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

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associate human resources assistant arrived in quick succession during fall 2010 but have melded
into an effective team, along with the professional associate general services assistant of longer
tenure. One general services officer serves as the facilities manager because the Government of
India has not approved that new position. Despite the ongoing personnel shortage, the
management team clearly meets customer needs and expectations. It must continue to focus not
only on the transactional level of its operations, but also on higher level management and internal
controls.
Consulate General Kolkata
The management section of Consulate General Kolkata deserves great credit for
maintaining operations during a period of personnel shortages in the key positions of information
management (IM) and general services. The OIG team noted the progress made by the section
since the newly established general services officer position was filled and the 1-year gap in IM
ended. Having focused more on customer satisfaction and achieved success in that area – as the
high scores in both ICASS and OIG surveys reflect – the section is turning its attention to staff
development, process management, and internal controls. The management section now has
sufficient personnel on hand to do so.
Consulate General Hyderabad
Consulate General Hyderabad is a relatively new post, and the management section has
experienced significant growing pains since its 2008 opening in response to an assurance by
President Bush’s March 2006 pledge. It continues to mature, albeit with some difficulties. Under
considerable pressure to establish a management support infrastructure, the Department assigned
a management officer who began setting up an administrative platform, and Embassy New Delhi
provided considerable support, guidance, and resources. The initial emphasis was on providing
basic services to consulate staff, with less focus on establishing standard operating procedures
and management controls. However, lack of staffing hindered the effectiveness of the section.
Many key LE staff positions remained vacant during the first year, and most new hires had no
experience working in a diplomatic mission or with Americans. As a result, the quality of
management support did not meet the needs or expectations of the consulate community.
The management section has increased in both staffing and capabilities during the past 2
years and now provides the full range of support services. The majority of the consulate staff is
still relatively inexperienced, and few have received any formal training. In view of the
importance of training to both internal controls and the quality of management support, formal
training for first-line LE staff in the management section should be a top priority for the
consulate general and the embassy.
Recommendation 40: Embassy New Delhi should establish a list of appropriate and prioritized
training courses for first-line locally employed supervisors in the Consulate General Hyderabad
management section and set up a training schedule. (Action: Embassy New Delhi)
The management officer recognizes the need to regularize administrative operations by
establishing standard operating procedures and enhancing internal controls. However, OIG
survey results indicate that there is still considerable need for improvement in the quality of
support services. The levels of satisfaction for both overall management operations and customer
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