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Department of State
U.S. Agency for Global Media
The Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary should develop and communicate to staff a plan to implement its Functional Bureau Strategy in accordance with Department standards.
The Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary should develop, implement, and train staff on coordination and clearance procedures in accordance with Department guidelines.
The Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary, in coordination with the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, should develop procedures that delineate and deconflict the roles and responsibilities of both Regional Technology Officers and Regional Environmental, Science, Technology, and Health Officers in accordance with Department guidelines.
The Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary, in coordination with the Offices of the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, the Deputy Secretary of State, and the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, should submit a statement of its policy areas of responsibilities in accordance with Department standards.
The Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary should nominate a qualified Contracting Officer’s Representative for the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Jefferson Science Fellowship contracts.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, within 90 days of final report issuance, (a) inspect the 400 body armor items acquired in FY 2018 for the Office of Antiterrorism Assistance, Special Program for Embassy Augmentation Response, that did not have serial numbers to determine whether they are of sufficient quality or need to be disposed of or replaced and (b) take appropriate action.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs develop and implement policies and procedures for reviewing data provided to external entities to ensure that the data are accurate and complete.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, in coordination with the Office of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region, should specify the bureau’s role and related responsibilities on Arctic issues, communicate that information to all appropriate Department stakeholders, and submit the bureau’s functional statement on Arctic issues in accordance with Department guidance.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should align the organizational structure of the Office of Conservation and Water in accordance with Department guidelines.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should conduct an analysis of its foreign assistance management structure and clarify roles and responsibilities related to the administration of foreign assistance.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should manage its Federal assistance awards and interagency agreements in accordance with Department and bureau guidance.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should develop and implement a process to identify and reclassify foreign assistance funds before they cancel, in accordance with Department guidance.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should comply with mandatory employee training requirements in accordance with Department standards.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should develop, disseminate, and enforce mandatory standard operating procedures detailing the bureau’s required processes for documenting, tracking, and reporting employee time and attendance.
Sensitive Information Redacted
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should implement Managing State Projects methodology or comparable methodology for the Research Application Tracking System Modernization Project, in accordance with Department standards.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should implement standard operating procedures to secure and control access to personally identifiable information, in accordance with Department standards.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should establish information technology contingency plans, in accordance with Department standards.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs should establish a records management program that complies with Department standards.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Information Resource Management develop and implement policies and procedures related to reviewing IT investment reorganizations conducted by all bureaus and offices to ensure that the resulting investments comply with Office of Management and Budget, Circular A-130, requirements.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Information Resource Management conduct an in-depth review of the entire agency IT portfolio to identify potential duplicative systems.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Information Resource Management develop and implement, to the extent practicable, a strategy to combine, eliminate, or replace the duplicative systems identified during its review of the entire agency IT portfolio (Recommendation 2).
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration develop and implement a methodology for identifying requisitions of or exceeding $10,000 that have not been properly identified as IT-related acquisitions.
Embassy Praia should document grants in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should bring its panel physician program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia, in coordination with the Bureau of African Affairs and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should formalize its regional support for human resources and facility management in memoranda of understanding that define clear responsibilities and expectations.
Embassy Praia should review all unliquidated obligations with no activity in over one year, de-obligate those which are no longer valid in accordance with Department standards, and put up to $118,000 to better use.
Embassy Praia should conduct monthly unannounced cashier verifications at unpredictable times in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should enter motor vehicle operational costs into the Fleet Management Information System and verify the data integrity in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should install secondary containment for the chancery generator fuel tank, in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should bring its fire protection program into compliance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operation, should complete the secondary egress project at the embassy annex in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should establish internal controls for the administration and disbursement of facility management expendable supplies in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should conduct an annual review of the embassy recreational facility, including a cost-benefit analysis, to determine the most effective use of the site.
Embassy Praia should require the Information Systems Security Officers to perform their duties in accordance with Department guidance.
The Bureau of Information Resource Management should communicate outcomes from monitoring information stored in the cloud to Embassy Praia’s Information Systems Security Officers.
Sensitive Information Redacted
Embassy Praia should use the Inventory and Logistics Management System loanable property module to issue and track information technology assets.
Embassy Praia should comply with Department standards for managing its dedicated internet networks.
Embassy Praia should implement a plan to test its information technology contingency plan annually and to conduct initial and annual refresher training for employees with information technology contingency planning responsibilities, in accordance with Department standards.
Embassy Praia should implement a records management program that complies with Department standards.
The Bureau of Administration should perform a comprehensive staffing analysis for the Diplomatic Security Contracts Division.
The Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, should create a schedule of potential systems improvements that incorporate the results of the information technology architecture mapping analysis performed by the Office of Acquisitions Management.
