EMBASSY HARARE RESPONSES TO OIG FORMAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000086

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

ACTION FOR OIG; AF/EX FOR S. NOLAN, B. NEULING, B. GATES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2016
TAGS: ASIG AMGT
SUBJECT: EMBASSY HARARE RESPONSES TO OIG FORMAL
RECOMMENDATIONS

REF: A. OIG REPORTS OF INSPECTION FOR EMBASSY HARARE

B. ZIMBABWE NUMBER ISP-I-05-37A AND ISP-S-05-37A

Classified By: Ambassador Christopher W. Dell for reasons
1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (U) Following are Embassy Harare's responses to the formal
recommendations made by the OIG Report of Inspection, Embassy
Harare, Zimbabwe number ISP-I-05-37A, dated September 2005.

RECOMMENDATION 1: (U) Embassy Harare should establish and
implement grant management procedures that include linking
grants to mission performance plan priorities, requiring and
monitoring the submission of reports from grantees, and
assuring that grant documents are prepared in a standard
fashion with all relevant information. (Action: Embassy
Harare)

RESPONSE 1: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and has put a grant management tracking
control system in place. Attached to each grant is a sheet
showing the MPP goal to which the grant is dedicated, a
narrative space for a timeline for completion and remarks
upon completion with designated individuals from PAS to
certify satisfactory completion.

RECOMMENDATION 2: (U) Embassy Harare should complete the
standard operating procedures required by the Consular
Management Handbook's Chapter Six. (Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 2: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and has begun drafting the standard operating
procedures required by the Consular Handbook. Two SOPs have
been completed and are in practice and we expect to finish
the full portfolio of SOPs by the end of FY06.

RECOMMENDATION 3: (U) Embassy Harare should complete a
Disposition of Remains report and transmit a copy of it to
the Bureau of Consular Affairs. (Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 3: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and has completed the update and drafting of
the Disposition of Remains report. It is currently in the
clearance process and should be available to the Bureau of
Consular Affairs by the end of February, 2006.

RECOMMENDATION 4: (U) Embassy Harare should conduct a
rightsizing review in preparation for the move to a new
embassy compound to determine whether some American and
locally employed staff positions could be eliminated.
(Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 4: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and submitted a comprehensive Rightsizing
Report to AF and M/R in November 2005, which reflects
projected reductions of both U.S. and LES desk positions.

RECOMMENDATION 5: (U) Embassy Harare should conduct a cost
analysis of duplicative services provided by the Department
of State and the United States Agency for International
Development, and if savings are identified, combine the
duplicative services. (Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 5: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and has developed plans and staffing
projections to eliminate duplicative services in conjunction
with FY 2009 occupancy of consolidated NEC office space. In
the interim, services will be consolidated where feasible.
Full consolidation at this stage is complicated by the
dispersal of mission offices across six facilities, and by
agencies, maintenance of separate systems in such areas as
accounting, computer systems, and communications. USAID
Washington has instructed USAID Harare to implement a
Reduction in Force (RIF) during 2006, and its staffing
decisions will be tailored to the mission's plans to
consolidate services. Following this, USAID services in such
areas as financial management and cashiering will be
consolidated and/or regionalized.

RECOMMENDATION 6: (U) Embassy Harare should establish
patching procedures to ensure that all workstations and
servers meet Department patch management requirements.
(Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 6: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and corrective action has been completed and
added to the Standard Operating Procedures and implemented.
Patching procedures have been added to the Information
Programs Center (IPC) and Information Systems Center's (ISC)
standard operating procedures. All Information Management
personnel and LES systems personnel have now subscribed to

the patch management distribution email list ensuring all
personnel receive notification from the Department when
security patches are released. The Information Programs
Officer (IPO) ensures that the current security patch is
applied on the classified system. The Information Systems
Officer (ISO) ensures that the current security patch is
applied to the OpenNet system. Once the security patches are
installed the IPO and ISO cross check each system for
verification that patches have been installed correctly.

