Report Contents
(U) What OIG Inspected
(U) OIG inspected executive direction, program and policy implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Praia.
(U) What OIG Recommends
(U) OIG made 18 recommendations: 17 recommendations to Embassy Praia and 1 recommendation to the Bureau of Information Resource Management. (U) In its comments on the draft report, the Department concurred with all 18 recommendations. OIG considers all 18 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.
(U) What OIG Found
- (U) The Ambassador and the Deputy Chief of Mission led Embassy Praia in a professional and collaborative manner consistent with Department of State leadership principles. Both leaders established a positive, inclusive, and supportive tone for the embassy.
- (U) Department and other U.S. Government officials praised the embassy’s efforts to broaden the commercial relationship with Cabo Verde, its handling of sensitive bilateral cooperation issues, and its support for the Department’s regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- (U) The embassy’s crisis preparedness posture, including consular crisis preparedness, allowed it to respond effectively during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the repatriation of approximately 600 U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and third country nationals in Cabo Verde.
- (U) The embassy did not administer public diplomacy grants in accordance with Department standards.
- (U) Embassy Praia’s facilities suffered from several life and safety deficiencies.
- (U) Some management controls for financial management and general services did not meet Department standards.
- (U) Information management operations and services focused on customer support and remote telework but lacked proper controls on asset management and mandated documentation of systems and programs.
- (U) Spotlight on Success: Information management staff distributed a comprehensive daily system monitoring report to embassy management, which increased awareness of information management operations and allowed a proactive approach to information technology support.
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
Embassy Praia should document grants in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should bring its panel physician program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia, in coordination with the Bureau of African Affairs and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should formalize its regional support for human resources and facility management in memoranda of understanding that define clear responsibilities and expectations.
Embassy Praia should review all unliquidated obligations with no activity in over one year, de-obligate those which are no longer valid in accordance with Department standards, and put up to $118,000 to better use.
Embassy Praia should conduct monthly unannounced cashier verifications at unpredictable times in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should enter motor vehicle operational costs into the Fleet Management Information System and verify the data integrity in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should install secondary containment for the chancery generator fuel tank, in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should bring its fire protection program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operation, should complete the secondary egress project at the embassy annex in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should establish internal controls for the administration and disbursement of facility management expendable supplies in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should conduct an annual review of the embassy recreational facility, including a cost-benefit analysis, to determine the most effective use of the site.
Embassy Praia should require the Information Systems Security Officers to perform their duties in accordance with Department guidance.
The Bureau of Information Resource Management should communicate outcomes from monitoring information stored in the cloud to Embassy Praia’s Information Systems Security Officers.
Sensitive Information Redacted
Embassy Praia should use the Inventory and Logistics Management System loanable property module to issue and track information technology assets.
Embassy Praia should comply with Department standards for managing its dedicated internet networks.
Embassy Praia should implement a plan to test its information technology contingency plan annually and to conduct initial and annual refresher training for employees with information technology contingency planning responsibilities, in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should implement a records management program that complies with Department standards.