The Bureau of Administration should develop and implement a knowledge management strategy for the Diplomatic Security Contracts Division.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive, in coordination with Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services and the General Services Administration (a) determine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of establishing a process to transfer all relevant data, including undefinitized contract actions, directly from Global Financial Management System to the Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation; and (b) if determined to be feasible and cost-effective, take the necessary actions to establish the process.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive, develop guidance for the manual entry of procurement information into the Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation to reduce the likelihood that inaccurate information related to undefinitized contract actions is recorded.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive revise and reissue Office of Acquisition Management, “Definitization of Letter Contracts/Undefinitized Contract Actions (UCA),” AQM Memorandum 17-01, September 2019, to (a) clarify the definition of what constitutes an undefinitized contract action and distinguishes it from similar contracting instruments, to include unpriced change orders and (b) emphasize, at a minimum, that UCAs must be approved by the head of contracting activity and are required to contain a negotiated definitization schedule including, among other requirements, a target date for definitization, which shall be the earliest practicable date, but at least within 180 days after the date of the UCA or before completion of 40 percent of the work to be performed, whichever occurs first.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive, develop and execute training on undefinitized contract actions to ensure that contracting personnel understand their issuing requirement, as well as the distinction between undefinitized contract actions and similar contracting instruments, such as unpriced change orders.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive amend the Foreign Affairs Handbook to include a subsection in 14 FAH-2 H-320, Acquisition Planning, providing direct guidance on sole source noncompetitive contracts or contract extensions with an existing contractor to bridge the time between the original end of that contractor’s contract and the competitive award of a follow-on contract, including providing definitions to the terms: “bridge contract” or “bridge actions,” the parameters under which these sole source noncompetitive contracts and extensions can be used, and a requirement to provide additional information necessary to justify consecutive uses of a noncompetitive sole source award.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive, develop and implement a process to identify and elevate to the Assistant Secretary of Administration, who serves as the appointed agency Chief Acquisition Officer, instances when the acquisition planning process is adversely impacted due to insufficient program office participation so the Chief Acquisition Officer can engage with the impacted program office bureau’s assistant secretary to resolve delays in pursuing full and open competition for contracts in overseas contingency environments.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive, revise its Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) Guide to require that written justification for using less than full and open competition for awarding bridge contracts include information on why and how the delay occurred, what measures have or will be undertaken to resolve the delay, and the milestones to achieving full and open competition.
OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the regional bureaus, develop and implement guidance to include criteria, standards, and other direction, as appropriate, for opening and closing those missions that may temporarily establish operations outside of their respective host countries. The guidance should include criteria and standards to inform when, where, and how such missions should be established.
OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the regional bureaus, develop guidance requiring regional bureaus to implement a process to periodically reevaluate the status of those missions that have temporarily established operations outside of their respective host countries to determine whether those missions should continue to exist in their current form.
OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the regional bureaus and the Office of the Legal Adviser, develop and implement guidance regarding the creation, content, and periodic reevaluation of memoranda of understanding to facilitate working relationships and resource sharing agreements between those missions that have temporarily established operations outside of their host countries and their respective host missions.
OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the regional bureaus, develop and implement a template for the memoranda of understanding that can be used to facilitate working relationships and resource sharing agreements between those missions that have temporarily established operations outside of their host countries and their respective host missions.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Budget and Planning, in coordination with the Office of Foreign Assistance and the regional bureaus, develop and implement guidance to ensure that those missions that have temporarily established operations outside of their respective host countries complete annual Mission Resource Requests that reflect both the ongoing operational needs in the host country as well as those of the remote mission.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations develop and implement guidance for (a) shutting down embassy compounds and other facilities and (b) evaluating the feasibility of conducting routine maintenance and repairs following a suspension of operations.
OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the Office of the Legal Adviser and the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, develop and implement guidance in the Foreign Affairs Handbook, 12 FAH-1 Addendum 2.1, for those missions that have temporarily established operations outside of their host countries to consult with the Office of the Legal Adviser, and Bureaus of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services and Overseas Buildings Operations for legal, financial, and operational information to determine retention or disposition of leased property.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the regional bureaus, establish and implement a process to (a) identify additional internal controls over the procurement of goods and services that can be used to improve oversight and accountability in those countries where there are no U.S. direct-hire staff to oversee the procurement process and (b) share them with those missions that temporarily establish operations outside of their respective host countries.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Global Talent Management update the Foreign Affairs Manual to include provisions for locally employed staff to telework.
OIG recommends that the Yemen Affairs Unit provide Counterintelligence Awareness briefings in accordance with the Foreign Affairs Manual, 13 FAM 301.1-2, “Counterintelligence and Insider Threat Training,” to locally employed staff based in Yemen or seek a waiver from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security if it is not feasible to provide the briefings.
OIG recommends that the Yemen Affairs Unit provide Annual Cybersecurity Awareness for Users with Restricted Access briefings in accordance with the Foreign Affairs Handbook, 12 FAH-10 H-212, “Cybersecurity Awareness and Training Security Controls,” to locally employed staff based in Yemen or seek a waiver from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security if it is not feasible to provide the briefings.
OIG recommends that the Yemen Affairs Unit, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, obtain guidance on and implement corrective actions for archiving relevant messages transmitted via locally employed staffs’ unofficial email accounts.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration make records management training mandatory for all Department of State personnel who have responsibilities to create, manage, and preserve records that properly and adequately document the policies, decisions, and essential transactions of the Department of State, regardless of whether they have access to OpenNet.
OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the regional bureaus, develop and implement guidance regarding the day-to-day operations of remote missions with a focus on those functions that may be impacted by operating remotely such as the provision of consular services, security operations, and managing diplomatic relations.
OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, in coordination with the Bureaus of African Affairs, Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Near Eastern Affairs, develop and implement a process to collect, compile, and share best practices, lessons learned, and advice to inform the establishment and operations of future missions that have temporarily established operations outside of their respective host countries.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration update the Federal Assistance Directive to require that risk assessments for foreign assistance awards be updated within 90 days of a significant change in security circumstances, such as a suspension of operations, in the country where the award is being implemented.
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Note: The information includes all open recommendations from reports that were issued October 1, 2014. Potential Monetary Benefits values are as stated in reports—subsequent Department and USAGM management decisions and actions may result in different values.
