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

Management Assistance Report: Department of State Has Not Implemented the Required Value Engineering Program for Contracts Exceeding $5 Million

AUD-CGI-18-52 August 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented Significant

OIG recommends that the Office of the Under Secretary for Management designate a Senior Accountable Official at a level with sufficient authority to coordinate, oversee, and ensure the appropriate consideration and use of value engineering for new projects, programs, activities, and contracts, in accordance with Office of Management and Budget Circular A-131 requirements.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented Significant

OIG recommends that the Office of the Under Secretary for Management, once it has designated a Senior Accountable Official (Recommendation 1), consult with the designated official to develop and implement a Department-wide value engineering program and develop and implement guidelines and policies and procedures for the program, in accordance with Office of Management and Budget Circular A-131 requirements.

Management Assistance Report: Further Department Attention Needed to Address Overdue Responses on Selected Open Recommendations

AUD-ACF-18-51 August 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management direct the applicable Department entity to notify OIG of the status of actions taken to implement the recommendations identified in this report and provide evidence demonstrating that the entity has taken actions that justify closing the recommendations. Department entities are to submit the status of actions taken and documented evidence to support closing the recommendations to [email protected] within 30 days.

Management Assistance Report: Medical Personnel Assigned to Protective Movement Details at U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq, Lack Access to Needed Medications

AUD-MERO-18-53 August 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Acceptable Alternative Significant

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, in conjunction with the Bureau of Administration, Office of Logistics Management, Office of Acquisitions Management, assess the issues preventing the importation of the five controlled medications—Ketamine, Diazepam, Midazolam, Morphine, and Oxycodone—and take appropriate action to facilitate the acquisition of the medications necessary to support the efforts of paramedics assigned to protective movement details at U.S. Embassy Baghdad.

Audit of Humanitarian Assistance to South Sudan

AUD-MERO-18-48 July 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented Significant

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration develop and implement procedures for Grants Officers and Grants Officer Representatives to verify that award recipients comply with approved budget plans and obtain permission to deviate from approved budget plans.

Audit of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s Invoice Review Process for Worldwide Protective Services Contracts

AUD-MERO-18-47 June 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security examine its policy of requiring 100-percent review of invoice supporting documentation and determine (a) whether it should continue with its current 100-percent invoice review requirement or (b) whether the sampling of supporting documentation should be formalized and adopted. If it is determined the 100-percent review of invoice supporting documentation requirement should be continued, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security should update the invoice review Standard Operating Procedure, “Invoice Processing for the [Worldwide Protective Services] Program-[Acquisition Management Analysts] and Desk Officers” to clearly state that all invoice supporting documentation must be reviewed for each invoice and offer alternative remedies when workload demands jeopardize compliance with the Prompt Payment Act. If it is determined that sampling supporting documentation for invoices should be formalized and adopted, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security should design and impleme
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security issue instructions that reemphasize the respective roles and responsibilities of the Acquisition Management Analysts and Desk Officers in the invoice review process, including reviewing supporting documentation, as outlined in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s invoice review Standard Operating Procedure, “Invoice Processing for the [Worldwide Protective Services] Program-[Acquisition Management Analysts] and Desk Officers.”
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security determine which vacant positions within the Worldwide Protective Services Division and the Operational Support Division should be deemed critical for ensuring adequate performance of invoice review and contract oversight and issue an appeal to the Under Secretary for Management to fill those vacancies.
Recommendation Number

4

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security develop and implement a standardized format to uniformly document the results of Program Management Reviews and Post Assistance Visits to facilitate contractor oversight and affirm contract terms and conditions are being fulfilled.

Audit of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Process for Reviewing Invoices for the Construction of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan

AUD-MERO-18-46 June 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of Logistics Management, Office of Acquisitions Management (A/LM/AQM) require BL Harbert to include the contractor certification statement required by Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.232-5, “Payments Under Fixed-Price Construction Contracts,” when submitting invoices for payment.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations require the Contracting Officer’s Representative assigned to multi-year construction projects to include documentation in the invoice file that supports the amount requested by the contractor. Documentation should include quality assurance and work progress inspection records, meeting minutes with the contractor, and daily records of the contractor’s activities, including hours worked and activities completed.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Acceptable Alternative

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations develop and implement a Standard Operating Procedure similar to those promulgated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for reviewing invoices for multi-year, multi-million-dollar construction projects.

