Inspection of Embassy Amman, Jordan

Embassy Amman, in coordination with the Bureau for Near Eastern Affairs, should establish a procedure that requires the Ambassador to approve all foreign assistance programs that will conduct activities in Jordan not included in the embassy’s Mission Resource Request or Foreign Assistance Operational Plan.

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, in coordination with Embassy Amman and the Bureau of Counterterrorism, should introduce sustainability goals and benchmarks into the Antiterrorism Assistance Program for Jordan.

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, in coordination with Embassy Amman, should assign financial oversight responsibilities for the Antiterrorism Assistance Program to someone who is able to discharge them in accordance with Department of State standards.

Embassy Amman should require newly designated Middle East Partnership Initiative project officers to take the Initiative-specific online course and maintain records of which employees have taken the course.

Embassy Amman, in coordination with the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, should develop and implement a plan that prescribes how to sustain the Women in Science Hall of Fame grant’s goal after the current grant ends.

Embassy Amman, in coordination with the Bureau of International Information Programs, the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, should develop a long-term strategic plan to transition the American Language Center into a fully functioning American Center that meets the highest levels of the Standards Matrix for Open Access U.S. Government-Owned American Spaces.

Embassy Amman, in coordination with the Bureau of International Information Programs, should implement a materials collection development plan for the American Language Center.

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, should provide Embassy Amman with official guidance on recycling authorization and procedures for English-teaching funds.

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, should provide Embassy Amman with official guidance on the use of recycled English-teaching funds and regular public diplomacy funds in a mixed-use facility.

Embassy Amman should examine all open public diplomacy grants and amend any whose period of performance dates do not cover all grant expenditures.

Sensitive Information Redacted

Embassy Amman should require consular managers and supervisors to adjudicate visa referrals in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Amman, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, should develop a detailed briefing on requirements of the most recent worldwide visa referral policy and brief all officers authorized to submit or approve visa referrals.

Embassy Amman should require consular managers to provide additional guidance on visa adjudication policy by meeting regularly with entry level officers to discuss cases and explain Department of State policy.

Embassy Amman should require consular managers to use adjudication reviews as instructional tools, directly engaging with line officers to maintain the highest adjudication standards, as required by Department of State regulations.

Embassy Amman should develop, schedule, and conduct consular training and professional development programs on monthly administrative days.

Embassy Amman should discontinue electronic funds transfer salary payments to official residence staff members and require the Ambassador and the deputy chief of mission to pay the official residence staff directly.

Embassy Amman should discontinue unauthorized use of a suspense deposit abroad account or request an exception from the Office of Financial Policy.

Embassy Amman should establish and enforce formal procedures to conduct monthly and quarterly cash verifications of all 15 subcashier funds and submit the required documentation to the Class B cashier.

Embassy Amman should establish and enforce a policy that limits all occasional money holder advances to a maximum of 3 business days.

Embassy Amman should develop and enforce a specific set of procedures for all American Language Center collections that adhere to regulations on collections specified in the Foreign Affairs Manual and the Foreign Affairs Handbook.

Embassy Amman should implement a tracking system to monitor cellular and landline telephone invoice payments to comply with the Prompt Payment Act.

Embassy Amman, in coordination with the Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation, should establish measurable uniform service standards to evaluate the financial management section’s performance servicing the clients under International Cooperative Administrative Support Services.

Embassy Amman should manually calculate the workload counts of all nonserviced agencies that subscribe to the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services accounting and records services but do not have fiscal data in the Department of State’s accounting system and distribute the associated costs equitably.

Embassy Amman should require all supervisors to complete performance evaluations within the mandated timeline.

Embassy Amman should submit an updated Post Hardship Differential Questionnaire and Danger Pay Survey to the Bureau of Administration, Office of Allowances for review.

Embassy Amman should not schedule or permit drivers to work a shift in excess of 10 hours and should require a minimum 8-hour rest period for drivers between shifts.

Embassy Amman should bring all elements of the purchase card program at post into full compliance with requirements of the Bureau of Administration’s Office of the Procurement Executive.

Embassy Amman should correct the backlog of incompletely closed purchase order files so that all closed purchase order files include all required documentation.

Embassy Amman should eliminate warehouse fire hazards through reorganization, inventory reduction, and/or by expanding leased warehouse space.

Embassy Amman should convene the safety, health, and environmental management standing committee at least twice a year.

Embassy Amman should establish a standard operating procedure for managing all help desk service requests.

Embassy Amman should establish a secure work area in the information systems center for performing systems administration duties.

Embassy Amman should recompete the mission’s Internet contract and acquire bandwidth adequate for mission operations.

Embassy Amman should consolidate its dedicated Internet networks and register them with the Bureau of Information Resource Management.

Embassy Amman should develop and implement standard operating procedures that include authorization, issuance, tracking, and inventory for managing laptops and mobile devices.

Embassy Amman should require the American Embassy Community Services Association to prepare and present accurate monthly financial statements to the Board of Directors.