Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the executive direction, policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Mission Germany. The inspection included Embassy Berlin and Consulates General Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, and Munich.
What OIG Recommends
OIG made 26 recommendations: 24 to Embassy Berlin and 2 to the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. In its comments on the draft report, the Department concurred with all 26 recommendations. OIG considers all 26 recommendations resolved. The Department’s response to each recommendation, and OIG’s reply, can be found in the Recommendations section of this report. The Department’s formal responses are reprinted in their entirety in Appendix B
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
Embassy Berlin should conduct timely nonimmigrant visa adjudication reviews in accordance with Department Standards.
Embassy Berlin should comply with Department standards for line-of-sight supervision of the cashier booths at Consulate General Frankfurt.
Embassy Berlin, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should provide Consulate General Munich’s consular applicants with a waiting area that meets Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should replace the existing consular microphone system with a functioning system.
The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with Embassy Berlin, should implement a plan to address identified facilities issues at Embassy Berlin.
The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with Embassy Berlin, should implement a plan to address identified facilities issues at Consulate General Frankfurt.
Embassy Berlin, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should bring its fire protection program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should bring its safety, health, and environmental management program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should bring its contracting officer’s representative program into compliance with Department and federal requirements.
Embassy Berlin should enforce the requirement for vendors to register in the System for Award Management.
Embassy Berlin should close out procurement files in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should use the Integrated Logistics Management System to account for all expendable property in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should bring its receiving procedures into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should comply with all Department Motor Vehicle Safety Management Program standards for incidental drivers under chief of mission authority.
Embassy Berlin should account for all motor vehicle fleet costs in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin, in coordination with the Bureaus of Budget and Planning, the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, and European and Eurasian Affairs, should reprogram additional Department-funded diplomatic technology positions to International Cooperative Administrative Support Services-funded positions in accordance with Department standards, and put funds of up to $243,993 over 3 years per position to better use.
Embassy Berlin, in coordination with the Bureau of Global Talent Management, should update the mission’s local compensation plan in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should update the locally employed staff handbook in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should transition Consulate General Frankfurt’s OpenNet operations to the Department-provided Enterprise Converged Platform and put up to $100,000 to better use.
Embassy Berlin should comply with Department standards concerning server room emergency power-off switches.
Embassy Berlin should perform its local information technology configuration control board responsibilities in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should assign responsibility for records management, including liaison with the post records coordinator and retiring records, to an individual in each of the mission’s offices, and bring the records management program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should upload all diplomatic notes it prepares and receives to the State Messaging and Archive Retrieval Toolset in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should correct the network cabling infrastructure issues at Embassy Berlin, Clay Annex, and Consulate General Munich to comply with Department standards concerning switch cable management.
Embassy Berlin should install required air conditioning and humidity gauges in Consulates General Dusseldorf and Frankfurt server and telephone system rooms in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Berlin should configure the mission’s non-enterprise networks to comply with Department standards.