U.S. Embassy in Riga Faces Critique from Office of Inspector General

The U.S. Department of State's Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a comprehensive inspection of the executive direction, policy, and program implementation at the U.S. Embassy in Riga, Latvia, revealing several areas of concern and success. The inspection highlighted inconsistent application of the Department of State's leadership and management principles, lack of coordination in public diplomacy, and internal control issues in human resources and financial management. However, the Embassy's Regional Security Office and Facility Management Office showcased notable achievements in enhancing school safety and implementing sustainable landscaping practices.

Key Takeaways:

• The Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission inconsistently modeled the Department of State's leadership and management principles.
• The embassy did not consistently coordinate its public diplomacy program across all sections.
• The American Spaces program lacked proper oversight and coordination.
• The embassy had internal control issues in human resources, financial management, general services, and facility management operations.
• The embassy's information management and information security operations did not fully comply with Department standards.
• The Embassy's Regional Security Office established the International School Security Working Group to enhance school safety.
• The Embassy's Facility Management Office instituted a sustainable landscaping design and maintenance program.

Statistics:

• OIG made 17 recommendations to the embassy.
• The embassy concurred with all 17 recommendations.
• The embassy's response to each recommendation and OIG's reply can be found in the Recommendations section.
• The embassy's formal response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.

Sources:

• U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General (OIG) Report