Recommendations

Department of State

444

Open Unclassified Recommendations¹

134

Open Sensitive But Unclassified Recommendations²

416

Open Classified Recommendations³

U.S. Agency for Global Media

0

Open Unclassified Recommendations¹

36

Open Sensitive But Unclassified Recommendations²

0

Open Classified Recommendations³

Department recommendations include 49 recommendations that are associated with the International Boundary Water Commission.

Keyword or Phrase

Action Office

Status

Financial Value

Significant

Issued Date (From)

Issued Date (To)

Reports Per Page

(U) Audit of Department of State Compliance With the Geospatial Data Act of 2018

AUD-MERO-20-41 September 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented Significant

The Office of Inspector General recommends that the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, in coordination with and support from the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions and the Bureau of Information Resource Management, establish and implement an action plan and timeline for implementing each of the 13 covered agency responsibilities prescribed by the Geospatial Data Act of 2018, Section 759(a).
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented Significant

The Office of Inspector General recommends that the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, in coordination with and support from the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions and the Bureau of Information Resource Management, identify and survey geospatial data users throughout the Department of State to identify existing practices and expertise to assist in implementing each of the 13 covered agency responsibilities prescribed by the Geospatial Data Act of 2018, Section 759(a).
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented Significant

The Office of Inspector General recommends that the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, in coordination with and support from the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions and the Bureau of Information Resource Management, develop policies, procedures, and practices to implement each of the 13 covered agency responsibilities prescribed by the Geospatial Data Act of 2018, Section 759(a).

Management Assistance Report: Deficiencies in Overseas Records Management

ISP-20-25 September 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

The Bureau of Administration should implement a plan to regularly communicate with and provide individualized support for overseas records management personnel.

Inspection of Embassy Prague, Czech Republic

ISP-I-20-28 September 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

Embassy Prague should bring consular fee collection practices into compliance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented

Embassy Prague, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should bring its safety, health, and environmental management program into compliance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

Embassy Prague, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should bring its fire protection program into compliance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

4

Closed Implemented

Embassy Prague should comply with Department standards for residential safety and security certifications.
Recommendation Number

5

Closed Implemented

Embassy Prague should monitor its motor vehicle operating costs in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

6

Closed Implemented

Embassy Prague should comply with Department standards for records management.
Recommendation Number

7

Closed Implemented

Embassy Prague should complete annual tests of the information technology contingency plans for the unclassified and classified networks in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

8

Closed Implemented

Embassy Prague should conduct refresher information technology contingency training for employees with information technology contingency planning responsibilities in accordance with Department standards.

(U) Audit of the Department of State's Approach To Adjust the Size and Composition of U.S. Missions Afghanistan and Iraq

AUD-MERO-20-38 August 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Not Implemented Significant

Sensitive Information Redacted
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented Significant

Sensitive Information Redacted
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

Sensitive Information Redacted

Inspection of Embassy London and Constituent Posts, United Kingdom

ISP-I-20-12 August 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

The Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, in coordination with the Office of Civil Rights, should assess the Chief of Mission’s compliance with Department Equal Employment Opportunity or leadership policies and based on the results of the review, take appropriate action.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should implement a reporting plan for its Public Diplomacy Section.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should correct line of sight issues in the Consular Section to comply with Department guidance for consular officers to visually monitor all consular operations.
Recommendation Number

4

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should install a closed-circuit television monitoring system or other means to enable Consular Section managers to visually observe the activities within the American citizen services cashier booth.
Recommendation Number

5

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should install signage at the Consular Section’s public entrance with all information required in Department guidance.
Recommendation Number

6

Closed Implemented

Embassy London, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should bring Consulate General Edinburgh’s consular waiting room into compliance with current Department standards.
Recommendation Number

7

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should create a disaster assistance plan that outlines support to be provided to Consulate General Edinburgh in the event of a crisis and includes a portable disaster assistance kit at Consulate General Edinburgh, in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

8

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should inventory the personal property located in Consulate General Edinburgh’s consular safe and properly dispose of the property if the owners cannot be located, in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

9

Open Resolved Significant

Embassy London, in coordination with the Bureaus of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, Global Talent Management, and European and Eurasian Affairs, should implement a plan to fund current liabilities and reduce future liabilities in the locally employed staff defined benefit pension plan in order to comply with local labor law and address long-term funding concerns.
Recommendation Number

10

Closed Implemented $243,993

Embassy London, in coordination with the Bureaus of European and Eurasian Affairs and of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, should reprogram additional Diplomatic and Consular Program-funded information management positions to International Cooperative Administrative Support Services-funded positions in accordance with Department standards, in order to put funds of $243,993 over 3 years, per position, to better use.
Recommendation Number

11

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should use the Integrated Logistics Management System to track all expendable supplies in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

12

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should dispose of excess nonexpendable property in accordance with Department guidelines.
Recommendation Number

