Inspection of USAID/South Sudan’s ICASS Service Provision in Juba

Inspection
Report Number
E-668-23-002-M

Why We Did This Inspection

  • In Juba, South Sudan, USAID serves as an Alternate Service Provider of the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services (ICASS) system. ICASS allows the U.S. government to provide and share the cost of common administrative support services among its overseas posts.
  • USAID’s Mission in South Sudan (USAID/South Sudan) provides about half of the ICASS services in Juba while the State Department typically serves as the primary ICASS service provider at all other posts worldwide.
  • In 2021, Embassy Juba and USAID/South Sudan expressed concerns about how ICASS services were provided at post. These issues included questions about the division of roles between USAID and the State Department as well as management and human resource challenges. Both entities asked the USAID and State Department OIGs to conduct a joint inspection.
  • We conducted this inspection to determine whether USAID/South Sudan has met requirements of applicable laws and regulations for its role as an Alternate Service Provider.

What We Found

  • The mission lacked clear coordination and communication of duties for ICASS service provision. Instead, USAID and State Department personnel relied on personal relationships to determine who was responsible for their shared duties.
  • USAID/South Sudan encountered a broad range of management challenges at the strategic, operational, and functional levels. The mission also faced human resource challenges related to understaffing, ineffective transition and orientation processes, and training provided to Foreign Service Nationals.

Why It Matters

  • USAID/South Sudan will continue providing services for Embassy Juba until embassy functions transition from the existing location to a new embassy compound. Thus, the mission must ensure that its Executive Office receives sufficient support to provide these services.
  • We made 11 recommendations to improve USAID/South Sudan’s management of ICASS services in Juba, South Sudan.

 

 

E-668-23-002-M.pdf2.19 MB

Recommendations

Recommendation
1

We recommend that USAID/South Sudan, Bureau for Management's Overseas Management Division, and Bureau for Africa's Office of Sudan and South Sudan Programs take the following actions:
Recommendation 1: We recommend the Executive Office, in coordination with Embassy Juba, develop and implement a plan for the communication and coordination of responsibilities on International Cooperative Administrative Support Services provision.

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Recommendation
2

We recommend USAID/South Sudan, in coordination with the Bureau for Africa's Office of Sudan and South Sudan Programs and the Bureau for Management's Overseas Management Division, develop and implement a plan to institutionalize activities to improve coordination and communication between USAID and the State Department at post.

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Recommendation
3

We recommend USAID/South Sudan institutionalize a plan for updating the Master Plan Report to ensure that planned activities are realized and that emergent needs are incorporated into the overall strategic plan.

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Recommendation
4

We recommend USAID/South Sudan identify gaps in standard operating procedures across functional areas and develop and implement standard operating procedures to fill identified gaps.

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Recommendation
5

We recommend USAID/South Sudan, in coordination with the Bureau for Management's Overseas Management Division and other relevant offices, as appropriate, issue clear guidance on procedures for storing documents.

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Recommendation
6

We recommend USAID/South Sudan develop a routine schedule for reviewing training records and ensure all chauffeurs and incidental drivers maintain valid certifications for State Department-certified safe-driver training and State Department-approved armored vehicle training.

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Recommendation
7

We recommend USAID/South Sudan update its motor vehicle policy with the 12-hour overnight shift in alignment with 14 FAM 433.8 requirements for shifts greater than 10 hours.
Recommendation

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Recommendation
8

We recommend USAID/South Sudan and the Bureau for Management's Overseas Management Division develop and implement invoicing procedures to ensure TDY personnel are invoiced consistent with the TDY policy.

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Recommendation
9

We recommend USAID/South Sudan develop and implement a plan to fill approved warehouse positions and properly train staff to fulfill their roles.

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Recommendation
10

We recommend USAID/South Sudan develop and implement procedures to formalize the orientation and transition process for USDHs and contractors.

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Recommendation
11

We recommend the Bureau for Management's Overseas Management Division work directly with the State Department to identify which trainings would best serve Foreign Service National staff working with State Department systems and develop procedures to enroll Foreign Service National staff in those trainings on a regular basis.

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