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Recommendations

Department of State

444

Open Unclassified Recommendations¹

$15,045,004

Open Unclassified Recommendations Potential Monetary Benefits¹

134

Open Sensitive But Unclassified Recommendations²

$0

Open Sensitive But Unclassified Recommendations Potential Monetary Benefits²

416

Open Classified Recommendations³

$218,173,822

Open Classified Recommendations Potential Monetary Benefits³

U.S. Agency for Global Media

0

Open Unclassified Recommendations¹

$0

Open Unclassified Recommendations Potential Monetary Benefits¹

36

Open Sensitive But Unclassified Recommendations²

$0

Open Sensitive But Unclassified Recommendations Potential Monetary Benefits²

0

Open Classified Recommendations³

$0

Open Classified Recommendations Potential Monetary Benefits³
Department recommendations include 49 recommendations that are associated with the International Boundary Water Commission.
 
recommendation icon
Inspection of the Bureau of Legislative Affairs
ISP-I-21-20
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Global Talent Management, should conduct an organizational assessment to clarify staff roles and responsibilities and bureau organizational structure, and align them with bureau operational needs.

  2. Recommendation Number
    2
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should implement a system to identify and mitigate on a continuous basis the internal control risks to its programs and processes, in accordance with Department guidance.

  3. Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should develop and implement an action plan to fully comply with Department policies related to threatening behavior.

  4. Recommendation Number
    4
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should develop and implement a plan for all employees to comply with Department mandatory training requirements for harassment prevention, supervision, and retaliation-related courses.

  5. Recommendation Number
    5
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should involve its employees in developing the Functional Bureau Strategy and brief them on the final product to establish organizational understanding of its mission, goals, objectives, resource requirements, and milestones, in accordance with Department guidance.

  6. Recommendation Number
    6
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should submit an updated evaluation plan for its major processes to the Bureau of Budget and Planning and implement a performance management plan to measure organizational progress toward its strategic goals and objectives, in accordance with Department standards.

  7. Recommendation Number
    7
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs, in coordination with the Executive Secretariat, should reassume management of congressionally mandated reports and implement process improvements to prevent a backlog of the reports in the future, in accordance with Department guidance.

  8. Recommendation Number
    8
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should address gaps in the correspondence tracking system’s functionality, and develop and implement a standard operating procedure, including well-defined process timelines, in order to meet Department requirements for correspondence response times.

  9. Recommendation Number
    9
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should implement a bureau-wide records management program and issue guidance for creating, maintaining, and retiring official bureau files and records, in accordance with Department guidance.

  10. Recommendation Number
    10
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should establish and implement written service standards for the management services and administrative support provided by the Office of the Executive Director, including a system to record and monitor its services.

  11. Recommendation Number
    11
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should perform periodic assessments of its management services and administrative support and regularly communicate the results to bureau staff.

  12. Recommendation Number
    12
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should develop and implement a formal bureau-wide training policy and plan, in accordance with Department standards.

  13. Recommendation Number
    13
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should implement standard operating procedures for disseminating Executive Office policies and notices, including a periodic review of policies and the use of a central repository for all such communications.

  14. Recommendation Number
    14
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Legislative Affairs should implement the Managing State Projects methodology when developing MyData applications, in accordance with Department standards.

recommendation icon
Inspection of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ Office of Fire Protection
ISP-I-21-22
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, should incorporate in the Annual Statement of Assurance templates an attestation requiring overseas posts to have an effective fire protection program that complies with all applicable Department standards.

  2. Recommendation Number
    2
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, should update and include fire protection program internal control procedures in the Department’s Management Controls Checklist.

  3. Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should implement a plan to increase American employees’ participation in fire protection training at overseas posts.

  4. Recommendation Number
    4
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should modify the Real Property Application database to identify residential units and functional spaces located in high-rise buildings.

  5. Recommendation Number
    5
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, should implement options to address impediments faced by the Office of Fire Protection’s third-party contractors carrying work tools and fire system repair parts through foreign customs.

  6. Recommendation Number
    6
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Global Talent Management, should implement overtime policy and procedures for the Office of Fire Protection that comply with Department standards.

  7. Recommendation Number
    7
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should bring its contract administration into compliance with Department standards.

  8. Recommendation Number
    8
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should implement records and information life cycle management standard operating procedures for the Office of Fire Protection in accordance with Department standards.

recommendation icon
(U) Management Assistance Report: Accountability of Official and Diplomatic Passports of Separating Employees Needs Improvement
AUD-SI-21-28
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs improve accountability over special-issuance passports by updating the Foreign Affairs Manual and any other relevant policy documents to require that (a) all Department of State bureaus and offices that participate in the Special Issuance Passport Program either (1) physically cancel special-issuance passports (including secondary passports) issued to a separating employee and email the Special Issuance Agency (SIA) a copy of the physically cancelled data page requesting that the passport(s) be electronically cancelled (along with returning the passport to SIA for destruction if not returned to the separating employee) or (2) if appropriate, file the special-issuance passport with SIA and (b) the Special Issuance Agency confirm that all special-issuance passports issued to the separating employee have been included in the cancellation request and electronically cancel all additional passport(s) as appropriate.

recommendation icon
(U) Audit of the Department of State FY 2020 Information Security Program
AUD-IT-21-25
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  2. Recommendation Number
    2
    Closed New Report

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  3. Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed New Report

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  4. Recommendation Number
    4
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  5. Recommendation Number
    5
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  6. Recommendation Number
    6
    Open Resolved Significant

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  7. Recommendation Number
    7
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  8. Recommendation Number
    8
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  9. Recommendation Number
    9
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  10. Recommendation Number
    10
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  11. Recommendation Number
    11
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  12. Recommendation Number
    12
    Closed New Report

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  13. Recommendation Number
    13
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  14. Recommendation Number
    14
    Closed Implemented Significant

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  15. Recommendation Number
    15
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  16. Recommendation Number
    16
    Closed New Report

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  17. Recommendation Number
    17
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  18. Recommendation Number
    18
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  19. Recommendation Number
    19
    Closed New Report Significant

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  20. Recommendation Number
    20
    Closed Implemented Significant

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  21. Recommendation Number
    21
    Open Resolved Significant

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  22. Recommendation Number
    22
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  23. Recommendation Number
    23
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  24. Recommendation Number
    24
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  25. Recommendation Number
    25
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

recommendation icon
Review of the Public Diplomacy Staffing Initiative
ISP-I-21-24
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed Implemented

    The Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources, in coordination with the regional bureaus, should develop and implement a plan for responding to Public Diplomacy Sections’ needs for increased salary costs and severance pay, in accordance with Department guidance.

  2. Recommendation Number
    2
    Closed Implemented

    The Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources, in coordination with the Bureau of Global Talent Management, should review and issue worldwide guidance for Public Diplomacy Sections seeking to revise locally employed staff position descriptions before the Public Diplomacy Staffing Initiative is implemented at their embassy.

  3. Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed Implemented

    The Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources should evaluate the classification of senior press locally employed staff positions at missions that have completed the Public Diplomacy Staffing Initiative implementation process, make any necessary adjustments to the framework job descriptions so that classification of these positions is consistent with similar positions at other missions, and apply any lessons-learned for missions awaiting implementation.

  4. Recommendation Number
    4
    Closed Implemented

    The Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources, in coordination with the regional bureaus, should establish two-way communication procedures and create and distribute Public Diplomacy Staffing Initiative briefing materials to all public diplomacy officers, including to public affairs officers before beginning their overseas assignments, and to locally employed staff.

  5. Recommendation Number
    5
    Closed Implemented

    The Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources should provide regional bureau public diplomacy offices complete information on the Public Diplomacy Staffing Initiative, including monitoring and evaluation results and budgetary implications, in accordance with Department guidance.

  6. Recommendation Number
    6
    Closed Implemented

    The Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources, in coordination with the Foreign Service Institute, should develop and implement a training plan with short-, medium-, and long-term objectives that address how to train public diplomacy officers and locally employed staff in core competencies based on new position descriptions for Public Diplomacy Staffing Initiative implementation.

recommendation icon
Inspection of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ Office of Safety, Health, and Environmental Management
ISP-I-21-21
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureaus of African Affairs, East Asian and Pacific Affairs, European and Eurasian Affairs, Near Eastern Affairs, South and Central Asian Affairs, and Western Hemisphere Affairs, should require post occupational safety and health officers to complete all outstanding residential safety certifications in the Post Occupational Safety and Health Certification Application database in accordance with Department standards.

