Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the executive direction, program and policy implementation, resource management, and information management operations at Embassy Nassau.
What OIG Recommends
OIG made 31 recommendations: 30 to Embassy Nassau and 1 to the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. In its comments on the draft report, the Department concurred with the 31 recommendations. OIG considers all 31 recommendations resolved. The Department’s response to each recommendation, and OIG’s reply, can be found in the Recommendations section of this report. The Department’s formal written response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.
What OIG Found
- Embassy Nassau had been without a permanent, confirmed ambassador since November 2011. A series of deputy chiefs of mission have served as Chargé d’Affaires, and section heads have been assigned the collateral duty of acting deputy chief of mission. This inconsistent executive leadership resulted in significant internal control deficiencies and local employee morale issues throughout the embassy.
- Staffing gaps also affected the embassy’s Management Section since 2014, as nine temporary-duty management officers, supplemented with support from the Florida Regional Center, have run the section. Due to the shifting and uneven leadership, the embassy’s management and information management platforms suffered.
- The embassy lacked adequate metrics to measure progress for Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs projects or to conduct required joint evaluations with the Government of The Bahamas.
- Embassy Nassau did not document grants files in accordance with Department of State standards.
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, in coordination with Embassy Nassau, should assign a temporary duty Deputy Chief of Mission of appropriate rank to the embassy to normalize the Front Office structure until a confirmed ambassador arrives.
Embassy Nassau, in coordination with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, should comply with metrics, monitoring, and reporting requirements for Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs-funded projects.
Embassy Nassau should conduct the required joint evaluation reviews with the Government of The Bahamas for Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs-funded projects.
Embassy Nassau should comply with end use monitoring and recordkeeping requirements mandated in Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs guidance.
Embassy Nassau should bring its public diplomacy grants program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should seek to ratify its unauthorized commitments in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should delegate a contracting officer’s representative for health insurance contract SBF50016D0002.
Embassy Nassau should implement standard operating procedures for the use of all official vehicles, in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should implement local vehicle life-cycle schedules for official vehicles, in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should verify and document that vehicle maintenance and repair costs of $244,533 were necessary and recover any funds that were not used for the intended purposes.
Embassy Nassau should bring all professional drivers and incidental operators into compliance with the Department’s Overseas Motor Vehicle Safety Management Program.
Embassy Nassau should establish a comprehensive corrective action plan and certify all residences for occupancy in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should bring its two living quarters allowance residences into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should comply with Department standards for handling and storage of property.
Embassy Nassau should establish internal controls for the administration and disbursement of Facility Management stock and supplies in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should calibrate its fuel tanks in accordance with Department guidelines.
Embassy Nassau should perform occupational safety, health, and environmental inspections of work areas in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should establish a plan for the future use of the Chief of Mission residence and the Deputy Chief of Mission residence.
Embassy Nassau should bring its cashier operations, including management oversight of those operations, into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should review its unliquidated obligations in accordance with Department guidelines and put up to $2.3 million to better use.
Embassy Nassau should conduct annual International Cooperative Administrative Support Services performance assessment surveys as required by Department guidelines.
Embassy Nassau, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should use the proper funding source to pay utility costs for the new embassy compound, in accordance with Department guidance.
Embassy Nassau should review and document the locally employed staff certifying activities in accordance with Department guidelines.
Embassy Nassau should implement procedures to suspend the hardship differential in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau, in coordination with the Regional Information Management Center Ft. Lauderdale and the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should remediate the embassy’s computer network infrastructure to improve network performance.
Embassy Nassau should require that the Information Systems Security Officer perform information systems security duties in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should conduct annual information technology contingency plan testing on its unclassified and classified networks in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should regularly test the emergency communications equipment in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Nassau should implement standard operating procedures for account management operations.
Embassy Nassau should implement standard operating procedures for its unclassified pouch and diplomatic post office that comply with Department guidance.
Embassy Nassau should establish a records management program in accordance with Department standards.