STATE DEPARTMENT'S OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, FOREIGN SERVICE, NEEDS TO IMPROVE ITS INTERNAL EVALUATION PROCESS

• NCJ Number: 65518
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 64 pages
• Corporate Author: US Comptroller General
• Sale Source: Azimuth Inc.
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. THERE IS A CHARGE FOR MORE THAN ONE COPY. REPORT TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL

Annotation

THE REPORT EXAMINES THE ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND RECOMMENDS LEGISLATIVE CHANGES TO IMPROVE ITS INTERNAL EVALUATION PROCESS.

Abstract

THE 1946 FOREIGN SERVICE ACT REQUIRES THAT U.S. DIPLOMATS AND CONSULAR ESTABLISHMENTS BE INSPECTED AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 2 YEARS BY TEAMS OF AUDITORS AND FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS. IN ANALYZING THIS SYSTEM, THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE (GAO) REVIEWED REPORTS ON INSPECTIONS AND RELATED MATTERS, LEGISLATION, AND TRAVEL RECORDS, AS WELL AS INTERVIEWED FOREIGN SERVICE INSPECTORS AND STAFF. IT FOUND THAT THE BIENNIAL REQUIREMENT AND THE BROAD RANGE OF FUNCTIONS THAT HAD TO BE EVALUATED PLACED SEVERE STRAINS ON THE LIMITED STAFF, HINDERING PREPARATION OF THOROUGH REPORTS. THE PRACTICE OF ASSIGNING REGULAR FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO EFFECTIVE PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE. AFTER RECOMMENDING THAT CONGRESS AMEND THE FOREIGN SERVICE ACT TO PERMIT MORE FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING OF INSPECTIONS, THE GAO SUGGESTED THAT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE REVISE ITS OBJECTIVES SO THAT ESSENTIAL ISSUES COULD BE ANALYZED INDEPTH. USING ECONOMIC AND CONSULAR REPORTS AS EXAMPLES, THE DEFICIENCIES OF THE EXISITING SYSTEM ARE PRESENTED, SUCH AS SUPERFICIAL TREATMENT OF A CRUCIAL PROBLEM AREA AND INFORMATION THAT BECOMES RAPIDLY OUTDATED. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL TO ASSESS PERFORMANCES OF FOREIGN SERVICE STAFFS SHOULD BE ELIMINATED SINCE THIS IS HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S BASIC PERSONNEL EVALUATION PROCESS. THE COMPOSITION OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S STAFF SHOULD BE REVISED SO THAT IT CONSISTS OF PERMANENT PERSONNEL WITH MANAGEMENT SKILLS INSTEAD OF HIGH GRADE, FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS ON TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT. GAO ALSO QUESTIONED THE LEGALITY OF PAYING A SPECIAL ALLOWANCE TO INSPECTORS WHO WERE ABSENT FROM THEIR RESIDENCES FOR MORE THAN 30 DAYS WHILE ON TOURS. THE STATE DEPARTMENT DID NOT AGREE WITH GAO'S CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEIR VIEWS ARE INCLUDED THROUGHOUT THE TEXT. TABLES AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. THE APPENDIXES PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN GAO AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT CONCERNING SPECIAL ALLOWANCES. (MJM)