Recommendations

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop and implement procedures to ensure that it complies with the Office of the Procurement Executive's guidance to nominate eligible Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representative candidates to the contracting officer (CO) for official designation as a contracting officer's representative (COR) and ensure that other COR candidates do not fulfill this role without the CO's concurrence.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs (AF) develop and implement a process to review the Office of the Procurement Executive’s Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer’s Representatives list on, at a minimum, a bi-annual basis, reconcile the list against contracting officer’s representatives who are currently employed by AF, and request that the Office of the Procurement Executive correct any discrepancies identified.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop and implement a process to match the reconciled Office of the Procurement Executive's Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representatives list against planned procurements during the upcoming year and build or maintain a roster of certified contracting officer's representatives to ensure that contracts have continual oversight throughout the lifecycle of the contract.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop and implement contingency plans that eliminate lapses in oversight by qualified and trained contracting officer's representatives throughout the lifecycle of all contracts.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs discontinue the use of site coordinators in locations that allow Government personnel to work within that country and develop and implement processes to ensure that contracting officer’s representatives and government technical monitors with the appropriate levels of Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer’s Representatives are officially delegated to conduct oversight of their assigned contracts.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop a quality assurance plan template that can be tailored for the unique needs of each contract and develop and implement a policy to ensure that contracting officer's representatives use these plans to perform oversight of contracts.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop guidance that requires contracting officer’s representatives to perform site visits for each contract recipient at least once during the life of the contract or annually for those recipients identified as high-risk.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs follow the Department's Foreign Affairs Handbook guidance to ensure that each contracting officer's representative documents the findings and results of their site visits and provides this information to the contracting officer.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs issue a memorandum to Embassy Freetown prohibiting the inappropriate use of Government furnished equipment and require contracting officer's representatives to monitor the appropriate use of Government-furnished equipment.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop and implement a process to ensure that certified and technically qualified candidates are nominated to the Grants Officer for formal designation as a Grants Officer Representative throughout the lifecycles of all grant awards.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop and maintain a list of certified Grants Officer Representative (GOR) candidates that also identifies each candidate's areas of technical expertise, certification appointments, and dates of continued training and that it reviews ongoing grants semiannually to ensure active GORs are administering and overseeing its grants.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs maintain an inventory of its grants and their implementation dates with corresponding Grants Officer Representatives (GOR) and that it develop and implement pre-departure planning activities for its GORs in accordance with the Federal Assistance Policy Handbook.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs utilize Grants Policy Directive 28, "Roles and Responsibilities for the Award and Administration of Federal Assistance," and the Standard Terms and Conditions for Domestic and Overseas Federal Assistance Awards to develop and implement standard operating procedures that document responsibilities of the Grants Officer Representative for monitoring the terms and conditions of all grant awards, including promptly notifying the Grants Officer (GO) of all changes that require the GO's attention.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs (AF) develop a monitoring plan template that is consistent with the requirements detailed in Grants Policy Directive 42, "Monitoring Assistance Awards," and that it develop and implement a process to ensure that monitoring plans are utilized to meet the AF's oversight needs for all future grant awards.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop and implement a process to ensure that the requirements in Grants Policy Directive 16, "Designation of Grants Officer Representative," for the Grants Officer Representatives to review, analyze, and provide written assessment of the required recipient Program Progress and Financial Status Reports are implemented.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop and implement a process to ensure that guidance provided in Grants Policy Directive (GPD) 16, "Designation of Grants Officer Representative," and GPD 42, "Monitoring Assistance Awards," is implemented and require Grants Officer Representatives to perform and document site visits for each grant recipient commensurate with the complexity and value of the grant.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs develop and implement a risk identification and management strategy that is incorporated into policy and provide training to its Federal assistance oversight personnel on how to properly implement this strategy.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of African Affairs establish and maintain a grants monitoring strategy that adopts a risk-management approach and provide training to its Federal assistance oversight personnel on how to properly implement this strategy.

OIG recommends that Bureau of African Affairs Grants Officer Representatives (GOR) assess the risk of ongoing grants and identify and re-classify high-risk grant recipients. For each high-risk recipient, GORs should develop a risk mitigation strategy that includes changes to oversight and a corrective action plan.

The Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the Bureau of African Affairs, the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should track and enforce a prohibition on voucher examiner hiring at the 20 embassies with the highest potential cost savings until Post Support Unit use reaches at least 50 percent.

The Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the Bureau of African Affairs, the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, should develop a transition plan for transferring voucher processing at embassies with the highest potential cost savings to the Post Support Unit by 2015 and eliminating voucher examiner positions at the high-cost embassies.

The Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the Bureau of African Affairs, the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should require every embassy to submit a financial management section workforce planning document by December 2014, detailing the person hours currently spent on voucher examining and how remote voucher processing would affect the number of voucher examiner positions.

The Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services should determine whether the hard-copy purchase order and invoice requirement is still valid and update relevant sections of the Foreign Affairs Manual and Foreign Affairs Handbook.

The Under Secretary for Management should continue tracking embassies’ voucher processing costs to identify cost-saving opportunities.

Embassy Bujumbura should delegate authority over internal mission management to the deputy chief of mission and publicize this decision to all mission elements.

Embassy Bujumbura, in coordination with the Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation and the Bureau of Human Resources, should resubmit its rightsizing report on the basis of current operating conditions, realistic staffing predictions, programmatic and funding goals, and the minimum number of U.S. direct-hire staff necessary to run the embassy.

The Bureau of African Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should provide a response to Embassy Bujumbura’s Mission Resource Request and Integrated Country Strategy, in particular with regard to projected staff growth.

Embassy Bujumbura should finalize agreements with the Department of Defense for administrative support services for the indefinite-term military personnel operating in embassy facilities and using embassy services.

Embassy Bujumbura should request the U.S. Africa Command to submit National Security Decision Directive 38 requests to formalize the continuing presence of liaison and other positions in accordance with Department of State procedures for positions occupied beyond 1 year from establishment.

Embassy Bujumbura should seek guidance from the Department of State before expending further resources on the atrocities prevention/conflict mitigation pilot project.

Embassy Bujumbura should establish a structured professional development and mentoring program for first- and second-tour officers that includes the active engagement of the deputy chief of mission.

Embassy Bujumbura should establish a combined political/economic section and revise position descriptions accordingly.

Embassy Bujumbura should identify a third officer to be a warranted grants officer and obtain the requisite certification for that officer.

Embassy Bujumbura should require all embassy personnel involved in Leahy vetting to receive Leahy vetting training.

Embassy Bujumbura should amend its Integrated Country Strategy for FYs 2015–2017 to assign no more than five key activities to the public affairs section.

Embassy Bujumbura should submit its first public diplomacy implementation plan to the Office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

Embassy Bujumbura should revise the position description of the cultural assistant (position no. C70100) to have an incumbent serve as grants officer representative and receive the requisite training and certificate.

Embassy Bujumbura should close its Facebook and YouTube pages.

Embassy Bujumbura should require the consular officer’s supervisor to perform nonimmigrant visa adjudication reviews in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Bujumbura should establish a structured training program for the new consular section chief.

Embassy Bujumbura, in coordination with the Bureaus of African Affairs and Consular Affairs, should designate an additional officer position to have backup consular responsibilities.

Embassy Bujumbura should meet with missionary groups and nongovernmental organizations to explain the embassy’s consular crisis plans, review these organizations’ crisis plans, and explore ways to collaborate.

Embassy Bujumbura should periodically provide the Bureau of Consular Affairs with an updated risk assessment.

Embassy Bujumbura should coordinate its crisis plans with U.S. embassies in the region.

Embassy Bujumbura should further revise its cellular telephone policy to comply with all applicable Department of State regulations and to reduce significantly the costs and administrative burden attributable to personal cell phone use.

Embassy Bujumbura should implement a policy whereby the chief of mission and deputy chief of mission directly pay salaries to official residence expenses employees.

Embassy Bujumbura should track work requirements statements in ePerformance, follow up on delinquencies, and publish notices reminding supervisors of counseling requirements.

