Embassy Hanoi and Consulate General Ho Chi Minh - OIG - US ...

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
Strong reporting and operational support from Ho Chi Minh City enhanced and
supplemented the work of Hanoi’s economic and political sections. The consul
general and his deputy backed up the consulate general’s hard-pressed, one-officer
political section, which was well mentored, as was the economic section. The
consul general gives officers in the Ho Chi Minh City consular section the opportunity
to rotate into the political section for brief periods, which they generally
welcome. The two-officer economic section has by Washington testimony done
some of the best reporting mission-wide on state-owned enterprises, industrial
sectors, and minority economic development. The principal officer and his deputy
need to contribute more reporting themselves.
Both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have done an excellent job of tracking and
pushing Vietnam’s implementation of the U.S.-Vietnamese bilateral trade agreement
and encouraging Vietnam’s adherence to standards for entrance into the
World Trade Organization. Both posts need to persevere more in pursuit of information
on internal political developments and should invigorate the biographic
reporting program.
The exacting Ambassador may need to strengthen the frequency and degree of
his positive reinforcement, if it is to match the excellent performance of the
reporting officers and morale is to be maintained. Another adverse morale factor is
the uneven nature of feedback from the Department. The posts cannot function at
top efficiency unless they are getting reaction, good or bad. They also need policy
guidance and timely advice on possible changes in emphasis if they are to stay
abreast of thinking on sensitive subjects.
LANGUAGE TRAINING
The inadequacy of the Department’s Vietnamese language training program
affects the mission’s ability to function optimally. Dissatisfaction with language
training before arrival in country is widespread at both posts. Most officers deem a
proficiency rating of 3-3 by the Foreign Service Institute overly generous, and the
acquired language seems to have a relatively short shelf life in Vietnam itself.
Employees say the language as taught at the institute is rendered less useful for
countrywide purposes because of the accent and linguistic peculiarities of the
instructors, many of whom migrated exclusively from South Vietnam some time
ago. A recent visit by the new Asian language director reassured the posts that
overdue corrective steps may be underway.
16 . OIG Report No. ISP-I-05-28A, Inspection of Embassy Hanoi and CG Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 2005
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED