PRAIA NEEDS ANNEX PER OIG RECOMMENDATIONS ON SECURITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRAIA 000064

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/EX, OBO, DS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ABLD ASEC ASIG AMGT CV
SUBJECT: PRAIA NEEDS ANNEX PER OIG RECOMMENDATIONS ON SECURITY

REF: A. 09 STATE 70715

B. 07 PRAIA 329

C. 07 PRAIA 276

D. 07 PRAIA 298


1. (U) Summary and Action request. Embassy Praia has exceeded
the available workspace in the USG's 36-year old Chancery. Post
requests OBO and DS assistance in identifying a solution, now
that our place on the NEC list for replacement our downtown
street-front property has been pushed back from 2013 to 2020.
There is some considerable urgency, as post needs to come into
compliance with the OIG recommendations requiring the movement
of LE staff. This message outlines six options, none of which
is perfect, but all would meet the requirements imposed by the
OIG in Post's recent inspection. In keeping with the OIG's
deadline and imminent expansion of our staff, we request
preliminary feedback by March 1 so we can begin work on the
selected solution. End summary and action request.



Current Situation

--------------




2. Post's current five-story Chancery located in downtown Praia
houses State employees only, and small offices accommodating
multiple employees have been created in every usable space,
including the roof. This arrangement has caused several
problems including:



- A physically divided Front Office operating two floors apart;

- LE staff working both above and below the CAA;

- No line of sight and no cashier booth in consular section;

- Higher expenses for multiple security outposts and utility
charges;

- Lack of a common area for more than five people;

- Difficulty coordinating with other Mission agencies;

- Little usable space for TDY visitors and regional support;

- Restricted ability to meet with contacts at the Embassy;

- Lack of cohesion among Embassy staff because of the physical
arrangement;

- No ability to install an elevator or any other measure to
being the building into compliance with Americans with
Disabilities' Act (ADA) requirements.



Urgency

--------------




3. Post would ideally benefit from immediate construction of a
new Chancery building; given our place in the NEC queue,
however, we request OBO and DS assistance in selecting an
appropriate alternative in the interim that will bring us into
compliance with the OIG's security requirements. That requires
us to relocate the five FSNs from the roof above the CAA and the
two FSNs from the floor below the CAA to other location(s).
Also, over the last couple of years, Cape Verde's bilateral
cooperation on counter-narcotics, security, democracy, regional
stability, development, and trade issues has increased our need
for staff significantly. To support the necessary programs and
reporting required at this time, we have needed to add five new
LE positions and we will be receiving five new USDH positions
over the next 18 months. Without these positions, we cannot
carry out the essential programs outlined in our Mission
Strategic Plan. However, our original Chancery building does
not have the space to accommodate our necessary growth and these
much-needed new employees will, in just a few weeks, have no
place to work. Assuming that we cannot relocate to a NEC until
2020 or later, we are seeking alternative work areas that will
add at least fifteen new office spaces and room for two common
areas for training, meetings, and conferences. RSO Dakar has
seen most of these options on a recent regional support visit
and is able to comment on the security aspects of these options.
We urgently ask for approval to move forward with option A

PRAIA 00000064 002 OF 003


below -- adding 4 non-warehouse LE staff members to the space in
that facility. However, we include the pros and cons pertaining
to all other options in the interest of an informed decision by
the Department. We are not aware of any other options besides
these.



Considering Six Options

--------------




4. (A) Our strongly preferred option is to move all GSO
operations out to our new short-term lease (STL) warehouse. In
addition to the existing employees who were based at our
previous warehouse under a Department-issued waiver, we propose
adding four non-warehouse employees to the warehouse offices:
our local hire GSO, motorpool supervisor, GSO clerk, and
procurement specialist. We therefore need a co-location waiver.
This would be the most expedient and cost-effective solution
since we have usable office space for all GSO employees and the
space is wired for Opennet. The move could happen within a week
of approval and would free enough space in the Chancery to make
necessary moves to meet the OIG's immediate CAA requirements.
Post understands from consultations that security requirements
generally make co-location waivers for warehouses
cost-prohibitive; however, given our limited options, this is
clearly the most viable solution to our immediate problem. Ref
A confirms OBO's approval for the lease and acknowledges that it
is approved for use of warehouse staff only; however there is
the space to house other management section employees and the
warehouse is already one of our local guard force posts. Post
requests feedback on this preferred option.