RECOMMENDATION 7: (U) Embassy Harare should designate the
senior information management specialist in the information
processing center as the information systems security officer
for the unclassified network and designate the senior
information systems security officer in the information
systems center as the information systems security officer
for the classified network. (Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 7: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and corrective action has been completed and
implemented (reftel 2005 Harare 0856). Information Systems
Officer (ISO),George Westfall has been designated as the
primary Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO) for
Harare and Information Programs Officer (IPO),Sheena
Driscoll has been designated as the alternate (A/ISSO). In
addition, the ISO has been designated as the ISSO for the
classified network and the IPO has been designated as the
ISSO for the unclassified network.

RECOMMENDATION 8: (U) Embassy Harare should establish
procedures under which officers providing consular services
must ask applicants whether they paid their visa fees in
local or U.S. currency and compare the answers to the
receipts for services provided by the consular cashier.
(Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 8: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and has recently begun asking all NIV
applicants whether they paid their visa fees in local or U.S.
currency and compare their answers to the receipts. The
consular section has also begun posting the daily official
exchange rate in the cashier window, along with a direct
phone number for the section chief so that an applicant can
complain if they feel they have been charged incorrectly.
The Consular Section has also begun a detailed audit of all
receipts received from the offsite fee collection contractor
to ensure that no irregularities take place.


2. (U) Following are Embassy Harare's responses to the formal
recommendations made by the OIG Security Management
Inspection Report of Embassy Harare, Zimbabwe number
ISP-I-05-37A, dated September 2005.

RECOMMENDATION 1: (U) Embassy Harare should complete the
emergency action plan and submit it for approval in a timely
manner. (Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 1: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. The revised EAP is in the clearance process
and should be completed in January. Post notes, however,
that State 4962 recently announced a new EAP format which
could cause a delay.

RECOMMENDATION 2: (U) Embassy Harare should make both of the
designated alternate command centers available for immediate
use at any given time by pre-positioning equipment and
supplies as per 12 FAH-1 H-131 and keeping pre-positioned
information current. (Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 2: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. The pre-positioning of equipment and
supplies will be ongoing but is substantially complete.

RECOMMENDATION 3: (SBU) Embassy Harare should designate as a
safe haven, the small room with the vault door that is
located in the general services and information management
offices annex, and properly equip the room in accordance with
12 FAH-5 L.15.2 and H-462.3-1. (1997) (Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 3: (SBU) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and is in the process of procuring the safe
haven materials. The safehaven will be operational in
February, 2006.

RECOMMENDATION 4: (C) Embassy Harare should replace the
single wood finished door to the room housing the post
communication center emergency generator in the chancery
building with a door that can provide 60-minute forced-entry
and ballistic resistance as required by 12 FAH-5 H-463.3-1
(1997). (Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 4: (C) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. We are seeking financing from OBO/SM for
procurement and installation of the door. Completion is
contingent upon receipt of funds.

RECOMMENDATION 5: (SBU) Embassy Harare, in coordination with
Embassy Pretoria, should disable the door between the
consular waiting area and the management and security offices
by removing the Hirsch keypad controlling the door and
installing a magnetic lock controlled by the Marine security
guard at Post One. This door should remain secure during
business hours. (Action: Embassy Harare, in coordination
with Embassy Pretoria)

RESPONSE 5: (SBU) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and is coordinating with ESC Pretoria and ESO
Dar es Salaam for the purchase of equipment and its
installation. Completion is contingent upon availability of
funds.

RECOMMENDATION 6: (SBU) Embassy Harare, in coordination with
Embassy Pretoria, should install a closed-circuit television
camera outside of the perimeter door to the management and
security offices for after hours use in verifying the proper
release of the magnetic lock. (Action: Embassy Harare, in
coordination with Embassy Pretoria)

RESPONSE 6: (SBU) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation and is coordinating with ESC Pretoria and ESO
Dar es Salaam on this recommendation concurrently with
recommendation 5.

RECOMMENDATION 7: (SBU) Embassy Harare, in coordination with
Embassy Pretoria, should program the Hirsch keypad at the
main entrance to the general services and information
management offices annex to allow locally employed staff to
have access to the building during working hours. The
embassy should also keep the entrance door secure at all
times. (Action: Embassy Harare, in coordination with Embassy
Pretoria)

RESPONSE 7: (SBU) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. The equipment is in place and this
recommendation should be resolved during the next ESO visit
tentatively scheduled for February, 2006.

