Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the executive direction, program and policy implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Pristina.
What OIG Recommends
OIG made 10 recommendations to Embassy Pristina. In its comments on the draft report, Embassy Pristina concurred with 9 recommendations and neither agreed nor disagreed with 1 recommendation. OIG considers all 10 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 response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.
What OIG Found
- The Ambassador and the Chargé fostered resilience and integrity in accordance with the Department of State’s leadership and management principles.
- Embassy leadership’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was consistent with Department guidance on risk management.
- Embassy Pristina returned $788,065 in canceled foreign assistance funds to the Department of the Treasury between FY 2019 and FY 2021 instead of reclassifying the funds so they could be used for other purposes.
- To facilitate vehicle registration for U.S. direct-hire staff, the embassy obtained dual diplomatic accreditation in both Kosovo and North Macedonia without Department approval.
- Forty-four percent of the mission’s residences had not been assessed for seismic risk despite Pristina being rated as “high” for the occurrence or frequency of earthquakes.
- The embassy’s Information Systems Security Officers were not performing their duties in accordance with Department standards.
- Spotlight on Success: Embassy Pristina successfully piloted a new oversight model for bilateral Fulbright academic exchange programs that required less administrative infrastructure without sacrificing strong binational stakeholder engagement.
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
Embassy Pristina should update its consular website pages to ensure the information complies with Department standards.
Embassy Pristina should implement a process to identify and reclassify foreign assistance funds before they cancel, in accordance with Department guidance.
Embassy Pristina should enforce driver duty limits for embassy drivers in accordance with Department guidelines.
Embassy Pristina should complete medical certifications for all drivers in accordance with Department guidelines.
Embassy Pristina, in coordination with the Office of the Legal Adviser and the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, should document and request approval for dual accreditation of its staff in accordance with Department guidance.
Embassy Pristina should implement and monitor controls to ensure compliance with Department standards for time and attendance.
Embassy Pristina, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should evaluate all residential properties for seismic risk in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Pristina should perform information systems security officer duties in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Pristina, in coordination with the Bureau of Information Resource Management, should configure SharePoint administration permissions to comply with Department standards.
Embassy Pristina should manage its records in accordance with Department standards.