GE - Expanding mission of State's Diplomatic Security Bureau concerns lawmakers, GAO

From my archive of press clippings:

Government Executive

Expanding mission of State's Diplomatic Security Bureau concerns lawmakers, GAO

By Elizabeth Newell enewell@govexec.com

December 9, 2009

Both the Government Accountability Office and lawmakers are concerned about how the State Department's Diplomatic Security Bureau is handling a rapid acceleration of responsibilities during the past decade.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"At a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia on Wednesday, GAO presented the results of a recent audit showing the security service faces significant challenges as a result of the considerable growth in its mission since 1998."

"(T)he bureau's presence in an increasing number of dangerous posts overseas requires additional resources, even though Diplomatic Security's budget has grown almost tenfold during the past 10 years."

"(E)xtra resources have not guaranteed the bureau's readiness, particularly given Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent statement that the number of American civilians in Afghanistan will triple by early next year."

"(M)ost pressing is the second challenge GAO identified -- staffing shortages and challenges such as language deficiencies and experience gaps. According to Voinovich, 53 percent of special agents do not speak or read at the foreign language level their position requires."

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"(T)he bureau must do more to balance the increasing reliance on contractors and properly manage them. Almost 90 percent of Diplomatic Security's workforce needs are met by contractors, and GAO found that some employees are not prepared to manage such a large private sector workforce."

GE - Outsourced State Department visa work criticized by House panel

From my archive of press clippings:

Government Executive

Outsourced State Department visa work criticized by House panel

By Chris Strohm

CongressDaily

June 26, 2008

The State Department came under fire in Congress Wednesday for outsourcing visa processing work in Mexico to a contractor without an open competition.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"It created a program under which Computer Sciences Corp. has been given responsibility to collect visa information and fingerprints of Mexicans applying for new border crossing cards, which serve as an official document for Mexicans to enter the United States."

"The work by Computer Sciences Corp. is being performed under a modification to an existing contract the company has with the State Department, Tony Edson, State's deputy assistant secretary for visas, said at the hearing."

"The department estimates that more than 5.7 million cards will expire between 2008 and 2012, meaning that applications for them will surge."

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"State Department officials must be prepared to handle applications for passports or passport-like cards from U.S. citizens living in Mexico, GAO said.

By law, they will need a passport or passport card to enter the United States by land crossings beginning in June 2009."