(B) A second option that Post strongly supports is to purchase
or lease and rehabilitate the former USAID building adjacent to
the Chancery. This facility is owned by the city and was
returned to the city when the USAID mission closed in the
mid-1990s. At that time, DS recommended against the purchase
because of concerns about adding onto a property without
setback. Subsequently, when the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, MCC came to post in 2005, it only needed three
additional work areas and the per capita cost sharing would have
exceeded $120,000 for a five-year presence. In 2005, MCC told
Post that it was not cost-effective to purchase a property and
refurbish for such a small number of new positions and a
short-term presence; however MCC has recently selected Cape
Verde as the first country to become eligible for a second,
five-year MCC compact; therefore we will continue to have the
agency present until 2015. At the same time, State has grown
significantly and now requires additional space for State's
program and ICASS employees, as outlined above. This option
would create space for an additional 20 new desks.



-- Post estimated in 2005 that the refurbishment would cost
around $193,000 for the installation of security lighting,
upgrading exterior walls, construction of a new roof, replacing
grilling on windows, reinforcing the skylight with tempered
glass, and updating the electrical, HVAC, flooring, and
plumbing. While Post recognizes the preference to avoid
refurbishment projects if there are other, less
technically-demanding solutions, this option does allow for
several benefits that the others do not. We would ensure that
the property adjacent to our Chancery remains in good condition,
make use of a common generator, house as much of the Mission as
possible, use a common Post one and security force, and take
advantage of the most affordable real estate in downtown Praia.
Also, these refurbishment costs would be offset by the savings
from sharing the security, utilities, and technology services
from the existing building. Post has contacted Praia's city
council to confirm availability, request floor plans, and a 2010
lease price.



(C) A third option is renting commercial space in the annex
that houses MCC, on the floor above the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC) office for a net gain of about five offices in
1,614 sq feet. The apartment is an attractive possibility,
since it is only two blocks away from the Chancery, in the same
building as MCC, would benefit from the same local guard post,
and could qualify for a co-location waiver despite its lack of
setback. However, the apartment has several limitations. First,
the space configuration is different from the set up that was
approved for MCC -- all of the offices in the new space face a

PRAIA 00000064 003 OF 003


busy downtown street whereas MCC is in the back of the building,
off the street. Another limitation is that the space can only
fit a few offices, so whichever employees we move would have
their supervisory Americans several blocks away. Post therefore
believes the rental is too small to resolve our limitations or
facilitate Embassy operations..



(D) A fourth possibility is to consider leasing a large
commercial space where we could house the entire mission
jointly. There is significant construction underway around
Praia and it may be possible to locate something to house the
mission over the next decade. Initial information gathering
indicates that most new commercial properties lack the setback
and blast wall standards required for a co-location waiver,
however Post would welcome assistance from OBO real estate
specialists to help us with this search. Our last search for a
location in 2007 was to find property for a new NEC and any
location that would be acceptable for a waiver could be
considered. Assistance from an experienced OBO advisor would
help us quickly hone in on whether this is a viable option and
whether we could include the necessary security measures in the
leased property.



(E) The Embassy owns a 5,000 square meter property in the
residential area Achada Santo Antonio, near the STL COM
Residence. The property is in a good area and is close to other
diplomatic missions and Embassy housing. The property can be
configured to allow for setback and is much safer than the
current Chancery location. In April 2007, this property was
considered for future Residence construction, however our
records indicate that OBO did not believe the site was viable
for either EMR or a NEC construction given the size of the land
space. Post would support eventual construction at the site,
but believes that any construction would have to be paired with
a more immediate solution so we can continue operations with the
additional personnel.



(F) Finally, we understand that space planners can come out to
assist with reallocation of the workspace to maximize our
current facilities. We would welcome space planner's
assistance, especially since we have exceeded the usable space
and for some time local staff member have been in offices that
should be reserved for cleared Americans. If space planners can
help us re-locate the five LE staff and establish work areas for
other employees, this would be a welcome short-term solution.
However Post notes that space planning alone is unlikely to
resolve our ongoing problems in this area, given the small size
of existing offices and the fact that several offices already
house more than one employee. There are no other common areas
that can be converted since we are in the process of converting
the only conference space into an office for our new management
officer.



Finding a Solution

--------------




5. Post requests OBO and DS feedback on these options,
particularly about the possibility of support in securing a
co-location waiver for use of office space at the warehouse
and/or support to reopening discussions with the city of Praia
to purchase the former USAID building. Given the long lead time
necessary for new purchases and construction, Post also requests
assistance from a real estate expert so we can assess the
opportunities in the local market. We do not have the personnel
to be able to do an exhaustive search while continuing to
provide facilities maintenance services, so we would welcome the
assistance. We hope to select and implement an option as soon
as possible so that we will have the offices ready in time for
our new staff to begin work. Praia's POC for Washington offices
is DCM/MGT Officer Ms. Dana Brown, who can be reached at 238
260-8909 or BrownDML@state.gov. Post appreciates the
Department's assistance.
MYLES