Embassy Bujumbura should hold supervisors responsible for reviewing and revising locally employed staff position descriptions, as appropriate, on a yearly basis.

Embassy Bujumbura should update its post report and post profile.

Embassy Bujumbura should take corrective action to meet the legal and regulatory requirements of the Department of State Equal Employment Opportunity and Federal Women’s Programs.

Embassy Bujumbura should conduct an annual property utilization survey, in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Bujumbura should update its personal property management procedures to note the condition of each residence at time of change of occupancy and charge the former occupant for damages, in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Bujumbura should update its personal property management procedures to enter repair costs in personal property files, in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Bujumbura should update its internal requisitioning personal property management procedures to include the required forms.

Embassy Bujumbura should create and test information technology contingency plans for the unclassified and classified systems in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Bujumbura should implement off-site backup tape storage for the unclassified and classified systems.

Embassy Bujumbura should relocate the emergency power-off controls for the information systems center and information programs center computer rooms to outside the main doors and install plastic covers to protect from accidental triggering.

The Office of the Legal Adviser should publish a provision in the Foreign Affairs Manual that requires missions to maintain a registry of gifts valued at more than $20 to embassy employees or to the U.S. Government, including gifts to individuals on temporary duty assignments at post.

The Office of the Legal Adviser should publish a provision in the Foreign Affairs Manual that requires each mission to designate a gift officer. The provision should also define that officer’s responsibilities, including a proviso that the mission may designate another officer with the concurrence of the appropriate regional bureau.

The Office of the Legal Adviser, in coordination with the Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation, should add the gift officer designation to 2 Foreign Affairs Manual Exhibit 113.3.

The Office of the Legal Adviser should publish in the Foreign Affairs Manual a standard mission gift policy that provides up-to-date fair market value limits and other requirements.

The Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services should amend the annual assurance statements from chiefs of mission to include a section about compliance with Department of State requirements for gifts.

Embassy Kampala, in coordination with the Bureaus of Overseas Buildings Operations and Diplomatic Security, should cap U.S. direct-hire positions at the existing level and avoid a net increase until it provides suitable and secure workspace or obtains the appropriate waivers.

Embassy Kampala should require an employee in each section of the embassy to take Foreign Service Institute course PK247, Contact Database Training, and to share responsibility for managing the contact database.

Embassy Kampala should reassess portfolio assignments in the political/economic section and establish clear supervisory arrangements for its locally employed staff members.

The Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources and Embassy Kampala, should convert the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief coordinator to a direct-hire position.

Embassy Kampala should submit a public diplomacy implementation plan to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

Embassy Kampala should revise the position descriptions of the program coordinator (position 101669) and the cultural affairs assistant (position 600063) to include adequate monitoring and online recording of grants.

Embassy Kampala should analyze its nonimmigrant visa process to improve efficiency of operation and reduce visa processing times.

Embassy Kampala should provide the Bureau of Consular Affairs with a crisis risk assessment.

Embassy Kampala should implement a written strategy for identifying and countering fraud in the consular section’s intercountry adoption casework.

Embassy Kampala, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should conduct a feasibility study and correct Embassy Kampala’s warehousing deficiencies.

Embassy Kampala, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should implement a space plan to move as many of the 47 staff positions at the general services office and warehouse facility as possible onto the embassy compound and leave only those desks at the facility for which an operational requirement exists.

Embassy Kampala should clear its remaining outstanding travel advances.

Embassy Kampala should adhere to Department of State regulations on representation and official residence expenses and vouchers.

Embassy Kampala should conduct an annual property use survey in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Kampala should conduct periodic spot checks of nonexpendable and expendable inventories and maintain records of spot checks, in accordance with regulations.

Embassy Kampala should dispose of obsolete inventory in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Kampala should conduct fire inspections and safety, health, and environmental management inspections in accordance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Kampala should inspect fire extinguishers in all embassy offices and replace those that do not comply with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Kampala, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should conduct an analysis to determine whether use of solar technologies would be cost effective.

Embassy Kampala should implement off-site backup tape storage for the classified network system.

Embassy Kampala, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should install emergency power-off controls outside the computer server rooms of the information systems center and information programs center.

Embassy Kampala, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should implement procedures to maintain and retire official records in accordance with Department of State records management standards.

Embassy Kampala should conduct and document the required information systems security officer system reviews.

Embassy Kampala should purchase necessary equipment, including an antenna analyzer, to conduct antenna repair.

Embassy Kampala, in coordination with the Bureau of Information Resource Management and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should upgrade the entire local area network and telephone cable infrastructure at the general services office and warehouse facility in conformance with Department of State regulations.

Embassy Kampala should implement after-hours network access controls.

Embassy Kampala should include long-standing weaknesses at the general services office and warehouse facility in its 2014 chief of mission statement of assurance and address the short- and long-term steps taken to resolve those vulnerabilities.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should establish a comptroller’s office to oversee management of all bureau foreign assistance funding.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should request, and the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services should grant, read-only access to the Global Financial Management System to financial management staff in the program offices.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should institute a monitoring regime for unliquidated balances, supervised by senior leadership, to deobligate unnecessary balances and to document justifications for continuing obligations that are not showing quarterly activity.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, in coordination with the Bureau of Information Resource Management, the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, and the Bureau of Administration, should develop a single, searchable database that interfaces with the Department’s Global Financial Management System.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, in coordination with the Bureau of Information Resource Management, the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, and the Bureau of Administration, should proceed with development of an interface between the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund’s Financial Information Management System and the Global Financial Management System.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should require that all eligible program and project management personnel complete contracting officer’s representative and grants officer representative training and obtain certification.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should provide program and project management training, contracting with private providers for such training when necessary.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should formalize a strategic planning function, reporting to the Assistant Secretary, with responsibility for establishing priorities, identifying emerging issues, and recommending appropriate deployment of bureau resources.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, in coordination with the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, should develop a policy paper, cleared at the deputy assistant secretary level, outlining the policy parameters of bureau activities involving the Biological Weapons Convention.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, in coordination with the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance and the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, should establish a rating, reviewing, and reporting chain for the executive director and update the Foreign Affairs Manual accordingly.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should designate one of the four deputy directors as the primary backstop for the executive director and reallocate responsibilities accordingly.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should conduct a customer service survey.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, in coordination with the Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, should draft a comprehensive, multiyear workforce plan.

The Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, should conduct a workforce study of the program offices so that only Federal employees perform inherently governmental functions.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should require all management staff to complete obligatory leadership training and should monitor compliance with this requirement.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should include leadership and management principles in the work requirements and performance plans of leaders from deputy office director to Assistant Secretary.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should require that each employee have an individual development plan.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should develop and implement an action plan for mid-level Civil Service staff, including rotational assignments and overseas opportunities.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should develop a bureauwide, prioritized training budget.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should implement an Equal Employment Opportunity program, including a front office statement of commitment to program principles, appointment and announcement of certified counselors, and a link to the Office of Civil Rights Web site on the bureau’s home page.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should require that managers and supervisors attend mandatory Equal Employment Opportunity/diversity training.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, in coordination with the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, should develop and implement a system of bureauwide management controls.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should designate the executive director as the bureau management controls officer.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should incorporate and update its SharePoint and Web sites with content provided by the executive office and other offices.

The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation and the Bureau of Information Resource Management, should obtain a valid authorization to operate for the Defense Trade and Application System.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should install environmental controls that provide the appropriate airflow and air-conditioning to their data centers.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, in coordination with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, should complete and sign the memorandum of agreement on bureau security officer support.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should define specific duties and responsibilities and clarify chain of reporting for all security officers within the bureaus that report to the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should have all principal unit security officers complete unit security officer training.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation should request, and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security should provide, assistance in establishing a security awareness training program that includes annual refresher briefings for personnel in the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance and the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation.

The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, in coordination with the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, should post their emergency actions plans on their respective Intranet sites and establish a link to the Bureau of Administration’s Office of Emergency Management SharePoint site.

The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should fill the vacant chief of mission and deputy chief of mission office management specialist positions.

Embassy La Paz, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should finalize and promulgate to mission staff its Integrated Country Strategy FYs 2014–2016.

