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

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
The deputy management counselor executes his role as chief operating officer of embassy
management services effectively. His establishment of a community welfare committee is
indicative of his emphasis on communication and collaboration with customers.
The OIG team found the quality of management operations at the constituent posts,
however, to be mixed in terms of customer satisfaction, process management, and adherence to
Department rules and regulations. The reasons for the negative variances included personnel
shortages, gaps, and inexperience, and the disparity between customer expectations and the
realities of service at 20–25 percent hardship differential posts – particularly among large
numbers of ELOs. Consulate LE staff have proved their value to the constituent posts by
assuming more responsibility and helping to train management ELOs on the job.
Within this management environment, one issue stands out as the most persistent,
complex, and seemingly intractable: real property. It presents a serious challenge to the entire
mission of providing safe, secure, and adequate working and living space to employees. It also
presents a challenge in determining the best long-term use and value of U.S. Government-owned
properties, particularly in light of constraints that Indian local and federal authorities have
imposed.
Consulate General Mumbai
The management section of Consulate General Mumbai provides adequate customer
services with some notable exceptions. Its most recent overall ICASS services score met the
worldwide average of 4.03 on a 5-point scale and fell just short of the bureau average of 4.1.
However, housing-related scores – leasing, furniture/furnishings, and residential building
operations – indicated serious dissatisfaction, as did the OIG survey and interview results. (b)
This report makes a recommendation, in the rightsizing
(b) (5)
section, to address the shortcomings of the housing program.
delays continue to plague the new consulate
compound, which has faced continuous delays since its originally planned completion date of
March 2008.
Insufficient staffing has played a significant role in limiting the capabilities of the
management section. It is authorized two general services officers, but only one position has
been filled with a first-tour officer. The same general services officer also serves as the facilities
manager, as the previous facilities manager curtailed in September 2010. The scheduled
September 2011 arrival of a new, experienced facilities manager promises some relief, but the
management section still faces some challenges as the management officer, the general services
officer, and the new consulate compound move coordinator will depart in spring 2011. With the
move to the new consulate compound now scheduled for September 2011, the consulate general
will need to rely on temporary duty support from New Delhi to provide continuity of leadership.
Consulate General Chennai
The management section of Consulate General Chennai achieved very high scores on the
recently released 2011 ICASS customer satisfaction survey, exceeding bureau and worldwide
averages in 25 of 29 categories and scoring very close to the averages in the remaining four
categories. The management officer, the two general services officers, and the professional
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SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
(5)