U.S. Department of State Fiscal Year 2019 Agency Financial Report

Collecting, Analyzing, and Applying Financial Information In the OIG’s report, the inspection of Embassy Bogota showed a shortfall in nonimmigrant visa application fees of approxi- mately $1.6 million. Limitations of available analytical tools (Excel, Access, Tableau, etc.) create management challenges in the Department’s ability to perform in-depth and complex analysis of financial information. In the case of Colombia specifically, after six months of extensive and exhaustive review and analysis, the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) referred the matter to the OIG’s Office of Investigations for a forensic level review; the matter remains under investigation as of October 2019.  5  O perating in C ontingency and C ritical E nvironments In some cases, the Department must operate in “critical” environments, or areas that experience various challenges in the form of conflict, instability, disease, or natural disasters. These pose their own set of problems and contribute to existing challenges. Management’s High Five priority of Excellence & Innovation emphasizes agility, such as: ■ ■ Improving intra- and interagency coordination and accountability to enhance service delivery and enable foreign policy objectives; ■ ■ Implementing “Automation Ready” Process improvement methods; ■ ■ Fostering innovative thinking and allowing calculated risk taking when considering new ways of doing things; and ■ ■ Providing safe and secure conditions for employees abroad and mitigating the risks of operating in high-threat environments.  6  W orkforce M anagement The Secretary’s Professional Ethos gives a common foundation for the Department’s broad mission, one that cannot be accomplished without its workforce. Similarly, despite employing different categories of staff – Foreign Service, Civil Service, locally employed staff, and political appointees – the Secretary has emphasized the need for One Team, One Mission Ethos to achieve success. The High Five Talent priority elucidates how the Department is striving to be the employer of choice and care for its people. To combat workforce management challenges, some of which the OIG describes in its report, the Under Secretary for Management is focusing on: ■ ■ Accelerating onboarding and hiring to fill critical Civil Service vacancies; ■ ■ Leadership development and succession planning; ■ ■ Improving employee engagement and workforce flexibilities; ■ ■ Enhancing the resiliency and well-being of employees; and ■ ■ Promoting an inclusive and diverse workforce. 2019 A gency F inancial R eport U nited S tates D epartment of S tate | 131 MANAGEMENT’S RESPONSE TO INSPECTOR GENERAL | OTHER INFORMATION