Inspection of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should develop and implement a front office staffing plan that eliminates redundant or excess staffing.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should structure the principal deputy assistant secretary portfolio to encompass serving as the alter ego to the Assistant Secretary, managing the bureau, and exercising direct supervisory responsibilities only for those units that have bureauwide scope.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should develop a reorganization plan for review and implementation by the incoming Assistant Secretary that strengthens commercial diplomacy and entrepreneurship work, streamlines bureau operations, and rationalizes bureau resources.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should not engage in any new activities or grants under the U.S.-North Africa Partnership for Economic Opportunity and should turn over to embassies and U.S. Agency for International Development missions in the region, and to the Global Partnership Initiative, any residual responsibility for liaison with the national boards.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should develop an outreach strategy to serve the U.S. business community more effectively and carry it out in concert with the Department of Commerce.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should implement a standard operating procedure that improves oversight of the Commercial Service-State Post Partnership Program.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should work with the Commercial Service to establish specific support standards expected of the appropriate Commercial Service representatives.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should update its Foreign Affairs Manual section to reflect entrepreneurship responsibilities in the Office of Commercial and Business Affairs.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should allocate additional permanent positions to the Office of Commercial and Business Affairs as part of its reorganization plan.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should review its paper subscriptions and eliminate those adequately covered by the press clips contractor.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should integrate the two positions managing corporate social responsibility and the National Contact Point into the Office of Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy’s policy analysis team with appropriate supervisory arrangements.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should request that the Secretary or the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment formally designate the deputy assistant secretary for Trade Policy and Programs as the Department of State’s representative to the Trade Policy Staff Committee.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should reprogram at least two position from the Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs to higher priorities.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should reprogram one Foreign Service position from the Office of Multilateral Trade Affairs to a higher priority.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should structure the Office of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Textile Trade Affairs in accordance with 1 Foreign Affairs Manual 014.7 to eliminate the two existing divisions, provide a clear chain of command, and align resources with priorities.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should reprogram at least three positions from the office of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Textile Trade Affairs to higher priorities.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office defining the duties of the liaison position and providing a regular rotation of staff.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should assign a Foreign Service officer from the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement as full-time liaison at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should abolish the Office of Technology and Security Policy and reallocate staff to appropriate organizational units.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should merge the Office of Aviation Negotiations and the Office of Transportation Policy into a single Office of Transportation Affairs with two units corresponding to the existing offices.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should temporarily redeploy two short-tour positions to its Office of Investment Affairs.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Counterterrorism and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, should prepare options to realign counterterror finance and anti-money laundering resources and present those options to appropriate authorities in the Department of State for a decision.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, should establish requirements for intelligence support for sanctions functions.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should cease the practice of assigning supervisory and rating officer responsibility to employees in positions not classified as such.

The Bureau of Economic and Business affairs should review all position descriptions that have not been updated since 2010 to determine their accuracy and update them as necessary.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should establish and fill a third position in the budget and financial management unit.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should update its travel policy to document travel arranger support activities, including designation, training, and requirements for assisting travelers in preparing travel authorizations and vouchers.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should require supervisors to hold travel arrangers accountable for E2 duties in accordance with their performance plans and require training attendance for those who need it.

The Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, should designate a contracting officer’s representative for overseeing contract number SAQMMA12F1021.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should require the bureau information systems security officer and alternate to attend refresher information assurance training.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should update the information technology specialist position descriptions and request reclassification of the positions.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should implement procedures to maintain and retire official records in accordance with Department of State standards.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should complete the required annual purchase card review for the most recent 12-month period and perform monthly purchase card monthly reconciliations according to Department of State guidelines.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should update its BlackBerry standard operating procedure to require employee statements affirming official and nonofficial use for bills and reimbursement for nonofficial call charges exceeding a reasonable threshold.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs should process monthly BlackBerry bills on a timely basis.