Summary

GAO surveyed 104 U.S. embassies on problems affecting the following areas: staffing, training, financial management, contracting and procurement, property management, and regional support. According to the survey respondents, (1) many embassies have staffing gaps in key administrative jobs; (2) the number of administrative staff at some embassies has not kept pace with increasing workloads; (3) some staff training needs go unmet; (4) financial management systems do not meet embassy needs; (5) some embassies have not taken required steps to improve overseas contracting and procurement; and (6) not all embassies inspect the condition of their facilities annually, and most do not prepare the required inspection reports. Most of the respondents said that they were satisfied with the administrative services received from the State Department's regional offices, but some were unhappy with the offices' financial management services. GAO summarized this report along with GAO/NSIAD-93-190 in testimony before Congress; see: State Department: Widespread Management Weaknesses at Overseas Embassies, by Frank C. Conahan, Assistant Comptroller General for National Security and International Affairs Programs, before the Subcommittee on Legislation and National Security, House Committee on Government Operations. GAO/T-NSIAD-93-17, July 13, 1993 (25 pages).

GAO found that: (1) there were frequent staffing gaps in key U.S. administrative positions at many embassies; (2) 72 percent of the embassies experienced increased work loads to support non-State agencies; (3) many embassies did not give adequate attention to the formal training needs of U.S. and foreign service national employees; (4) one-third of the embassies reported dissatisfaction with the ability of their financial management systems to provide timely information necessary for making operational and management decisions; (5) deficiencies within the procurement process included the lack of a certified procurement system, lack of training leading to individual warranting of contract officers, weaknesses in the procurement process, and lack of a worldwide procurement database; (6) State identified inadequate rehabilitation and maintenance of real property overseas as a material weakness; and (7) embassies that have received communications, contracting and procurement, budget and fiscal, and personnel services from one or more of State's regional offices were satisfied with the timeliness and quality of services.