Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the executive direction, policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Bridgetown, Barbados. The inspection also included Embassy St. George’s, Grenada; Consular Agency Antigua and Barbuda; and Consular Agency Martinique.
What OIG Found
- Embassy Bridgetown’s Front Office generally complied with Department of State standards for tone at the top and standards of conduct, execution of foreign policy goals and objectives, security and emergency planning, and equal employment opportunity. The Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, engaged all elements of the workforce, provided useful guidance, and responded to employee concerns.
- Embassy Bridgetown did not have a clear delineation of chief of mission security responsibilities for British and French territories in the Eastern Caribbean.
- The embassy had deficiencies in consular oversight.
- Embassy Bridgetown had several safety issues related to elevator mechanical deficiencies, fire protection, and workplace safety inspections.
- The embassy’s contract file management and contracting officer’s representative program did not fully comply with Department standards.
- The embassy had deficiencies related to the security of information systems and information technology assets, the emergency communications program, and mobile device management in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s.
What OIG Recommends
OIG made 30 recommendations: 29 recommendations to Embassy Bridgetown and 1 recommendation to the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. In its comments on the draft report, the Department concurred with 24 recommendations, partially concurred with 2 recommendations, and neither agreed nor disagreed with 4 recommendations. OIG considers all 30 recommendations resolved. The Department’s formal responses are reprinted in their entirety in Appendix B.
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
Embassy Bridgetown should coordinate and consult with counterparts at Embassy St. George’s regarding management, information technology, and security functions.
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the Bureau of Consular Affairs, and the Office of the Legal Adviser, should develop a written agreement delineating the responsibilities of Embassy Bridgetown with respect to the British and French territories in the Eastern Caribbean.
Embassy Bridgetown should require the Consular Section chief to strategically direct and lead the section in accordance with Department leadership and management principles.
Embassy Bridgetown should bring its consular cashier operations into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should update its Duty Officer Guide to include all consular information required by Department guidance.
Embassy Bridgetown should bring its consular interview facilities into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should archive Consular Section communications in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should inspect its elevators and obtain certificates of use for them in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should bring the fire protection program in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s into compliance with Department and federal standards.
Embassy Bridgetown, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should bring the safety, health, and environmental management program in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should conduct and document workplace safety inspections in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should bring its playground into compliance with federal safety standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should review and de-obligate or validate all open unliquidated obligations without activity for an extended period, in accordance with Department standards, so funds up to $1,656,734 can be put to better use.
Embassy Bridgetown, in coordination with the Bureaus of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, Personnel and Training, and Western Hemisphere Affairs, should implement a plan to fund current liabilities and reduce future liabilities in the locally employed staff pension plan in order to comply with local labor law and address long term funding concerns.
Embassy Bridgetown should bring its contract files into compliance with Department and federal requirements.
Embassy Bridgetown should bring its contracting officer’s representative program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should manage its furniture and appliance pool assets in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should manage its generator fuel deliveries in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should review and close out procurement files in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should implement a plan to recover the costs for personal calls on U.S. government-issued cellular telephones, in accordance with embassy policy.
Embassy Bridgetown should create budget and training plans for the Diplomatic Technology unit in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s.
Embassy Bridgetown should require the Information Systems Security Officers to perform all duties in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should bring the emergency communications program in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should bring the Sensitive But Unclassified server rooms in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should manage the mobile device program in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should manage the mail and pouch program in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should establish and implement a local configuration management protocol in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should implement a systems development life cycle management plan for the applications it develops in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s, in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Bridgetown should develop and implement procedures to review telephone charges for Bridgetown and Embassy St. George’s.
Embassy Bridgetown should implement a records management program in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s that complies with Department standards.