Embassy La Paz should implement a comprehensive plan and timeline for a missionwide contact database, including staff training, database configuration, and the addition of each office’s contacts.

Embassy La Paz should develop and implement a standard operating procedure for reviewing management controls in each section and submitting relevant supporting documentation to the chief of mission before preparing the annual statement of assurances.

Embassy La Paz should revive its embassy speakers program.

Embassy La Paz should develop a comprehensive missionwide strategy, consistent with the National Export Initiative, to expand U.S. exports to Bolivia.

Embassy La Paz should convert one of its information specialist positions into a cultural specialist position.

Embassy La Paz should establish a political and economic reporting and programming plan and clearly assign and track projects to completion.

Embassy La Paz should create and require the use of a standardized political/economic electronic filing system in a drive accessible to all section officers.

Embassy La Paz, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should request the Foreign Service Institute to provide on-site training for all embassy staff with responsibility for grants oversight and their supervisors.

Embassy La Paz should include end dates in the project period for all its grants.

Embassy La Paz should ratify the funding commitments for unsigned public diplomacy grants.

Embassy La Paz should require the consular section chief to conduct routine visa interviews on a regular basis.

Embassy La Paz should bring its process for reviewing visa adjudications in line with Department regulations.

Embassy La Paz should implement the waiver of personal interview for appropriate visa applicants.

Embassy La Paz should reduce the number of panel physicians from three to one in La Paz.

Embassy La Paz should implement an outreach plan to attract wardens, update existing warden training, and maintain regular contact with the warden network.

Embassy La Paz, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should move the consular agency in Santa Cruz to a new location.

Embassy La Paz should seek authorization from the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services to use the Suspense Deposit Account for laboratory fee collections and payments.

Embassy La Paz should seek procedural guidance from the Office of Financial Policy to determine whether the principal cashier can continue functioning as the consular subcashier.

Embassy La Paz should require departing U.S. direct-hire employees to use pay.gov for outstanding bill payment.

Embassy La Paz should review and clear rejected payroll transactions.

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with Embassy La Paz, should reimburse the Diplomatic and Consular Program fund for any unauthorized expenses.

Embassy La Paz should require all supervisors to create initial work requirements statements and to complete performance evaluations within the mandated timelines, with provisions for appropriate action for noncompliance.

Embassy La Paz, in coordination with the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should transfer the Mission Classification function to the Florida Regional Center.

Embassy La Paz, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should determine whether locally employed staff participation in both the local social security health program and a private health plan is feasible and fundable.

Embassy La Paz should prepare and submit to the Department updated hardship differential and consumable allowance reports and the cost-of-living survey report so that the Department of State can recalculate the appropriate allowances.

Embassy La Paz should determine in writing whether the use of official vehicles for community liaison office excursions is an acceptable “other authorized use.”

Embassy La Paz should secure the receiving areas at all warehouses.

Embassy La Paz, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should identify a warehouse that meets facility and safety standards.

Embassy La Paz should implement a standard operating procedure for reviews of purchase card activity and the annual purchase card survey.

Embassy La Paz should enforce subcashier cash count requirements.

Embassy La Paz should update completed and accepted safety, health, and environmental management recommendations in the Management Assessment Results Tracking System.

Embassy La Paz should comply with all of the safety, health, and environmental management recommendations in the December 2013 Office of Safety, Health, and Environmental Management report.

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in coordination with Embassy La Paz, should correct the safety and occupational health risks associated with the emergency generators.

Embassy La Paz should establish a standard operating procedure, including a customer feedback mechanism, for managing the information systems center’s eService requests.

Embassy La Paz, in coordination with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should repair or replace the mission’s centralized uninterruptible power system.

Embassy La Paz, in coordination with Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, should dispose of its excess radio and systems equipment.

Embassy La Paz, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should establish a diplomatic mail policy for appropriate use of the unclassified diplomatic pouch and the diplomatic post office.

Embassy La Paz should require the community liaison office coordinator to use the official bank account for all funds.

Embassy La Paz should integrate community liaison office crisis management responsibilities into the emergency management program.