  2. Recommendation Number
    2
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should correct all limitations in the Post Occupational Safety and Health Officer Certification Application database to fully monitor overseas posts’ compliance with Department residential safety standards.

  3. Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should correct all database limitations in its Real Property Application and Post Occupational Safety and Health Officer Certification Application databases to fully monitor overseas posts’ compliance with Department nonresidential safety standards.

  4. Recommendation Number
    4
    Open Resolved

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureaus of European and Eurasian Affairs, Near Eastern Affairs, and Western Hemisphere Affairs, should bring principal officer residential swimming pools at Embassies Cairo, Madrid, and Quito, and Consulate General Hamilton into compliance with Department swimming pool safety standards.

  5. Recommendation Number
    5
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should mandate the use of the Fleet Management Information System to track overseas posts’ compliance with Department motor vehicle safety standards.

  6. Recommendation Number
    6
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should review and update Foreign Affairs Manual standards governing the Department’s Safety, Health, and Environmental Management program abroad.

  7. Recommendation Number
    7
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Office of the Legal Adviser, should evaluate whether reporting mishaps involving personal use of personally owned vehicles of U.S. direct-hire staff should be required.

  8. Recommendation Number
    8
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should develop and implement a training program incorporating training objectives and materials for safety orientations and safety training for all employees at overseas posts.

  9. Recommendation Number
    9
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should develop and implement procedures to regularly update the content of the Office of Safety, Health, and Environmental Management SharePoint site.

  10. Recommendation Number
    10
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Building Operations should develop and implement records and information life cycle management standard operating procedures for the Office of Safety, Health, and Environmental Management in accordance with Department standards.

  11. Recommendation Number
    11
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Information Resource Management and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, should obtain an authorization to operate the DriveCam system, in accordance with Department standards.

recommendation icon
Review of Allegations of Misuse of Department of State Resources
ESP-21-02
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed Implemented

    The Office of the Legal Adviser should amend its exisiting ethics and travel guide to include written guidance as to whether it is appropriate to use Department funds for personal gifts to U.S. citizens and whether it is appropriate for Department employees to arrange personal dinners and entertainment for the Secretary of State.

  2. Recommendation Number
    2
    Closed Implemented

    The Bureau of Diplomatic Security should amend its Protection Handbook to include examples of appropriate and inappropriate requests to agents performing protective functions and direction concerning what to do and who to contact when the agent is tasked with a request that may be inappropriate.

  3. Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed Implemented

    The Under Secretary for Management should draft and publish guidance on the use of a subordinate’s time for tasks of a personal nature, including examples of appropriate vs. inappropriate requests and direction concerning what to do and who to contact when a Department employee is tasked with a request that may be inappropriate.

recommendation icon
Audit of Department of State Use of Appropriated Funds Prior to Expiration and Cancellation
AUD-FM-21-27
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Budget and Planning develop guidance requiring that bureaus and offices analyze and quantify funds that have expired and are at risk of being returned to the Department of the Treasury to include in its Annual Year-End Technical Guidance that is distributed to all bureaus.

  2. Recommendation Number
    2
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Budget and Planning develop, issue, and implement fund management monitoring procedures to require bureaus and offices to confirm the amount of cancelling funds.

  3. Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Comptroller and Global Financial Services develop and implement a process to formally notify bureaus and offices of the annual deadlines for automatic deobligations of cancelling funds.

  4. Recommendation Number
    4
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Comptroller and Global Financial Services develop and implement a process to maintain a list of all obligations that were automatically deobligated due to cancelling funds by bureau or office and provide that information to bureau and office representatives to improve fund management.

  5. Recommendation Number
    5
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services enhance the current processes for monitoring unliquidated obligations that are included in the Foreign Affairs Manual (4 FAM 225) to verify that allotment holders are performing periodic reviews of obligations.

  6. Recommendation Number
    6
    Closed Implemented $34,088,800

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs review the 23 potentially invalid obligations detailed in Appendix B of this report, totaling $34,088,800, and either deobligate the obligations, so that the funds can be put to better use, or provide documentation to OIG to justify the validity of the 23 obligations.