Audit of the Department of State’s Process to Identify and Transfer Excess Working Capital Funds

AUD-FM-18-44 June 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration revise and update policies and procedures for determining appropriate Working Capital Fund fees for each cost center. The updated policies and procedures should include, at a minimum, guidance on how to estimate the amount of funds needed to maintain operations for each cost center, including revenue, expenses, and overhead amounts. The procedures should also include guidance on determining appropriate target carry forward fund amounts for each cost center, estimated costs of capital improvements, instructions on documenting and retaining analyses and calculations, and documentation for establishing a reasonable maximum threshold for carry forward balances for each cost center.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration develop and implement a policy for maintaining historical documentation of fees charged for goods and services of the Working Capital Fund and carry forward fund amount determinations. The policy, at a minimum, should include keeping a documented list of previous fees and carry forward fund amounts and the basis by which they were determined, as required by the Government Accountability Office’s Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government and the Department of State Domestic Records Disposition Schedule.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Budget and Planning develop and implement procedures for determining excess earnings within the Working Capital Fund on an annual basis, as required by 22 U.S. Code § 2684. The procedures, at a minimum, should include a methodology to determine the amount of excess earnings in the Working Capital Fund, a process to communicate the determination to the Secretary of State, and the manner in which excess earnings will be remitted to the U.S. Department of the Treasury when determined to be in excess to the needs of the fund.
Recommendation Number

4

Closed Implemented

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, as part of its annual review of the Working Capital Fund cost centers and in coordination with the Bureau of Budget and Planning, determine the amount of excess earnings in the Working Capital Fund for FY 2018, report the results to OIG, and remit the identified excess to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as required by 22 U.S. Code § 2684.

Inspection of the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services’ Office of Management Control

ISP-I-18-07 June 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented Significant

The Deputy Secretary should determine which entity or entities should have responsibility for the Department’s non-financial management controls and enterprise risk management program and ensure that sufficient resources are available to fully meet all relevant requirements.

Inspection of the Bureau of Consular Affairs' Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs

ISP-I-18-28 June 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

The Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should align the organizational structure of the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs in a manner consistent with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented

The Bureau of Consular Affairs should implement a strategic plan for internal reforms in the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

The Bureau of Consular Affairs should consolidate the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs congressional functions into a single organizational component.
Recommendation Number

4

Closed Implemented

The Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should verify the proper classification of its Congressional Liaison Officer positions.
Recommendation Number

5

Closed Implemented

The Bureau of Consular Affairs should require that the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs monitor and document the performance of its labor-hour contractors and provide feedback to the Contracting Officer’s Representative, in accordance with Department guidance.

Inspection of Embassy Dublin, Ireland

ISP-I-18-24 June 2018

Recommendation Number

1

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should complete an annual mission-wide acquisition plan.
Recommendation Number

2

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should administer its fuel card program in accordance with Department requirements.
Recommendation Number

3

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should require that the chief of mission chauffeurs comply with applicable Department motor vehicle safety requirements.
Recommendation Number

4

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should document all nonexpendable property transfers in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

5

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should require authorizing officials to approve employee overtime requests in advance, in accordance with Department guidance.
Recommendation Number

6

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should submit its overdue allowance reports to the Bureau of Administration, in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

7

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should enforce its accommodation exchange policy.
Recommendation Number

8

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should implement a monthly testing program for its diesel generators.
Recommendation Number

9

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should conduct annual tests of its information technology contingency plans for unclassified and classified networks, in accordance with Department standards.
Recommendation Number

10

Closed Implemented

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

11

Closed Implemented

Embassy Dublin should relocate the telecommunications demarcation point outside the main telephone frame room.

7467 recommendations in total

Last Updated: June 8th, 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