13

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should complete and document safety certifications of all mission residences in the Post Occupational Safety and Health Officer Certification Application, in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

14

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should close out procurement files in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

15

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should conduct annual reviews of its blanket purchase agreements in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

16

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should bring its residential fire protection program into compliance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

17

Closed Implemented

Embassy London, in coordination with the Regional Information Management Center Frankfurt and the Bureau of Information Resource Management, should update the memorandum of understanding for ClassNet Regionalization to reflect roles and responsibilities for the performance of information systems security officer duties and addressing requests for services for supported posts.
Recommendation Number

18

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should update and test the information technology contingency plan for its classified operations in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

19

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should complete all information systems security officer responsibilities for the embassy and constituent posts in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

20

Closed Implemented

Embassy London, in coordination with Regional Information Management Center Frankfurt and the Bureau of Information Resource Management, should establish an operational high frequency radio system.
Recommendation Number

21

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should complete the systems authorization process for its locally developed applications as required by Department standards.
Recommendation Number

22

Closed Implemented

Embassy London should complete all required steps of a systems development lifecycle methodology for its locally developed applications, in accordance with Department standards.

Management Assistance Report: Execution of the New Embassy Compound London Construction Project Offers Multiple Lessons

AUD-CGI-20-36 July 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented $34,000,000

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration and the Office of the Legal Advisor, a) determine whether and, if so, to what extent the architecture-engineering firm Kieran-Timberlake PLC (under contract # SAQMMA-10-C-0060)—for design deficiencies—and the construction contractor B.L. Harbert International, LLC (under contract # SAQMMA-12-C-0111)—for construction deficiencies—are responsible for the $34 million in identified questioned additional costs expended for the otherwise unnecessary lease-back extension of the former U.S. Embassy London and b) recover from each firm those costs for which they are determined to be responsible.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented $2,000,000

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration and the Office of the Legal Advisor, a) determine whether and, if so, to what extent the architecture-engineering firm Kieran-Timberlake PLC (under contract # SAQMMA-10-C-0060)—for design deficiencies—and the construction contractor B.L. Harbert International, LLC (under contract # SAQMMA-12-C-0111)—for construction deficiencies—are responsible for the $2 million in identified questioned additional costs expended to install the subsequently abandoned Wastewater Treatment Plant at the New U.S. Embassy London and b) recover from each firm those costs for which they are determined to be liable.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented $235,967

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration and the Office of the Legal Advisor, a) determine whether and, if so, to what extent, the architecture-engineering firm Kieran-Timberlake PLC (under contract # SAQMMA-10-C-0060) is responsible for its design deficiencies resulting in $235,967 in additional costs expended to modify the new U.S. Embassy London semicircular pond and b) recover those costs for which the firm is determined to be liable.
Recommendation Number

4

Closed Implemented $147,120

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration and the Office of the Legal Advisor, a) determine whether and, if so, to what extent the architecture-engineering firm Kieran-Timberlake PLC (under contract # SAQMMA-10-C-0060)—for design deficiencies—and the construction contractor B.L. Harbert International, LLC (under contract # SAQMMA-12-C-0111)—for construction deficiencies—are responsible for the $147,120 in questioned additional costs expended to replace gas appliances with electric appliances at the new U.S. Embassy London due to the failure to comply with contract requirements regarding host country laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations and b) recover from each firm those costs for which they are determined to be liable.
Recommendation Number

5

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with Embassy London and prior to issuing the Certificate of Final Acceptance, verify that the stone pavers and tiles that were installed at Embassy London were the grade and quality of materials approved and that they were installed correctly. If the grade and quality of materials is not consistent with contract requirements, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration and the Office of the Legal Advisor, OBO should determine the extent to which the construction contractor, B.L. Harbert International, LLC, (under contract # SAQMMA-12-C-0111) is responsible and recover any associated costs.
Recommendation Number

6

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with Embassy London, create and formally communicate to the contractor a consolidated schedule of defects (punch list) that describes all defects that the contractor must address prior to final acceptance of the building. The schedule of defects should not include any items related to warranties. Furthermore, the schedule of defects should reflect the current status of each reported defect.
Recommendation Number

7

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that, once an accurate consolidated schedule of defects is developed (Recommendation 6), the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with Embassy London, establish timeframes for completing all identified defects and verify completion before final acceptance.

Compliance Follow-Up Audit of Bureau of Diplomatic Security Property Management Procedures for Protective Personnel Equipment

AUD-SI-20-30 July 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented Significant

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security develop and implement procedures to ensure that special agents acknowledge the receipt of protective personnel equipment (PPE) by signing and returning Form DS-584 and that all PPE is returned when no longer needed, in accordance with Foreign Affairs Manual guidance (14 FAM 425.3-4).

