Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the operating environment, executive direction, policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Lusaka.
What OIG Found
• The Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission generally led Embassy Lusaka consistent with the Department of State’s leadership and management principles.
• The embassy had morale issues with its locally employed staff, attributed to the aftermath of its 2023 fraud investigation that resulted in terminating, suspending, or reprimanding 135 staff members.
• Extended power outages and other hardships in Zambia also affected locally employed staff, and embassy leadership took action to alleviate the impact of the hardships on those staff.
• Public diplomacy efforts were well integrated and supported the embassy’s Integrated Country Strategy goals, but the Public Diplomacy Section did not document its administration of grants in accordance with requirements.
• The Consular Section did not process nonimmigrant and immigrant visa cases, conduct visa validation studies, and implement consular internal controls in full compliance with Department standards.
• The embassy’s financial management office did not track employee accounts receivable for approximately 5 years and did not have a process to ensure the funds overpaid or advanced to employees were repaid to the government as required.
• Embassy Lusaka’s property management program, fuel operations, cashier operations, and contracting officer’s representative program did not fully comply with Department standards.
• The embassy’s information management and information security operations, including network operations, non-enterprise networks, telephone program, emergency preparedness, and cybersecurity operations, did not fully comply with Department standards.
What OIG Recommends
OIG made 32 recommendations to Embassy Lusaka. In its comments on the draft report, the embassy concurred with 30 recommendations and neither agreed nor disagreed with 2 recommendations. OIG considers all 32 recommendations resolved. The embassy’s response to each recommendation and OIG’s reply can be found in the Recommendations section of this report. The embassy’s formal response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
Embassy Lusaka should monitor and document public diplomacy grants in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should implement a plan to increase nonimmigrant visa adjudication capacity and reduce interview appointment wait times.
Embassy Lusaka should comply with Department consular procedural requirements.
Embassy Lusaka should comply with Department standards for consular crisis preparedness.
Embassy Lusaka should monitor the Global Support Services program in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should conduct validation studies on issued nonimmigrant visas in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should record, track, and collect employee accounts receivable, in accordance with Department requirements.
Embassy Lusaka should bring its cashier operations into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should clear overdue travel advances, in accordance with Department guidelines, and put overdue travel advance funds of up to $24,770 to better use.
Embassy Lusaka should manage its fuel operations in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should bring its property management program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should bring its furniture and appliance pool program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should comply with Department requirements for managing the official vehicles in its motor pool.
Embassy Lusaka should bring its contracting officer’s representative program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should close out procurement files in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should bring its safety, health, and environmental management program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should bring its residential fire protection program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should comply with the Department’s time and attendance requirements.
Embassy Lusaka should require the embassy employee association’s board of directors to conduct its oversight responsibilities in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should submit its hardship differential survey in accordance with Department guidelines.
Embassy Lusaka should register and obtain approval for its external network extensions in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should update and test the information technology contingency plans for its Sensitive But Unclassified and classified networks in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should implement a network account management procedure for regularly reviewing user accounts in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should implement a procedure to change the administrative passwords for its networked digital copiers, printers, and senders in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should configure and monitor its non-enterprise networks in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should complete all information systems security officer responsibilities in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should test the satellite phone and high frequency radio at the alternate command center monthly in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should account for all its emergency and evacuation radios and enter all radios into the Integrated Logistics Management Systems loanable property module in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should establish a Local Configuration Control Board in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should establish a method to seek repayment for unapproved telephone charges in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should verify paid monthly service charges for mobile phone lines and service inventories in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Lusaka should bring its records management program into compliance with Department standards.