Veronika Folentova has joined.
Adam Valček has joined.
Veronika: It´s ok for me
Sent at 10:04 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: for mee too
Sent at 10:05 AM on Monday
me: Hi, I'm here now
Veronika: me too. we can start. Adam?
Sent at 10:14 AM on Monday
me: So, I want to start off by being clear about how I hope to use this interview and make sure that
works for you.
Adam Valček: yes
me: I would like to publish the transcript as supporting material for the case study research that I will
release. If at any point there is a question or answer that you would like to be off the record, or
anonymous you can let me know and I won't publish it. Does that work?
Sent at 10:17 AM on Monday
Veronika: yes, itś ok
me: Adam, is that Ok for you too?
Sent at 10:19 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: Yes, no problem
me: Great.
Ok, lets get started then
Veronika:
Sent at 10:20 AM on Monday
me: First, I just want to get quick biographical background. Could you tell me a little bit about your
work as journalists, and the extent to which you have covered procurement related issues?
Sent at 10:22 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: My school has nothing to do with public procurement. In interesting in to public
procurement, because in Slovakia a year to a year tendered for five billion euros. Public procurement
is for people very unattractive, but very important.
Sent at 10:26 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: I studied business academy. It's high school, which is focused on trade, business and
accounting.
Sent at 10:28 AM on Monday
Veronika: Ok, I'm in daily SME 5 years. i am start when I was on University, where I study
journalism.
Now I work at the department of economics. I write articles about procurement 2 years.
I had a course with the Alliance of fair play, where we were taught and procurement, which is one of
the main tools for inefficient spending money.
me: Great. Thanks
In your work as journalists, what data do you look for/use about procurements, why, and where do you
get it?
Sent at 10:31 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: Official Journal: This is the most fundamental source of information. Slovak Official
Journal is open-data portal. I am use other NGOs projects, which the data from Official Journal browse
faster and more efficiently.
me: Which projects from other NGOs do you use?
Adam Valček: tendre.sme.sk
otvorenezmluvy.sk
me: Great
Veronika: and analysis of Transparency International and the Fair Play Alliance
Adam Valček: Yes
me: Do you have any problems achieving your goals for data related reasons or know of those who
do?
Veronika: and we have Central register of contracts http://crz.gov.sk/
there are all of contracts with public administration
Sent at 10:39 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: In Slovakia all of government contracts, including contracts of state-owned
companies, must publish at web crz.gov.sk The same is true at documents from public procurement
process (notes and offers)
Sent at 10:41 AM on Monday
me: How do you use those documents? What leads you to investigate a particular one? And what do
you look for when you are researching?
Sent at 10:42 AM on Monday
Veronika: Part of the pulse is a tip from a reader, politics, business, anonymous
Sent at 10:45 AM on Monday
Veronika: we look at the price - whether it is just below where they were stricter rules of competition.
We will also look at the conditions that they are not such that they can fullfil only one firm
Adam Valček: Yes
Sent at 10:48 AM on Monday
me: What would you say motivated recent reforms in procurement in Slovakia?
Sent at 10:49 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: Uf. Very nice question:)
Veronika:
me:
Adam Valček: Unfortunately, Slovakia's political tradition that any new government will change the
rules of public procurement.
Sent at 10:53 AM on Monday
Veronika: One of the biggest problems is that the new law triggered the creation of more new laws.
Competition rules have changed this year, four times what the entire process is complicated and
difficult to.
Sent at 10:55 AM on Monday
me: My understanding was that the current government left most of the procurement disclosure
reforms of the previous government in effect. Is that true?
( I want to make sure I have my facts right!)
Sent at 10:58 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: Yes and no. The current government changed the rules on public procurement, but
introduced new rules, no canceled of rules by the previous government.
me: Got it
Veronika:
me: Can you briefly describe your impression of how procurement decisions were made prior to
current disclosure regime?
Sent at 11:02 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: What do you think?
me: I have certainly been gaining a picture from all of the interviews I have done. But it is useful to
hear how other people describe it.
Adam Valček: I underestend you, but what do you mean of "current disclosure regime"?
Sent at 11:05 AM on Monday
me: so, before the mandatory publication of contracts online, the e-procurement portal or reverse
auctions
Sent at 11:06 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: publicity of contracts (crz.gov.sk) or publicity of procurement notice (Official Journal)?
Or both?
me: both (in online form)
I am interested in potential changes between before this data was available online and after it was
available online
Sent at 11:10 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: Ok, I understand you.
Sent at 11:14 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: When the contracts were not on the web, we had to request disclosure under
Freedom Information Act. It was very difficult, because, some authorities have found legal hole, that
they do not have nothing to disclose.
Sent at 11:19 AM on Monday
Veronika: Today it is also sometimes a problem because some offices will cover more than they
should. The contract does not dry as found, for example amount. And say that it is a trade secret. But
this is rarely
Adam Valček: I do not remember the time when the procurement notice not disclosed.
Sent at 11:21 AM on Monday
Adam Valček: At a time when e-auction were not obliged, there were contentious issues: was the
winner of tender cheapest?
Sent at 11:24 AM on Monday
me: How (if at all) has the publication of contracts, tender documents and notices etc. online altered
your ability do do investigative reporting on these types of cases? Do you do more or less of it now?
