Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the executive direction, policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Cairo.
What OIG Found
- The Ambassador generally modeled the Department of State’s leadership principles, particularly integrity, valuing and developing people, and fostering resilience.
- Embassy Cairo’s Political, Economic, and Public Diplomacy Sections generally complied with Department standards and priorities.
- The embassy’s Consular Section had deficiencies related to wait times for U.S. citizen services and immediate relative immigrant visa interviews, as well as with its workspace configuration.
- The employee association did not reimburse Embassy Cairo for $389,000 in local guard services.
- Embassy Cairo had internal control issues in general services and facility management programs.
- The embassy had information management deficiencies related to information systems security officer duties, unauthorized software, user access rights, and telephone inventory.
What OIG Recommends
OIG made 11 recommendations to Embassy Cairo. In its comments on the draft report, the embassy concurred with 8 recommendations and disagreed with 3 recommendations. OIG considers all 11 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 Cairo should manage U.S. citizen services appointment wait times in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Cairo, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, should manage immediate relative immigrant visa interviews in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Cairo, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, should seek reimbursement of the $389,000 in questioned costs for local guard services provided to the American Employees Cooperative and Welfare Association from FY 2022 to FY 2024 and bring the provision of local guard services for the association into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Cairo should bring its contract administration program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Cairo should track and review its embassy housing commissioning and make ready costs in adherence with embassy standard operating procedures and Department standards.
Embassy Cairo should bring its fire protection program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Cairo should bring its safety, health, and environmental management program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Cairo should complete all information systems security officer responsibilities in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Cairo should conduct a risk assessment and obtain an authorization to operate its cloud-based software application from the Bureau of Diplomatic Technology.
Embassy Cairo should bring system administrator and user access rights to the State Messaging and Archive Retrieval Toolset application into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Cairo should inventory telephone parts and equipment in accordance with Department standards.