Inspection of Embassy Mexico City, Mexico

Embassy Mexico City should require Department of State sections and constituent posts to develop travel and representation plans tied to Integrated Country Strategy priorities and goals and apportion resources accordingly.

Embassy Mexico City, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources and the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should develop a consistent, structured, missionwide program so all first- and second-tour officers, whether at the embassy or constituent posts, are afforded the same opportunities for professional development and mentoring.

The Bureau of Human Resources, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and Embassy Mexico City, should change the tour of duty for all Department of State section Senior Foreign Service and F0-01 positions in Mexico City from 2 to 3 years, with an option for a 1-year extension.

The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should identify which of Embassy Mexico City’s border posts are not appropriate for 3-year principal officer assignments and adjust tours of duty for principal officers at those posts.

Embassy Mexico City, in coordination with the Foreign Service Institute, should assess and prioritize its missionwide training needs and develop and implement a training program to address them.

Embassy Mexico City should direct principal officers and deputy principal officers at its constituent posts to agree on a set of deputy principal officer duties that are appropriate for their posts and share them with their staffs and the minister-counselor for consular affairs.

Embassy Mexico City should enter all awards into the Grants Database Management System within 5 days of the grants officer’s signature.

Embassy Mexico City should create and update standard operating procedures on grants processing and include detailed instructions regarding who will enter and update data in the Grants Database Management System.

Embassy Mexico City should close out grants for which documentation is complete by notifying the financial management officer that funds may be deobligated.

Embassy Mexico City should require all locally employed staff and public affairs officers to maintain their grants officer representative training.

Embassy Mexico City should monitor and report any changes to grants policy directives to all mission personnel who have grants responsibilities.

Embassy Mexico City should require grants officer representatives to monitor grants and record their findings, as required by Department of State regulations.

Embassy Mexico City should open grants in excess of $25,000 to competition unless specific exceptions are granted and noted in the grants file.

Embassy Mexico City should train additional public affairs officers to qualify for grants warrants.

Embassy Mexico City should develop and implement a comprehensive grants spending plan that matches financial resources with mission priorities throughout the fiscal year.

The Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, in coordination with Embassy Mexico City, should include grants officer representative information in the Grants Database Management System for new and amended awards for all grants exceeding $100,000.

Embassy Mexico City should complete the entry of all individual travel grants into the Grants Database Management System.

Embassy Mexico City should reconcile its internal federal assistance award list and funded obligations so that it has the most accurate data on file.

Sensitive Information Redacted

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security should respond to Embassy Mexico City’s July 16, 2014, cable on open public access for the Benjamin Franklin Library and conclude negotiations with the Bureau of International Information Programs and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations.

Embassy Mexico City should streamline the public diplomacy budget process by making budget decisions regarding the constituent posts early in the fiscal year.

Embassy Mexico City should develop and implement a strategy for shifting responsibility for fundraising and organization, that is, sponsoring the Green Race for local nongovernmental organizations.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs should implement a plan for domestic passport agencies to conduct targeted Spanish-language outreach to Mexican migrant communities in the United States to encourage passport applications for U.S.-born children.

Embassy Mexico City should require Consulate General Tijuana to perform nonimmigrant adjudication reviews in accordance with Department of State regulations.

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and Embassy Mexico City, should conduct a cost benefit analysis to determine whether converting existing consulate office building operating leases to capital leases is a better mechanism for providing constituent posts with facilities maintenance support and services.

The Bureau of Overseas Building Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and Embassy Mexico City, should develop and implement a corrective action plan that includes short- and long-term fixes, including a feasibility study on relocating some staff to alternate lease space and advancing construction of the new consulate compound in Guadalajara.

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and Embassy Mexico City, should determine whether the consul general’s office should be relocated to unclassified space; whether a second office should be created in unclassified space for the consul general; or another solution should be developed and implemented that addresses the consul general’s work requirements and office management specialist staffing constraints at the consulate compound in Monterrey and at the six new consulate compound projects planned for Mission Mexico.

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and Embassy Mexico City, should conduct a survey to identify building design flaws found in new consulate compound facilities in Mexico and modify its new consulate compound design based on the results of the survey.

