Open Recommendations

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Information Resource Management, develop and implement a process to annually ensure that all IT projects related to the Consular Systems Modernization program are registered in the Integrated Management, Analytics, and Technology Resource for Information Exchange system, in accordance with 5 Foreign Affairs Manual 611.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Budget and Planning update 18 Foreign Affairs Manual 300 to specify which requirements (including what documentation is required) apply to Department of State bureaus and offices using Agile (or Agile-related) program or project management methodologies.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Budget and Planning, map control gates for the program management methodology used for the Consular Systems Modernization program to the Department of State's Managing State Projects guidance, as required by 5 Foreign Affairs Handbook-5 H-211.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Budget and Planning, develop and implement a plan to create documentation required by Department of State program and project management guidance (including 18 Foreign Affairs Manual 300) for the overall Consular Systems Modernization program and discrete projects related to the program. This documentation would include, but not be limited to, a program monitoring plan, a logic model, and a situational analysis.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Budget and Planning, reassess the current program management methodology used to manage and monitor the Consular Systems Modernization program to determine whether it is the most effective option.

OIG recommends that if, following implementation of Recommendation 6, the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) determines that its current program management methodology is not optimal, CA should develop and implement a plan of action, in coordination with the Bureau of Budget and Planning, to adopt a different program and project management methodology that aligns with Department of State program and project management guidance.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Budget and Planning, perform an internal control gap analysis related to program and project management of the Consular Systems Modernization program to identify key controls that are needed to comply with Government Accountability Office requirements for maintaining a sufficient internal control environment.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Information Resource Management, develop and implement a mechanism to track required IT governance reviews to ensure that all governance reviews of IT systems have been completed.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Budget and Planning, develop and implement a process to periodically assess program and project management activities related to the Consular Systems Modernization program.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Budget and Planning and the Bureau of Information Resource Management, develop and implement a process to annually verify that designated project managers assigned to the Consular Systems Modernization program meet qualification requirements specified in 5 Foreign Affairs Manual 623.2 and the "Federal IT Project Manager Guidance Matrix."

OIG recommends that if project managers as described in Recommendation 11 are identified as not meeting qualification requirements, the Bureau of Consular Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Budget and Planning and the Bureau of Information Resource Management, develop and implement a plan of action to provide training and guidance to the project managers so that they comply with 5 Foreign Affairs Manual 623.2 and the "Federal IT Project Manager Guidance Matrix."

OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management establish and oversee a working group with officials from key Department of State bureaus, including the Bureau of Budget and Planning, the Bureau of Information Resource Management, and the Bureau of Administration, to assist the Bureau of Consular Affairs in executing the Consular Systems Modernization program and its efforts to modernize and consolidate consular legacy IT systems into a common technology framework.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, take the following actions: (a) determine whether the questioned costs of $511,249, which were considered unsupported for 3 of 10 invoices selected for testing from Task Order 19AQMM18F3629, were supported and allowable, and (b) recover any costs determined to be unallowable, as shown in Table B.1.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, take the following actions: (a) determine whether the questioned costs of $13,779,756, which were considered to be unsupported for the 10 invoices selected for testing from Task Order 19AQMM19F1686, were supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unallowable, as shown in Table B.1.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, develop and implement bureau-specific procedures requiring CA's assigned Contracting Officer's Representatives to (a) maintain documentation of their invoice review that demonstrates that costs and supporting documentation were verified and (b) confirm that labor hours billed had supporting documentation that was sufficient to support the approval for payments.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, develop and implement procedures to ensure that the Contracting Officer’s Representatives (COR) administering contracts related to Consular Systems Modernization maintain files in the mandated eFiling module of the Integrated Logistics Management System in accordance with 14 Foreign Affairs Handbook-2 H-142(b)(16)(b) and that the files include all required reports from contractors.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, develop and implement guidance related to the proper use and development of cost-plus-award-fee contractor performance reports.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, develop and implement procedures to ensure that Contracting Officer's Representatives who oversee Consular Systems Modernization program task orders complete and submit reports in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System within the required 120 days.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Consular Affairs update the Consular Systems and Technology Procurement Guide to add requirements for acquisition planning, including the contents of written acquisition plans, as specified in Federal Acquisition Regulation 7.103 and 7.105.

Develop and implement policy and protocol revisions recommended in the assessment.

Explore more efficient options for DSN scheduling, such as maintaining a list of DSN users by priority that is updated in real-time and accessible to all users.

Ensure completion of the DAEP's remaining antennas and transmitters and finalize requirements for the LEGS project.

Finalize international agreements, obtain appropriate clearances for installing the remaining 80 kW transmitters, and establish mechanisms to allow for greater oversight of DAEP project sites.

Explore options for utilizing commercial and international partners networks to offload excess demand from the DSN and to serve as backups in the event of network overages or outages.

Ensure vulnerabilities are remediated within established time frames.