE SYSTEM RECOGNIZED OUR COMPANY BUT WE 
COULD NOT ENTER THE "QUESTIONNAIRE8 PAGE WHICH SEEMED QUITE 
STRANGE SINCE ALL THE PROCEDURE HAD BEEN PERFORMED CORRECTLY. 
 
WE STARTED AGAIN THE PROCEDURE AND TRIED SEVERAL TIMES 
WITHOUT SUCCESS. 
 
THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO FIND SOME HELP, WE ENTERED A PAGE OF 
    THE BECHTEL SITE THAT LISTED ALL OFFICES WORLDWIDE. SINCE THE 
UK BRANCH IS THE ONE NEAREST TO US, WE PHONED THEM. AFTER A 
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF OUR DIFFICULTIES, WE HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR 
AN E-MAIL ADDRESS WHERE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTACTED SHORTLY. 
 
WITHIN ONE HOUR WE RECEIVED AN E-MAIL EXPLAINING THAT "DUE TO 
THE VOLUME OF SUPPLIERS/SUBCONTRACTORS ( THE SUPPLIER PORTAL 
HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING UNEXPECTED BEHAVIOR(8. THEY ALSO 
SUGGESTED TO SEND AN E-MAIL TO IRAQACQU@BECHTEL.COM TO ENABLE 
THEM TO VERIFY ALL COMPANY DATA. 
 
WE SENT AN E-MAIL TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS WITH ALL REQUESTED 
DATA AND ASKED FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. 
 
THE NEXT DAY WE RECEIVED ANOTHER E-MAIL WHICH INFORMED US 
THAT THE REGISTRATION PROCEDURE HAD BEEN STARTED AGAIN.  AN 
ATTACHED FORM HAD TO BE FILLED IN WITH THE COMPANY DATA AND 
SENT BACK TO THE ATTENTION OF THE IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT 
DESK. 
 
THIS IS THE REGISTRATION SITUATION UP TO NOW.  END QUOTE. 
 
4.  COMMENT: WE APPRECIATE THAT BECHTEL IS DOING ITS BEST TO 
COPE WITH AN UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION, WHICH IS ONLY 
EXACERBATED BY THE INSTRUCTIONS WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO DIRECT 
PROSPECTIVE SUBCONTRACTORS TO THE WEBSITES OF PRIME 
CONTRACTORS.  WE HOPE THAT SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS THAT EMERGE 
FROM THE LONDON CONFERENCE ON IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION WILL BE 
QUICKLY DISSEMINATED BACK TO POSTS SO THAT WE MAY HELP TO 
ASSUAGE PROBLEMS SUCH AS THAT DESCRIBED ABOVE.  END COMMENT. 
SKODON 

 
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 2003ROME02260 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED