Report Contents
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, develop and implement standard policies and procedures for requesting funds for physical security-related needs and document the policies and procedures in a manner that is easily accessible by post security officials (for example, in a “physical security funding handbook”). Consideration should be given to how the SharePoint tool currently in development can be used to simplify the request processes.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations develop and implement a process to respond to posts’ formal requests for physical security-related funding, which should include commitments to respond within certain timeframes.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security develop and implement a methodology to periodically communicate the processes to request funds for physical security-related needs to all post security officials.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), develop and implement a process to collect and maintain a comprehensive list of all posts’ physical security-related deficiencies. The list of physical security deficiencies should include all needs, not just those that have been approved or instances of non-compliance with standards. The process should also require that the list be updated when new physical security deficiencies are identified. If DS and OBO elect to use the DS SharePoint Tool as the basis for maintaining a list of physical security needs, DS should ensure that OBO’s requirements are integrated into the development of the tool and that OBO has sufficient access to the information.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security develop an implementation plan for the new SharePoint physical security survey tool. This implementation plan should establish a reasonable deadline for all posts to populate the tool with information on physical security deficiencies and should ensure that the tool has the functionality needed to generate sufficient reports in order to more easily determine posts’ physical security needs.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations develop and implement a formal process to document all formal requests made by posts for physical security funding, not just the requests that have been funded or approved, and the disposition of those requests.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security develop and implement a formal standardized process to vet informal physical security-related funding requests made by posts, which would include documenting all informal requests made by posts for physical security funding, not just the requests that have been approved, and the disposition of those requests.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, develop and implement formal standardized processes to prioritize physical security-related deficiencies at posts by category, such as major physical security upgrades, forced-entry/ballistic-resistant projects, and minor physical security upgrades. The prioritizations should be performed based on a comprehensive list of all physical security needs and should be periodically updated based on changes in risk factors or posts’ needs. The processes used to perform the prioritizations should be documented and repeatable. In addition, in developing the processes, consideration should be given to how the Overseas Security Policy Board standards will be utilized, what risk factors will be considered, and what impact upcoming major rehabilitation projects or new construction would have on the prioritized rankings.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), better define the roles and responsibilities of each bureau to ensure that both bureaus are fully involved in the process to prioritize and fund physical security needs at posts. As part of developing these roles and responsibilities, a process should be established to have a neutral party review and make decisions when disagreements arise about funding decisions between OBO and DS.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, develop and issue a Long-Range Physical Security Plan.