Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs’ strategic planning, organizational structure, congressional functions, outreach unit, and performance evaluation.
What OIG Recommended
OIG made 5 recommendations to improve strategic planning, organizational structure, congressional engagement, human resource management, and contractor oversight in the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs.
In its comments on the draft report, the Bureau of Consular Affairs concurred with all 5 recommendations. OIG considers all recommendations resolved. The bureau’s response to each recommendation, and OIG’s reply, can be found in the Recommendations section of this report. The bureau’s formal written response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.
What OIG Found
- The structure of and reporting lines in the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs were inconsistent with Department of State guidance on organizational control.
- Office leadership took steps to improve operations but did not have a strategic plan to implement internal reforms, including those recommended by an external auditor.
- The office led the implementation of an executive communication strategy for the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ new Assistant Secretary and the creation of a public affairs strategic communication plan for the entire bureau.
- The dispersal of the office’s congressional functions across three separate elements limited internal coordination.
- The Outreach Unit fulfilled its responsibilities and Department stakeholders praised the digital engagement team’s crisis communications performance.
- The office did not document or formally monitor contract staff performance.
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
The Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should align the organizational structure of the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs in a manner consistent with Department standards.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs should implement a strategic plan for internal reforms in the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs should consolidate the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs congressional functions into a single organizational component.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should verify the proper classification of its Congressional Liaison Officer positions.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs should require that the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs monitor and document the performance of its labor-hour contractors and provide feedback to the Contracting Officer’s Representative, in accordance with Department guidance.