Embassy La Paz should designate separate individuals to serve on the school board and to administer any Office of Overseas Schools grants to avoid any conflict of interest.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance should formalize its strategic planning process to include establishing a strategic planning unit with responsibility for setting priorities that reports to the Assistant Secretary, identifying emerging issues, and recommending appropriate deployment of the bureau’s resources.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, in coordination with the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, should develop a policy paper, cleared at the deputy assistant secretary level, outlining the policy parameters of bureau activities involving the Biological Weapons Convention.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance should develop and implement a plan to strengthen its capacity to lead on emerging and regional arms control, strategic stability, extended deterrence, transparency, and compliance challenges in East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance should issue formal guidance on the preparation of the Annual Compliance Report to bureau drafters and editors that incorporates best practices in report production.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, in coordination with the Bureau of Human Resources, should complete an organizational assessment of the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, with the objective of implementing the appropriate supervisor-to-employee ratio for the office.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance should complete an internal review, culminating in a written report, of leave and time and attendance records for the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center office for the period from March 2013 through March 2014 and take corrective action, if warranted.

The Bureau of Information Resource Management should establish a fully operational alternate work site for the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center’s government-to government communications links.

The Bureau of Information Resource Management should document and annually test a contingency plan for its government-to-government communications links.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, in coordination with the Bureau of Information Resource Management, should prepare a memorandum of understanding on support to the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center network.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should institute acquisition planning procedures to provide for full and open competition to the maximum extent practicable for External Research Board-funded projects.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, in coordination with the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, should create a comprehensive, multiyear workforce development plan.

The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, in coordination with the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and the Bureau of Human Resources, should create or convert mid-level positions at the bureau’s overseas delegations and missions for Civil Service employees.

The International Broadcasting Bureau, in coordination with the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, should implement oversight and contract administration procedures for Office of Cuba Broadcasting contracts, in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

The International Broadcasting Bureau, in coordination with the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, should implement oversight and contract administration procedures for Office of Cuba Broadcasting contracts, in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting, in coordination with the International Broadcasting Bureau, should require that contracting officer’s representatives for purchase order vendor contracts comply with contract administration requirements outlined in designation letters and complete the contractor performance evaluation.

The International Broadcasting Bureau, in coordination with the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, should stop using blanket purchase agreements and purchase orders for purchase order vendor contracts and obtain personal services contract authority for all purchase order vendor contracts.

The International Broadcasting Bureau, in coordination with the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, should review periodically the Office of Cuba Broadcasting’s travel card usage.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting should finalize the 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 annual performance evaluations for all employees.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting, in coordination with the International Broadcasting Bureau, should terminate the current travel agreement of the acting general manager immediately and fill the general manager position with a full-time permanent employee.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting should conduct and update inventory records, provide updated reports to the International Broadcasting Bureau, Property Management Office, and implement property internal controls procedures.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting should stop using its current disposal practice and transfer all excess property to another Federal agency or dispose of it through the General Services Administration.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting should perform an accurate capitalized property inventory and provide the report to the International Broadcasting Bureau, Property Management Office.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting should implement issuance property management procedures for all nonexpendable and sensitive property.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting should implement procedures for maintaining and retiring official records.

Sensitive Information Redacted

The Office of Cuban Broadcasting should conduct and document routine fire and intruder drills and identify safe rooms.

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting, in coordination with the International Broadcasting Bureau, should replace the emergency intercom at Post One with a modern system that includes automated voice instructions and alert sounds.

Sensitive Information Redacted

Sensitive Information Redacted

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting should establish a Facility Security Committee.

Sensitive Information Redacted

OIG recommends that CA/CST, when developing and fielding the ETE, ensures the system can be utilized by CCD administrators in the field, thereby eliminating the need to access live records for training purposes.

OIG recommends that CA/CST train all direct-hire and non-direct-hire employees on the proper access of the CCD database and the requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 222 (f); the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C 552a (e)(9)); and section 5 of the Foreign Affairs Manual, "The Privacy Act and Personally Identifiable Information" (5 FAM 460-469).