Review of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program

AUD-MERO-20-35 June 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented Significant

OIG recommends that the Secretary of State or his designee, in accordance with the FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, appoint a Senior Coordinating Official (Special Immigrant Visa Coordinator) to oversee all aspects of the special immigrant visa program, including operations within the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, and the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and in coordination with the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented Significant

OIG recommends that the Senior Coordinating Official assess staffing levels at each stage of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program and report to OIG how the Department of State plans to (a) reduce the backlog of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants to comply with the 9-month timeframe established by Congress, (b) maintain special immigrant visa staffing at an appropriate level to comply with the 9-month timeframe established by Congress, and (c) incorporate this information into congressional reporting.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Senior Coordinating Official evaluate the staffing level at the Office of Screening, Analysis, and Coordination and determine the appropriate staffing needed to review applications.
Recommendation Number

4

Closed Implemented Significant

OIG recommends that the Secretary of State or his designee, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, re-examine options for establishing a unified database of information related to personnel conducting work on executive agency contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements that can be used to adjudicate special immigrant visas or, alternatively, use an existing database such as the Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker.
Recommendation Number

5

Closed New Report Significant

OIG recommends that the Secretary of State or his designee direct an evaluation to determine if legacy systems should be updated or made interoperable or if a new system should instead be developed to minimize redundancy in data entry. The evaluation results should include (a) deployment dates for the updated, modified, or new system or an explanation as to why these improvements would not be prudent to execute and (b) other improvements that can be made to promote the efficacy of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program. The results of this evaluation should be provided to OIG and, as appropriate, incorporated into congressional reporting.
Recommendation Number

6

Closed Implemented Significant

OIG recommends that the Secretary of State or his designee, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, examine whether and how protection could be provided for special immigrant visa applicants experiencing “imminent danger” as they await processing of their applications for immigration to the United States.

Management Assistance Report: Quarterly Reporting on Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program Needs Improvement

AUD-MERO-20-34 June 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs develop and implement guidance for the entities involved with the processing of Afghan special immigrant visas that establishes a uniform method to be used for calculating and reporting average wait times.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs direct the Immigration and Employment Division to comply with the reporting requirements outlined in the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009, as amended, including providing detailed explanations for the failure to process any applications that have been pending for longer than 9 months, consistent with the requirements established in the FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 1219, Paragraph 12, Reports on Improvements.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs develop and implement internal management controls to verify and validate the accuracy and completeness of the information obtained from the entities involved with the processing of Afghan special immigrant visas, and require that identified efficiency improvements are reported quarterly, in accordance with the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009, as amended.

Inspection of U.S. Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland

ISP-I-20-16 June 2020

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should prepare the Annual Chief of Mission Management Control Statement of Assurance in accordance with Department guidance.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva, in coordination with the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, should implement a standard operating procedure outlining requirements for official record reporting by all U.S. Government personnel participating in multilateral events.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

The Bureau of International Organization Affairs, in coordination with Mission Geneva and the Office of the Legal Adviser, should implement a standard operating procedure for the promotion and efficient tracking of U.S. citizen employment at the United Nations and other international organizations that includes Mission Geneva.
Recommendation Number

4

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva, in coordination with the Bureaus of International Organization Affairs and Administration, should ratify unauthorized commitments totaling $629,968, in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

5

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should conduct annual reviews of its blanket purchase agreements in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

6

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should bring its contracting officer’s representative program into compliance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

7

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should comply with Department overseas motor vehicle safety training and medical clearance requirements for chauffeurs and incidental drivers.
Recommendation Number

8

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should bring leases for dedicated residences into compliance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

9

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should cease the use of Conference Services staff for non-official events in accordance with Government regulations.
Recommendation Number

10

Closed Implemented Significant

Mission Geneva, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should establish a corrective action plan to either mitigate the risk at existing residences or relocate employees to residences that meet Department fire standards.
Recommendation Number

11

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should bring the safety, health, and environmental management program into compliance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

12

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva, in coordination with the Bureau of Global Talent Management, should update its local compensation plan to comply with Government of Switzerland labor law in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

13

Closed Implemented

The Bureau of Global Talent Management should respond to Mission Geneva’s request to implement a disability insurance plan for locally employed staff.
Recommendation Number

14

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should direct the American Government Employee Association board to meet its oversight responsibilities, in compliance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

15

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should require Information Systems Security Officers to perform their duties in accordance with Department guidance.
Recommendation Number

16

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should stop leasing computer equipment for visiting officials.
Recommendation Number

17

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should require its local Information Technology Configuration Control Board to comply with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

18

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should complete information technology contingency plans for the unclassified and classified networks and test the plans in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

19

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should implement a plan to conduct initial and annual refresher information technology contingency training for employees with information technology contingency planning responsibilities.
Recommendation Number

20

Closed Implemented

Mission Geneva should implement a records management program that complies with Department standards.

7467 recommendations in total

Last Updated: June 7th, 2026

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.

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

Recommendations

444

$15,045,004

134

$0

416

$218,173,822

0

$0

36

$0

0

$0