SLOVAKIA REPONSE TO OIG INQUIRY ON REQUIRED REPORTING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000058

SIPDIS

FOR AMB. DAVID ZWEIFEL, OIG/ISP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT ASIG PHUM EGEN LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA REPONSE TO OIG INQUIRY ON REQUIRED REPORTING

REF: STATE 9541


1. Below are Embassy Bratislava's responses to the queries in
reftel.

a. Which mandated reports require most time and attention from
Department personnel at your embassy?

The Human Rights Report, the Trafficking in Persons Report, and
the Investment Climate Statement are the most time consuming at
our post. Slightly less onerous are the International Religious
Freedom Report, the INCSR report, and the Counter Terrorism
report.

b. What section or unit is assigned responsibility for gathering
information and preparing these reports?

The Pol/Econ section.

c. How many employees are involved in preparing and submitting
each report? Please specify Department direct hire staff, local
employees, eligible family members, contractors or other.

Human Rights Report: 5 (one intern, two LES, two direct hires)
Trafficking in Persons Report: 2 (one LES, one direct hire)
Investment Climate Statement: 3 (one LES, two direct hires)
International Religious Freedom: 2 (one LES, one direct hire)
INCSR: 4 (two LES, two direct hires)
Counter Terrorism: 1 (one direct hire)

d. How many person hours (by report and employee category) are
required to prepare each of the mandated reports? What
proportion of the embassy or mission's total personnel or other
resources does this represent?

Human Rights Report: 5 (one intern-100 hours, two LES-100 hours
total, two direct hires-150 hours total)
Trafficking in Persons Report: 2 (one LES-30 hours, one direct
hire-50 hours)
Investment Climate Statement: 3 (one LES, two direct hires-40
hours)
International Religious Freedom: 2 (one LES-20 hours, one direct
hire-20 hours)
INCSR: 4 (two LES-40 hours, two direct hires-20 hours)
Counter Terrorism: 1 (one direct hire-40 hours)

e. Does required reporting, as it is currently being produced,
support and reinforce other mission goals or divert resources
from them?

Generally, we believe that the required reporting supports our
mission goals. The level of detail required by some of the
reports, however, represents a diversion from our efforts to
fulfill mission goals.

f. What resource measures has the embassy taken (redirecting
personnel to this instead of other duties, hiring additional
local staff or eligible family members, requesting additional
fulltime positions) to fulfill requirements for mandated
reporting?

We have not hired additional personnel, but have found that our
summer intern in the Pol/Econ section can provide very useful
assistance, particularly in the information gathering phase of
the Human Rights report. We have very experienced LES who have
covered these topics for many years, and they are also able to
often identify the best sources of information.

g. Which parts of the process (information gathering, analysis,
drafting, internal editing, negotiation of the final text with
Washington) consume the most resources?

Information gathering consumes the most resources, followed by
drafting. Depending on the report, the negotiation with
Washington can also be time consuming.

h. How clear and helpful are Department instructions for
preparing each of these reports?

The instructions for most of these reports are so lengthy that
they are often not utilized effectively. A concise version,
especially one that highlights major differences from previous
years' reports, would be welcomed.

i. What percentage of the embassy's overall reporting on an
issue such as human rights or trafficking in persons does the
annual required draft represent? Does your post submit reporting
cables on these issues throughout the year, or gather and
discuss information but submit it formally primarily in the
required annual draft?

Embassy Bratislava devotes a considerable amount of its
reporting to human rights and democracy issues. We estimate that

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we send in at least 30 cables over the course of a year on
topics that are captured in the human rights report, with a
particular emphasis on judiciary, rule of law, minority issues,
and extremism.

j. Do other mission agencies besides the Department make
significant contributions to the preparation of mandated
reporting in these areas?

No, with the exception of some Commerce contributions to the
investment climate statement.
EDDINS