Inspection of Embassy Bratislava, Slovakia

What OIG Inspected 

OIG inspected Embassy Bratislava’s achievement of foreign policy goals and objectives, policy and program implementation, consular operations, resource management, and information management. 

What OIG Found

• Embassy Bratislava generally advanced U.S. foreign policy goals and managed its operations in accordance with U.S. Department of State standards. 
• The Embassy did not have a mechanism to coordinate foreign assistance with Washington bureaus and offices.
• The Embassy generally complied with Department standards relating to life safety, property management, financial management, and personnel. 
• The Embassy had several deficiencies in its information management operations related to information systems security duties, local configuration management protocols, physical and environmental protection of IT resources, and mail and pouch standards.
• Spotlight on Success: Embassy Bratislava’s innovations in consular operations resulted in greater efficiencies for passport and visa applicants.

What OIG Recommends 

OIG made 7 recommendations to Embassy Bratislava. In its comments on the draft report, Embassy Bratislava concurred with 4 recommendations, partially concurred with 2 recommendations, and did not concur with 1 recommendation. OIG considers all 7 recommendations resolved. The Embassy’s response can be found in the Findings section of this report. The Embassy’s formal response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.