Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the executive direction, program and policy implementation, and resource management operations of Embassy Libreville. OIG also inspected embassy operations in São Tomé and Príncipe.
What OIG Recommends
OIG made 28 recommendations: 1 to the Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources to address a nepotism issue; 5 to improve embassy leadership; 2 to the Bureau of African Affairs to improve executive direction and to seek Department authorization to establish a post in São Tomé and Príncipe; 1 to the U.S. Agency for Global Media to improve physical security at its transmitting station in São Tomé; 1 to improve operations at the American Corner in São Tomé; 6 to improve foreign assistance grants and political/economic, public diplomacy, and consular operations; 9 to improve management operations; and 3 to improve information management operations.
In its comments on the draft report, the Department and the U.S. Agency for Global Media concurred with 25 recommendations and disagreed with 3. OIG considers 26 recommendations resolved and 2 unresolved. The Department’s and the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s responses to each recommendation, and OIG’s reply, can be found in the Recommendations section of this report. The Department’s and the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s formal written responses are reprinted in their entirety in Appendix B.
What OIG Found
- The Ambassador and the Deputy Chief of Mission did not set a positive and professional tone for Embassy Libreville and did not form an effective leadership team.
- The Deputy Chief of Mission may have violated anti-nepotism guidelines when he urged embassy staff to identify an embassy job for his spouse.
- Embassy Libreville has had an office in the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe since 2001 that the Department of State has not formally authorized.
- The embassy did not comply with Department of State guidelines on acceptance of gifts, including gifts from a U.S. company for which the Ambassador engaged in commercial advocacy.
- The Ambassador reestablished diplomatic contact with the host government but did not formally report on his meetings with Government of Gabon officials and on his commercial advocacy for a U.S. firm. In addition, he did not integrate public diplomacy outreach and social media engagement into his efforts to advance U.S. goals.
- The embassy did not produce official cable reporting in accordance with Department guidance.
- The Ambassador and the Deputy Chief of Mission did not provide adequate guidance and direction to the American employees they supervised.
- The embassy did not have an ongoing management controls program and did not prepare its annual Chief of Mission Management Control Statement of Assurance in accordance with Department of State guidance.
- The lack of an adequate perimeter fence around the U.S. Agency for Global Media transmitting station in São Tomé created a potential hazard for the public.
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
The Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources should review whether anti-nepotism violations occurred at Embassy Libreville and, based on the results of its review, take appropriate action.
Embassy Libreville should comply with Department guidelines regarding the acceptance of gifts.
Embassy Libreville should comply with Department instructions and guidance on reporting significant political, economic, and societal developments.
Embassy Libreville should implement a process for maintaining an ongoing system of management controls, including preparing the annual Chief of Mission Management Control Statement of Assurance, in accordance with Department guidance.
Embassy Libreville should require the Deputy Chief of Mission to review nonimmigrant visa adjudications in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should comply with Department standards for establishing work requirements for American staff.
The Bureau of African Affairs should require the Ambassador and the Deputy Chief of Mission to comply with Department guidelines for providing guidance to the American employees they supervise.
The Bureau of African Affairs should follow Department guidelines to seek authorization to establish an office in São Tomé and Príncipe.
U.S. Agency for Global Media, in coordination with Embassy Libreville and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should improve the perimeter fence around the transmitting station in São Tomé.
Embassy Libreville should comply with Department standards in managing the American Corner in São Tomé.
Embassy Libreville should issue annual Department-required reports in accordance with Department guidance.
Embassy Libreville should verify and document that grant recipients were eligible to receive $272,600 in foreign assistance funds and that the funds were used for the intended purpose. If the recipients are deemed ineligible or funds were not used for the intended purpose, Embassy Libreville should recover the funds in accordance with the grant agreements.
Embassy Libreville should implement strategies for engaging with the media and using social media, as required by Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should update its consular crisis preparedness plans in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should install a closed-circuit TV monitoring system or other means to enable consular managers to observe the activities within the consular cashier’s booth.
Embassy Libreville should update its consular internet pages to ensure the information complies with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should address poor performance by locally employed staff in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should update its management notice on the Special Immigrant Visa program and revise its standard operating procedures on the program in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should comply with its local compensation plan and cease providing housing for a locally employed staff member at the Chief of Mission Residence compound.
Embassy Libreville should cease paying customs fees for U.S. diplomatic shipments to the Government of Gabon.
Embassy Libreville should implement management controls for its motor vehicle program in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should document all nonexpendable property transfers in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should implement management controls to reduce its expendable supply stock in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should bring its residential safety program into full compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should implement procedures to accurately record and track employee receivables as required by Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should establish a local Information Technology Configuration Control Board in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should require the Information Systems Security Officer to perform and document information systems security duties in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Libreville should implement standard operating procedures for a records management program that complies with Department standards.