Are you more or less effective?
Sent at 11:26 AM on Monday
Veronika: we do it more often. What is not always good. If it is to every other page in the newspaper
story about that contract people tired of it.
It's easier now, but it often and do so superficial.
Sent at 11:29 AM on Monday
Veronika: Velka vyhoda vsak je, ze si zmluvy moze pozerat verejnost. Mame tak skupinu ucitelov,
ktori upozornuju na chyby v sutaziach na ministerstve skolstva.
A tiez viac ludi posiela tipy mediam na mozne sporne sutaze.
sorry
The big advantage is that a contract may watch the public. So we have a group of teachers who
pointed out an error in the competition for the Ministry of Education.
And also more people sending tips media on possible disputes competition.
me: Can you tell me more about how the kind of tips (and the people who send tips) is different now?
Adam Valček: Now, there are more tips, because people reading contracts on the web.
Veronika: teacher for exmple ssend this tips: Ministry of Education bought flowers for 9900 eur
Bought 36 bottles of alcohol for 132 eur
logo for institute belonging under ministry cost 8650 eur
Adam Valček: Previously, only a few people have read the contract, because contracts were
unavailable. Most of the tips came from the interior of authorities.
Sent at 11:33 AM on Monday
me: Who do you view as the audience for procurement related of reporting?
Veronika: I got a tip about the woman who was responsible for one of our biggest corruption scandal
("Notice-board tender") is in charge continue procurement of one hospital
I wrote about it and she eventually resigned.
It was impossible to verify just because it exposes the contest notice
me: oh, that is a very interesting example. Could you send me a link to that piece?
Adam Valček: http://ekonomika.sme.sk/c/6700882/pripravovala-nastenkovy-tender-dnes-je-v-statnejakciovke-vlada-nevidi-problem.html
http://ekonomika.sme.sk/c/6701864/obvinena-z-nastenkoveho-tendra-opusta-statny-ustav.html
Sent at 11:37 AM on Monday
me: Thanks
Who do you view as the audience for procurement related reporting?
Sent at 11:41 AM on Monday
Veronika: snazime sa to pisat pre vsetkych citatelov. Ale nie je o to velky zaujem.
nasi typicki citatelia su skor viac vzdelani, mladsi ludia.
zaroven je vsak publikum aj štát. Stalo sa ze ministerstvo vnutra zmenilo pravidla sutaze, ked sme
uverejnili text o tom
to try to write for all readers. But it is not so much interest.
Our typical readers are rather more educated, younger people.
At the same time, the state of the audience. It has become the Interior Ministry changed the rules of
competition, when we published the text of the
me: the first part didn't translate
Sent at 11:48 AM on Monday
Veronika: i´m sorry there is 40 degrees
We try to write for all readers. But it is not so much interest.
Our typical readers are rather more educated, younger people.
Sent at 11:51 AM on Monday
me: Got it. And the second half of this sentance? "It has become the Interior Ministry changed the
rules of competition, when we published the text of the"
Sent at 11:53 AM on Monday
Veronika: We have written about public procurement in the Ministry of Interior. After what we've been
criticized minister changed the rules.
me: Excellent. That brings me to my next question actually.
How often does the attention that the media can bring to issues like this lead to substantive changes,
in your experience?
Sent at 11:56 AM on Monday
Veronika: sometimes we succeed. But much depends from the Minister. And also on the topic. when
it is more difficult effect is smaller.
me: What makes something more or less difficult?
Sent at 12:07 PM on Monday
Veronika: If the subject (topic) is complicated and ordinary people do not understand it, nothing will
change.
me: got it
Veronika: If this is something that could influence voters, change is frequent. But it's less than half of
the cases where there is a change.
me: I understand
Veronika: ok
me:
Is there any way that the data could be better? Things that could be disclosed that would make your
job easier? Or information that could be more reliable?
Sent at 12:13 PM on Monday
Veronika: greater possibility to compare
me: What would that require?
Sent at 12:25 PM on Monday
Veronika: for example:
Sent at 12:28 PM on Monday
Veronika: offices bought toners and every institution have other conditions: service, brand, warranty.
Then it can not be compared, who paid more.
Sent at 12:29 PM on Monday
me: Gotcha
Well that is the last of my questions
Unless there is anything else about your work in this area that you want to share?
Sent at 12:33 PM on Monday
Adam Valček: people (voters) would be more interested in public procurement, although it is often
difficult debate, it is a debate about our money
Sent at 12:38 PM on Monday
Adam Valček: Sorry, Veronika went to editors session
me: No worries.
Well, that is all of the questions I have
So, thank you so much for your time!
Adam Valček: You're welcome
me: I really appreciate it. I'll send you guys a link to the final report
Adam Valček: How and when will the interview be used?
ok
great
thank you very much
me: It will be part of a case study which we will publish through our website in a week or so
Adam Valček: ok
thanks
Sent at 12:50 PM on Monday
Veronika: thanks.
me: Thank you, Veronika. You have been a big help
Sent at 1:00 PM on Monday
Veronika: I m glad
Sent at 1:01 PM on Monday
Adam Valček has left.