  7. Recommendation Number
    7
    Closed Implemented $287,418

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs review the four potentially invalid obligations detailed in Appendix B of this report, totaling $287,418, and either deobligate the obligations, so that the funds can be put to better use, or provide documentation to OIG to justify the validity of the four obligations.

  8. Recommendation Number
    8
    Closed Implemented $316,950

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs review the two potentially invalid obligations detailed in Appendix B of this report, totaling $316,950, and either deobligate the obligations, so that the funds can be put to better use, or provide documentation to OIG to justify the validity of the two obligations.

recommendation icon
Compliance Follow-Up Audit of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Selection and Management of Contract Oversight Personnel in Iraq
AUD-MERO-21-24
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs develop and execute an action plan that dedicates appropriate resources to implement Recommendations 1, 2, and 4 from OIG report Audit of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Selection and Management of Contract Oversight Personnel in Iraq (AUD-MERO-19-10, November 2018). The plan should outline the steps and resources necessary to determine the technical expertise in the contract subject matter for Contracting Officer’s Representatives (COR) and Government Technical Monitors (GTM), provide those determinations and requirements to Contracting Officers, and ensure only CORs and GTMs that meet the requirements of the updated study are nominated. The action plan should include milestones to ensure efficient and timely implementation considering the time that has elapsed since the recommendations were made in November 2018.

  2. Recommendation Number
    2
    Closed Implemented Significant

    OIG recommends that the Under Secretary of State for Management (a) direct the Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive to coordinate with the Bureau of Global Talent Management, Office of Organization and Talent Analytics to conduct a skills assessment for contract oversight personnel overseeing “complex contracts” that require significant contractor oversight and include robust contract administration requirements to identify skills gaps to attract and retain qualified Contracting Officer’s Representatives with technical expertise in the contract subject matter and (b) develop an action plan to implement the results for all complex Department of State contracts, with a high-priority on contracts in Iraq.

  3. Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed Implemented Significant

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive provide the “Acquisition Human Capital Plan” to the Director General of the Bureau of Global Talent Management for consideration and inclusion in the overall Department of State-wide workforce planning efforts, in accordance with Policy Letter 05-01, “Developing and Managing the Acquisition Workforce,” issued by the Office of Management and Budget, Office of the Federal Procurement Policy.

  4. Recommendation Number
    4
    Closed Not Implemented

    OIG recommends that the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs develop and implement a process that includes a secondary review of Contracting Officer’s Representative and Government Technical Monitor written nominations to ensure that technical expertise in the contract subject matter is presented to the Contracting Officer, as required by 14 Foreign Affairs Handbook-2 H-143.2, “COR Appointment Procedures.”

recommendation icon
(U) Audit of the U.S. Agency for Global Media FY 2020 Information Security Program
AUD-IT-IB-21-21
  1. Recommendation Number
    1
    Closed New Report

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  2. Recommendation Number
    2
    Open Resolved Significant

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  3. Recommendation Number
    3
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  4. Recommendation Number
    4
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  5. Recommendation Number
    5
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  6. Recommendation Number
    6
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  7. Recommendation Number
    7
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  8. Recommendation Number
    8
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  9. Recommendation Number
    9
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  10. Recommendation Number
    10
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  11. Recommendation Number
    11
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  12. Recommendation Number
    12
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  13. Recommendation Number
    13
    Closed New Report

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  14. Recommendation Number
    14
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  15. Recommendation Number
    15
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  16. Recommendation Number
    16
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  17. Recommendation Number
    17
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  18. Recommendation Number
    18
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  19. Recommendation Number
    19
    Open Resolved Significant

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  20. Recommendation Number
    20
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  21. Recommendation Number
    21
    Open Resolved

    Sensitive Information Redacted

  22. Recommendation Number
    22
    Closed Implemented

    Sensitive Information Redacted

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7467 recommendations in total

Last Updated:

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.

  1. Includes unclassified recommendations in unclassified reports; also includes unclassified recommendations in SBU reports that are publicly available.
  2. Includes SBU recommendations in SBU reports; also includes unclassified recommendations in SBU reports that are not publicly available.
  3. Includes classified recommendations in classified reports; also includes unclassified recommendations in classified reports.

Read more about report definitions.

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