State/OIG released its work plan for FY2020-2021. Below are some interesting audits/reviews coming our way in the next couple of years. This is not an exhaustive list. You may view the complete list here.

OBO/US Embassy Mexico City

Audit of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ Contract Administration for the Design and Construction of the New Embassy Compound Mexico City
The New Embassy Compound (NEC) in Mexico City is being built as part of a larger overhaul of embassy facilities across the globe spurred by the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999. The new embassy complex will be built on 8 acres and will cost almost $895 million. The main building will be about 515,000 square feet, making it one of the largest embassies owned by the Department. Construction on the project began in February 2018 and is expected to reach substantial completion in April 2022. The objective of this audit is to determine whether the Department has administered the design and construction contract for NEC Mexico City in accordance with Federal acquisition regulations and whether the contractor has fulfilled the contract terms and conditions.

OBO, Consulate Erbil, Embassy Baghdad

Audit of the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations’ Construction of the New Consulate General in Erbil, Iraq
In September 2013, the Department and the head of the Department of Foreign Relations for the Kurdistan Regional Government signed an agreement allocating land for the construction of a new consulate general building and compound in Erbil. In March 2014, the Department issued a pre-solicitation notice for the design and construction of offices, housing, and support facilities. In June 2018, it awarded the contract, valued at $422.5 million, to B.L. Harbert International. The objectives of the audit are to determine 1) whether the Department administered the design and construction contract in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation and 2) whether B.L. Harbert fulfilled the contract terms and conditions.

OBO/Administration

Audit of Heritage Assets at Selected Overseas Posts
The Department maintains collections of arts and furnishings, known as heritage assets, that are held for public exhibition, education, and official functions. Items can be donated, loaned, or purchased (using donated or appropriated funds). The Department uses this property to promote national pride and the distinct cultural diversity of American artists, as well as to recognize the historical, architectural, and cultural significance of America’s holdings overseas. Although the Department does not report a value of these assets, one curator said that the value could be $500 million. Many pieces of heritage assets are placed overseas. The Department provides protection and preservation services to maintain all heritage assets. The objective of this audit is to determine whether selected posts protected and preserved heritage assets in accordance with Department requirements and whether the Department administered selected heritage asset programs in accordance with Federal and Department requirements

AQM

Audit of Use of Sole Source Contracts in Overseas Contingency Operations
In the last 3 fiscal years, the Department has used over $1 billion in sole source contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Commission on Wartime Contracting reported that agencies have failed to set and meet goals for competition in Iraq and Afghanistan. In particular, agencies have awarded task orders for excessive durations without adequate competition, failed to set and meet goals for competition, and have repeatedly awarded long-term task orders that were not recompeted when competitive conditions improved and used cost-reimbursable contract types even though simpler, fixed-price contracts could expand the competitive pool. The objectives of the audit are to determine whether (1) acquisition policy was followed in awarding sole source contracts, (2) there were urgent and compelling needs to justify awarding sole source contracts, and (3) the Department is paying more by having sole source contracts than it would pay if contracts were competitively awarded.

Consular Affairs

Audit of IT Security Controls for the Passport Information and Electronic Records System
The Passport Information and Electronic Records System (PIERS) is a CA system housed on the Department’s network. PIERS is a suite of web and desktop applications that is used to manage passport records. These records include personally identifiable information, making the system a potential target for malicious actors, both internal and external. During a prior audit, OIG found control weaknesses—including a general lack of policies, procedures, guidance, and training—relating to the prevention and detection of unauthorized access to passport and applicant information and the subsequent response and disciplinary processes when a potential unauthorized access is substantiated. The objective of this audit is to determine whether the IT security controls that were designed and implemented for PIERS meet Federal and Department standards and are working as intended.

Embassy Baghdad, Embassy Kabul, Bureau of South Central Asian Affairs (SCA), Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA), M/PRI, DS

Audit of Rightsizing of U.S. Embassies Kabul and Baghdad
The U.S. Missions to Afghanistan and Iraq have undergone significant reconfiguration in recent years. In November 2018, the Department decided to decrease the U.S. footprint in Afghanistan because of the Administration’s shifting priorities; Embassy Kabul subsequently submitted a proposal to reduce embassy personnel by 50 percent. Similarly, in February 2019, the Department directed U.S. Embassy Baghdad to reduce its staffing profile by 30 percent. OIG issued the Audit of U.S. Mission Iraq Staffing Process (AUD-MERO-13-33) in 2013 that found that the Department did not fully consider U.S. priorities in Iraq as set forth in rightsizing frameworks developed by M/PRI and the Government Accountability Office. OIG also issued the Audit of the Department’s Implementation of Vital Presence Validation Process (AUD-SI-15-37) in 2015 that found that the Department periodically reviewed the balance between acceptable risk and expected outcomes in high-threat highrisk posts, but that the analysis did not explicitly address the attainability of the posts’ missions or goals. The objective of the audit is to determine whether the Department used established procedures, guidance, and best practices when undertaking its rightsizing approach and whether the approach takes into consideration the alignment of resources invested at these missions with U.S. priorities

Consular Affairs, Embassy Baghdad, Embassy Kabul

Audit of the Special Immigrant Visa Program for Iraq and Afghanistan
The Department’s authority to issue Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) to Afghan nationals falls under Section 602(b) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009, as amended. The act authorizes the issuances of SIVs to Afghan nationals who worked on behalf of the U.S. Government in Afghanistan or the International Security Assistance Force. The Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2019 authorized 4,000 additional visas for Afghan principal applicants. The act also created additional reporting requirements. Similarly, Section 1244 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 authorized the issuance of up to 5,000 SIVs annually through FY 2013 to Iraqi nationals who were employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Iraq and who meet certain requirements. The Department’s authority to issue SIVs to Iraqi nationals under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 was subsequently extended. The objective of the audit is to determine whether the Department is administering the SIV program in accordance with Federal law.

Selected Posts in Bureau of African Affairs (AF), Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR), NEA

Audit of Remote Mission Operations in Contingency Environments
For security reasons, the Department operates a number of embassies and consulates outside the borders of the nation. For example, Mission Somalia operates remotely from Kenya, with the Department providing $275 million in foreign assistance to Somalia in FY 2017. Other examples include Mission Libya operating from Tunisia and programs for the stabilization of Syria from Turkey, Jordan, and Kuwait. The objectives of the audit are to determine the extent to which the Department 1) oversees its mission in locations where it does not have a permanent presence, 2) has policies and procedures in place for operating remotely, and 3) has assessed best practices that could be applied to other missions to reduce the number of personnel incountry and reduce the U.S. Government’s footprint.

Special Projects/Department

Evaluation of the Department of State Authorities Act Implementation
In 2016, Congress enacted the Department of State Authorities Act, which requires each Department head to report to OIG within 5 business days any allegations of: (1) waste, fraud, or abuse in a Department program or operation; (2) criminal or serious misconduct on the part of a senior employee; (3) criminal misconduct on the part of any employee; and (4) serious, noncriminal misconduct on the part of any law enforcement officer. The objective of this evaluation will be to review the Department’s compliance with this provision and will examine whether the Department is reporting all the required allegations and whether they are doing so in a timely fashion. OIG will also evaluate whether the Department’s guidance on this requirement is clear and whether the Department has sufficiently notified Department heads of their responsibilities.