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

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SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED liquor from an importer based in Dubai, with a 30 percent mark-up on the goods and shipping. The OIG team noted that the Chennai American Support Association charter was outdated, just as the charter of the Mumbai association was outdated, and did not conform with the requirements of 6 FAM 551. Informal Recommendation 34: Embassy New Delhi should direct the Chennai American Support Association and the Mumbai American Recreation Association to revise their respective charters to reflect actual services provided and to obtain the signatures of the principal officer or designee and two board members as required by Department of State regulations. According to 6 FAM 531.4, sound business practices should govern employee association operations, but the OIG inspector noted several deficiencies with commissary operations. The Chennai American Support Association commissary did not have an inventory available for OIG review because the computer containing the Quick Books program had crashed, and the accounting and inventory records had not been recovered from the hard drive. The commissary had no point-of-sale register, so it recorded sales manually and issued no receipts. Lack of an automated point-of-sale and accounting system hindered effective management controls by making it difficult to track daily sales and inventory and maintain records. Furthermore, the commissary staff handled cash loosely and kept it in a container that was unsuitable for that purpose. Recommendation 65: Embassy New Delhi should direct the Chennai American Support Association to install a point-of-sale inventory and accounting system in the commissary. (Action: Embassy New Delhi) The Chennai American Support Association board does not conduct spot checks of inventory or review and reconcile bank statements on a monthly basis. Informal Recommendation 35: Embassy New Delhi should direct the Chennai American Support Association at Consulate General Chennai to conduct monthly spot checks and review the reconciliation of the monthly bank statement. The Chennai American Support Association full-time manager orders and receives goods, conducts inventories, collects payments, and performs all administrative duties. The duties of the other part-time employees were not clear except for placing stock on shelves and in storage. Informal Recommendation 36: Embassy New Delhi should direct the Chennai American Support Association to separate the duties of its two employees in the commissary to ensure adequate separation of duties and proper internal controls. Both the MARA and Chennai American Support Association were delinquent in providing the Office of Commissary and Recreation Affairs with semiannual financial reports that were due August 15, 2010. Both associations have been unable to obtain necessary financial statements because there was insufficient information on sales revenue and expenses as well as delays by the accountant. Guidance in 6 FAM 557 requires association management to submit a balance sheet and income statement to the Office of Commissary and Recreation Affairs by 74 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED August 15 for the period January 1 through June 30. Without a balance sheet and income statement, the association has no way of knowing if they are a financially sound organization. Also, management controls are weakened whenever there is a lapse in submission of essential financial reports. Recommendation 66: Embassy New Delhi should direct the Mumbai American Recreation Association and Chennai American Support Association to submit a balance sheet and income statement for the period January 1 through June 30, 2010. (Action: Embassy New Delhi) Consulate General Hyderabad Consulate General Hyderabad has no formal or Department-sanctioned American employee recreational association, and there has been no community liaison office to arrange leisure activities for consulate staff and families. In the absence of structured programs, an informal group of consular officers formed to arrange social activities for themselves and the consulate community. They have raised funds for some of these activities, however, which suggests that the initial informal group has evolved to a more formal organization. In the interest of accountability and adherence to Department policies, the informal group should be converted into an employee association that is recognized and regulated by the Office of Commissary and Recreation Affairs. Recommendation 67: Embassy New Delhi, in coordination with the the Bureau of Administration, should establish a formal American employees association at Consulate General Hyderabad that could offer recreational and social activities in compliance with Department of State policies and regulations. (Action: Embassy New Delhi, in coordination with A) Community Liaison Office The community liaison officer (CLO) coordinators and their assistants strive to serve the diverse demographic groups that comprise the mission. For instance, the large number of ELOs means that CLO coordinators must be sensitive to the needs of first-tour employees of all ages, including some who have never before worked overseas and others who joined the Department for second careers. The CLO coordinators at each post work to ensure there are activities that appeal to all groups. The DCM and consuls general at each post support and participate in CLO activities. Consulates General Kolkata and Hyderabad gained approval for new CLO coordinator positions this year; until recently, they were the only consulates general without U.S. familymember CLO coordinators. CLO activities and outreach at Consulates General Mumbai and Chennai received high scores on the OIG questionnaire and ICASS surveys. In Mumbai, a “Take Your Child to Work Day” program for the children of American and LE staff employees was very successful. For New Delhi, most employees were satisfied with CLO activities; however, the social sponsor and orientation programs received low scores. The CLO assistant reported difficulty in recruiting social sponsors. At a post of more than 400 U.S. direct-hire employees, fewer than 10 responded to a recent call for volunteers. In some cases, sponsors did not show up at the airport to meet newcomers. The communities at the consulates general, which are much smaller and less impersonal, are more cohesive and do not have this problem. 75 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
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