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should review and determine whether its site acquisition and technical review procedures properly evaluate and assess potential flooding at all new consulate compounds in Mexico and provide the results to Embassy Mexico City.

Embassy Mexico City should designate at each constituent post an employee outside the procurement unit as the designated billing officer.

Embassy Mexico City should request additional voucher examiner positions in the FY 2017 Mission Resource Request.

Embassy Mexico City should enforce the random cash count policy.

Embassy Mexico City, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should create a memorandum of agreement for human resources services defining the roles and responsibilities of the human resources staff.

Embassy Mexico City should issue a management announcement to mission staff outlining supervisors’ responsibility for ensuring that employee position descriptions are accurate.

Embassy Mexico City should conduct a review of locally employed staff position descriptions for accuracy and appropriate classification of grade and position title.

Embassy Mexico City should complete local employees’ performance reviews by the prescribed due date.

Embassy Mexico City, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether outsourcing its staff position classification responsibilities to Fort Lauderdale or other regional center would result in cost savings and increased efficiency and implement the most cost-effective option.

Embassy Mexico City should designate locally employed staff members as backup contracting officers.

Embassy Mexico City should implement Department of State safety standards that motor vehicle operators not perform more than 10 hours on duty and only operate a vehicle after a minimum 8-hour rest period.

Embassy Mexico City should review and update the mission’s motor vehicle policy to include the home-to-school shuttle policy at Consulates General Nogales and Nuevo Laredo.

Embassy Mexico City should establish a written policy on the approved boundaries of home-to-school shuttle transportation for all the border posts and include the new policy in the Mission’s Motor Vehicle Policy.

Embassy Mexico City should define and disseminate its facilities management organization, functions, and supervisory relationships and responsibilities to all members of the section.

Embassy Mexico City should implement a plan to close out work orders in a timely manner after completion.

Embassy Mexico City should require that safety, health, and environmental management standing committee meetings take place at the embassy and each constituent post at least semiannually.

Embassy Mexico City should implement Department of State swimming pool safety standards at facilities and residences under its control.

Embassy Mexico City should inspect increased-risk work operations and areas at least once a year and file a report requirement corrective action when deficiencies are found.

The Bureau of Administration should reissue cable guidance regarding issuance of diplomatic license plates for motor vehicles at overseas missions pending incorporation of the guidance into the appropriate Foreign Affairs Manual or Handbook.

Embassy Mexico City should establish and hold regular information management section meetings that include the consulates to facilitate open communication and build team relationships.

Mexico City should revise reporting assignments and establish appropriate work goals and objectives to provide information management oversight and accountability to the consulates.

Embassy Mexico City should establish a formal plan for providing regional information management support to the consulates.

Embassy Mexico City should include the information management section in emergency action committee meetings.

Embassy Mexico City should establish a dedicated inventory of emergency communications equipment and regularly test the equipment’s functionality.

Embassy Mexico City should establish standard operating procedures for all dedicated emergency communications equipment.

Embassy Mexico City should establish an employee locator system for contact information of all mission employees.

Embassy Mexico City should prepare and test all mission information technology contingency plans in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Mexico City should conduct a staffing analysis of the information systems center and establish an effective reporting and support structure.

Embassy Mexico City should establish a formal plan for centralizing the mission’s information systems security officer program in Mexico City and providing oversight to the consulates.

Sensitive Information Redacted

Sensitive Information Redacted

Embassy Mexico City should adequately equip all the mission’s alternate command centers in accordance with Department of State requirements.

Embassy Mexico City should implement a system for mission employee compliance with the requirement to use the State Messaging and Archive Retrieval Toolset software system to archive email and other correspondence.

Embassy Mexico City should dispose of all expired medicines by the date of expiration.

Embassy Mexico City should verify that the Embassy Mexico City employee association is submitting status of recommendations reports to the Office of Commissary and Recreation Affairs.

Embassy Mexico City should reissue guidance on the procurement process and the avoidance of unauthorized commitments.

Embassy Mexico City should require principal officers to pay and seek reimbursement for official residence expenses staff salary expenses.