U.S. Department of State Fiscal Year 2020 Agency Financial Report

Management’s Response to Inspector General F iscal Year 2020 was a unique year for the Department of State – one that showed our employees’ resilience, fortitude, and exceptional teamwork as we supported our worldwide platform and American citizens abroad. The Department responded early to COVID-19, preparing for dispersed operations and maximizing telework through an effort called “Diplomacy Strong.” Diplomacy Strong is the Department’s framework for a phased approach to adjusting to COVID-19 operations. Information Technology (IT) and communication infrastructure improvements were implemented swiftly. For social distancing purposes and maintaining continuity of operations, the Department dispersed operations for many critical elements providing intelligence, communications, and situational awareness. The Department also formed a Coronavirus Global Response Coordination Unit. This unit facilitated the Department’s response to COVID-19, as well as assisted in tracking Diplomacy Strong efforts. The Bureau of Medical Services (MED) through its over 250 deployed medical specialists provided the expert guidance needed to keep Department personnel safe and informed. MED deployed advanced COVID-19 testing worldwide and in Washington, D.C. where it otherwise would not have been available. MED’s existing Health Alert and Response Team quickly established a call-in center and set up pre-departure COVID-19 testing for employees deploying to new assignments abroad and for critical travelers. MED has fielded over 60,000 emails and 8,000 phone calls, and performed over 8,000 COVID-19 tests. The Department established three task forces dedicated to supporting Americans caught overseas due to COVID-19, the largest one being the Repatriation Task Force. These task forces helped the Department provide a consistent level of service and support to our overseas missions and private American citizens. In total, the Department coordinated the repatriation of more than 102,000 Americans on 1,163 flights from 139 countries from January 27 - June 10, 2020. Due to social distancing and other medical guidelines, the Repatriation Task Force largely operated virtually except for a small number of staff who provided in-person support while following social distancing and other guidelines from MED. Our enhanced IT infrastructure and collaborative tools allowed the Repatriation Task Force to smoothly operate and provide uninterrupted support to the Secretary, other senior principals, and posts around the world. Still, even in this new operating environment, the Department’s usual work continued. In 2020, the Department of State’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) identified management and performance challenges in the areas of: protection of people and facilities; management and oversight of contracts, grants, and foreign assistance; information security and management; financial and property management; operating in contingency and critical environments; workforce management; and promoting accountability through internal coordination and clear lines of authority. The Department acknowledges the deficiencies identified by the OIG, and will continue to enhance and advance operations to provide an efficient, strong worldwide management platform. Throughout COVID-19, the principles that drive our work remain familiar: prioritizing the safety and health of our colleagues and mitigating risk, while balancing our operations to achieve our strategic mission. The Department employs several collaborative groups to address systemic challenges identified by the OIG. 130 | U ni ted S tates D epartment of S tate 2020 A gency F inanci al R eport OTHER INFORMATION | MANAGEMENT’S RESPONSE TO INSPECTOR GENERAL