Embassy New Delhi, India and Constituent Posts - OIG - US ...

Key Judgments
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
• Mission India is doing an impressive job of expanding and deepening the bilateral
relationship with India, thus advancing a major U.S. foreign policy objective.
• Embassy New Delhi’s strong and experienced country team works well together. The
front office, section chiefs, and agency heads also do an excellent job coordinating the
work of their counterparts in the four consulates general.
• The Ambassador has strengthened the public image of the United States in India through
his extensive travel and public appearances. He likely has the highest public profile of
any diplomat in India.
• Expanding the bilateral relationship requires managing capacity constraints in the
Government of India; improving access to Indian officials; and moving routine issues to
the working level, without which it will be more difficult to use staff as effectively as
possible; and to advance U.S. goals.
• Given the heavy demands on their time, the Ambassador, deputy chief of mission
(DCM), and senior staff should develop a comprehensive strategy to allocate the
Ambassador’s and their responsibilities for engaging with top-level Indian counterparts
and for managing their growing workload. The DCM should lead this effort.
• Because of the rapidly expanding bilateral relationship and growing Indian economy,
nonimmigrant visa workload could double by 2020. Stakeholders in the Department of
State (Department) need to initiate long-range workload planning and a long-term
strategic plan for facilities in India, including the possibility of more posts.
• Housing issues are the mission’s greatest management challenge. Finding affordable,
quality housing is becoming increasingly difficult, especially in New Delhi, Mumbai, and
Hyderabad. The mission and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations should plan to
build housing units on U.S. Government-owned land.
• Consular Team India, initiated in 2009 to integrate the resources, talent, leadership,
policies, and procedures for the five consular sections in India, is a model for integrating
large multipost consular operations. The Bureau of Consular Affairs should codify its
principles as a guide for consular leaders in other missions.
• The mission has exploited successfully its public diplomacy platforms and social media,
such as American Centers and libraries, to reach and influence a key demographic group
– upwardly mobile young people from the emerging middle class.
The inspection took place in Washington, DC, between January 6 and 31, 2011; in New Delhi,
India, between February 3 and March 23, 2011; in Mumbai, India, between February 15 and 24,
2011; in Chennai, India, between February 18 and March 4, 2011; in Hyderabad, India, between
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SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED