Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the executive direction, policy implementation, foreign assistance management, resource management, and information management operations of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
What OIG Recommends
OIG made 12 recommendations to the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. (U) In its comments on the draft report, the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs concurred with 9 recommendations and disagreed with 3 recommendations. OIG considers 9 recommendations resolved and 3 recommendations unresolved. The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs’ response to each recommendation, and OIG’s reply, can be found in the Recommendations section of this report. The bureau’s formal written response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.
What OIG Found
- The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs successfully supported Department of State policies.
- Frequent leadership changes and vacancies within the bureau had an adverse effect on employee effectiveness and morale.
- Bureau leadership successfully handled the management challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and working in a maximum telework environment.
- The bureau did not have clearly specified roles and responsibilities for coordinating Arctic issues with the Office of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region.
- Chronic understaffing impeded the mission of the Office of Space and Advanced Technology.
- The bureau lacked procedures to systematically identify and reclassify foreign assistance funds which led to the return of nearly $5.4 million in canceled foreign assistance funds to the Department of the Treasury.
- Spotlight on Success: The bureau made effective use of online platforms to support U.S. international environmental priorities.
- Spotlight on Success: The bureau’s efforts secured international support to build a $10 billion supercollider project in Japan.
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, in coordination with the Office of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region, should specify the bureau’s role and related responsibilities on Arctic issues, communicate that information to all appropriate Department stakeholders, and submit the bureau’s functional statement on Arctic issues in accordance with Department guidance.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should align the organizational structure of the Office of Conservation and Water in accordance with Department guidelines.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should conduct an analysis of its foreign assistance management structure and clarify roles and responsibilities related to the administration of foreign assistance.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should manage its Federal assistance awards and interagency agreements in accordance with Department and bureau guidance.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should develop and implement a process to identify and reclassify foreign assistance funds before they cancel, in accordance with Department guidance.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should comply with mandatory employee training requirements in accordance with Department standards.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should develop, disseminate, and enforce mandatory standard operating procedures detailing the bureau’s required processes for documenting, tracking, and reporting employee time and attendance.
Sensitive Information Redacted
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should implement Managing State Projects methodology or comparable methodology for the Research Application Tracking System Modernization Project, in accordance with Department standards.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should implement standard operating procedures to secure and control access to personally identifiable information, in accordance with Department standards.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should establish information technology contingency plans, in accordance with Department standards.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should establish a records management program that complies with Department standards.