Inspection of Embassy Stockholm, Sweden

What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the executive direction, consular services, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Stockholm.

What OIG Recommends
OIG made 5 recommendations to Embassy Stockholm. In its comments on the draft report, the embassy concurred with 4 recommendations and disagreed with 1 recommendation. OIG considers all 5 recommendations resolved. The embassy’s response to each recommendation, and OIG’s reply, can be found in the Recommendations section of this report. The embassy’s formal written response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.

What OIG Found

• Embassy Stockholm had been without an ambassador since January 2017; however, the Chargé d’Affaires, who arrived in April 2019, set a positive and ethical tone for the embassy and promoted strong coordination among country team members.
• Interpersonal conflict and communication issues affected morale, productivity, and teamwork in the Consular Section.
• The embassy’s Interagency Housing Board did not effectively coordinate employee housing, resulting in unnecessary temporary living quarters allowance costs.
• Embassy Stockholm used multiple contracts for dedicated internet network services, contrary to Department of State standards.
• Spotlight on Success: Embassy staff identified a life safety issue with lamps purchased under a General Services Administration contract that resulted in a worldwide safety alert and the vendor’s replacement of the lamps at no additional cost.