RECOMMENDATION 8: (U) Embassy Harare should establish and
implement a procedure for keeping the sliding vehicle gate to
the chancery compound closed, to prevent intruders from
walking on to the compound unimpeded and provide an entrance
for pedestrians. (Action: Embassy Harare)

RESPONSE 8: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with this
recommendation and has taken appropriate corrective action.
The gate is presently maintained in the closed position.

RECOMMENDATION 9: (SBU) Embassy Harare, in coordination with
the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should ensure
that the United States Agency for International Development
provides antiram planters or bollards along the perimeter
walls bordering Pascoe Avenue in accordance with 12 FAH-5
H-430. (Action: Embassy Harare, in coordination with OBO)

RESPONSE 9: (SBU) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. USAID is currently seeking solicitations for
the project, upon which funding will be pursued with USAID
Security. Completion is contingent upon availability of
funds.
RECOMMENDATION 10: (SBU) Embassy Harare, in coordination with
the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should ensure
that the United States Agency for International Development,
using a reasonable degree of risk management as outlined in
Overseas Security Policy Board security standards 12 FAH-6,
H-511, install a vehicle drop bar behind the sliding gate at
the Ruda annex compound to provide some antiram protection.
(Action: Embassy Harare, in coordination with the Bureau of
OBO)

RESPONSE 10: (SBU) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. USAID is currently seeking solicitations for
the project, upon which funding will be pursued with USAID
Security. Completion is contingent upon availability of
funds.
RECOMMENDATION 11: (SBU) Embassy Harare, in coordination with
the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should ensure
that the United States Agency for International Development,
replace the obsolete hardline door in the compound access
control booth, which allows access to the Ruda annex
compound, with a 15-minute forced-entry and ballistic
resistant door, in accordance with 12 FAH-6 H-113.6 (Action:
Embassy Harare, in coordination with the Bureau of OBO)


RESPONSE 11: (SBU) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. USAID is currently seeking solicitations for
the project, upon which funding will be pursued with USAID
Security. Completion is contingent upon availability of
funds.
RECOMMENDATION 12: (SBU) Embassy Harare, in coordination with
Embassy Pretoria, should ensure that the United States Agency
for International Development installs an imminent danger
notification system switch at the compound access control
booths and considers providing the roving local guards
conducting perimeter security with a remote wireless imminent
danger notification system switch. (Action: Embassy Harare,
in coordination with Embassy Pretoria)

RESPONSE 12: (SBU) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. USAID is presently seeking assistance from
USAID security for the purchase and installation of this
system. Completion is contingent upon availability of USAID
Security resources.

RECOMMENDATION 13: (SBU) Embassy Harare, in coordination with
the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should replace
the hardline doors separating the administrative and program
staff in the public affairs section from the public access
area with a door providing 15-minute forced-entry and
ballistic resistant protection in accordance with 12 FAH 6
H-113.8(g). (Action: Embassy Harare, in coordination with
the Bureau of OBO)

RESPONSE 13: (SBU) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. The Public Affairs Section is scheduled to
move into new office space that will meet all 15 minute FE/BR
requirements. A funding request is pending with Bureau of
Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) at this time. Completion
of this project is contingent upon funding by OBO.

RECOMMENDATION 14: (U) Embassy Harare, in coordination with
the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, should advise
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to comply with
the conditions set forth in the waiver granting setback and
collocation and have public access controls that provide
five-minute forced-entry protection and that the individual
who controls the door is behind the hardline, in accordance
with 12 FAH-5 H-452.3-3 and 12 FAH-5 H-454.3-3. (Action:
Embassy Harare, in coordination with the Bureau of OBO)

RESPONSE 14: (U) Embassy Harare concurs with the
recommendation. CDC is in the process of obtaining a scope
of work and cost estimate from a local architect. Upon
receipt, CDC will pursue funding for this project with CDC
headquarters. Completion of this project is contingent upon
receipt of funds.
DELL