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Department of State
U.S. Agency for Global Media
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OIG recommends that, for recommendations considered resolved, the Under Secretary for Management direct the applicable bureau to notify OIG of the status of actions taken to implement the recommendations identified in this report and provide evidence demonstrating that the bureau has taken actions that justify closing the recommendations. Bureaus are to submit the status of actions taken and documented evidence to support closing the recommendations to [email protected] within 30 days.
OIG recommends that, for recommendations considered unresolved, the Under Secretary for Management direct the applicable bureau to inform OIG of the status of actions taken to implement the recommendations and provide evidence demonstrating that the bureau has taken actions that justify closing the recommendations or provide OIG an alternative corrective action plan that fulfills the intent of the recommendation and corrects the identified deficiency. Bureaus are to submit the status of planned or alternative corrective actions that fulfill the intent of the recommendation and correct the identified deficiency to [email protected] within 30 days.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, in conjunction with the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, (a) identify the detailed steps and action entities needed to prepare and submit reports on reward payments made within 30 days of the payment of such rewards; (b) determine the amount of time for each step, including the amount of time the Bureau of Legislative Affairs needs to finalize and send each report to Congress; and (c) redesign the flow and processes to meet the 30-day reporting requirement.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (a) develop and implement a process to follow up with the nominating agencies on the status of the reward payment receipts to help expedite the submittal of Reward Payment Reports within the mandated 30-day reporting timeline and (b) consider entering into formal agreements (that is, Letters of Agreement) with the nominating agencies to strengthen the joint commitments toward timely submissions of reports to Congress.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, in coordination with the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, establish and implement a process to (a) identify the expenses necessary to operate the Rewards for Justice Program, (b) compile and accumulate data on operating expenses annually, (c) prepare the annual report, and (d) submit the report to the Bureau of Legislative Affairs within timeframes as agreed to by the Bureau of Legislative Affairs to meet the requirement to submit the annual report no later than 60 days after the end of each fiscal year.
OIG recommends that Embassy Amman purchase and install a real-time monitoring system at all of the embassy residences to monitor diesel fuel use.
OIG recommends that Embassy Amman establish and implement policies and procedures to use the real-time fuel monitoring system at the embassy residences, once installed, to alert the Regional Security Officer of potential fuel theft and to prompt immediate intervention by local police for the purpose of deterring fuel theft.
OIG recommends that Embassy Amman, in the interim before it installs a real-time monitoring system at the embassy residences, lower the diesel fuel levels maintained in residential fuel tanks in accordance with seasonal requirements to mitigate residential fuel theft.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, in coordination with the Bureau of Information Resource Management and regional bureaus, should require implementation of Cyber Security Assessment report recommendations and establish a process to track and verify that overseas posts comply with those recommendations.
The Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources should institute annual surveys of American and locally employed staff to provide feedback on Chief of Mission performance.
The Foreign Service Institute should develop and include training on management control responsibilities in its classes for Chief of Mission candidates and Deputy Chief of Missions.
The Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources should issue additional Foreign Affairs Manual and Foreign Affairs Handbook guidance requiring all chiefs of mission and deputy chiefs of mission to implement structured First- and Second-Tour employee programs in collaboration with First- and Second-Tour employees at their posts.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs develop and implement formal, written standard operating policies and procedures for determining and assessing Pakistani law enforcement partner equipment needs for the Law Enforcement and Border Security Program in Pakistan.
OIG recommends that that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs develop and implement new program descriptions, goals, objectives, and performance measures for the Law Enforcement and Border Security program to be inserted as Amendments to the Letter of Agreement and the Project Implementation Letters between the U.S. Government and the Government of Pakistan.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs develop and implement new program descriptions, goals, objectives, and performance measures for the Counternarcotics and Rule of Law Programs for future Amendments to the Letter of Agreement and Project Implementation Letters between the U.S Government and the Government of Pakistan.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs develop and implement formal, written standard operating policies and procedures for determining and assessing Pakistani law enforcement partner equipment needs for the Counternarcotics and Rule of Law Programs in Pakistan.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs revise its template for subobligation terminal date extension requests to reflect in separate cells the five discrete requirements identified in the INL Financial Management Handbook.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs determine how much of the $8.7 million of funds not subobligated for use within its Pakistan Law Enforcement and Border Security, Counternarcotics, and Rule of Law Programs can be reprogrammed or returned to the U.S. Treasury.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs disseminate and direct the use of its standard operating procedures for reviewing overseas unliquidated obligations.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of Personnel Security and Suitability, should inform the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of the inaccuracies identified by OIG and the steps it is taking to correct these errors. These steps should increase the accuracy of data for the time it takes to process both initial and reciprocal clearances, specifically by measuring the time it takes for clearances to move through the initiation stage rather than relying upon a blanket estimate, removing cancelled cases from its data, making corrections to its timeliness formula, and reconciling any data discrepancies in its case management systems.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of Personnel Security and Suitability, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should establish clear responsibilities for the processing of security clearance requests in order to reduce or eliminate unnecessary delays in the clearance process and require appropriate training for all Human Resources personnel involved in the process.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security should perform a workforce analysis of its employees who perform security clearance work to ensure that it has the proper staffing levels in place to meet its timeliness goals.
The Bureau of Human Resources should establish procedures to use the Office of Personnel Management's automated tool to assess the proper security clearance necessary for work performed by student interns.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of Personnel Security and Suitability should determine the actual cost of the security clearance work it performs for other Government agencies in order to fully recoup its expended funds, in accordance with the Economy Act and Department policy.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security should seek reimbursement for funds it expended for work performed for other Government agencies from 2009 through 2016, in accordance with the Economy Act and Department policy.
The Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Foreign Service Institute, should accelerate development of updated online training that adequately explains risk assessment and monitoring plan requirements for grants and cooperative agreements.
The Bureau of Administration should issue cable guidance to overseas missions explaining the importance of risk assessments and monitoring plans and how to comply with Department of State requirements on their use.
The Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Department’s six regional bureaus, should develop standardized and scalable templates that are tailored for overseas use and consistent with Department requirements on the preparation and use of risk assessments and monitoring plans for grants and cooperative agreements.
The Bureau of Administration should update Federal Award File Form DS-4012 to reflect the latest risk assessment requirements and integrate the updated form into the State Award Management System.
The Bureau of Administration should amend its guidance to require regional bureaus to verify that risk assessments and monitoring plans are completed and that they meet Department of State requirements as a prerequisite for approving overseas grants and cooperative agreements.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs direct its Afghanistan Life Support Services contract contracting officers’ representatives to record performance for each distinct performance standard in the Afghanistan Life Support Services contract food services task order quality assurance report to further ensure that each performance standard is satisfactorily achieved and any identified deficiencies are addressed accordingly.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs develop and implement training to fully prepare and familiarize newly assigned contracting officer’s representatives charged with overseeing the Afghanistan Life Support Services contract with the unique features of the contract.
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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.
