What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the executive direction, policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Lilongwe.?

What OIG Recommends
OIG made 24 recommendations to Embassy Lilongwe. In its comments on the draft report, Embassy Lilongwe concurred with all 24 recommendations. OIG considers all 24 recommendations resolved. The embassy?s response to each recommendation, and OIG?s reply, can be found in the Recommendations section of this report. The embassy?s formal response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.

What OIG Found

• Since 2020, the Department has categorized Embassy Lilongwe as a historically difficult staff post. Despite incentives and allowances, one of the embassy?s greatest challenges is attracting bidders to fill its Foreign Service positions, particularly mid-level positions.
• The Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission generally modeled the Department of State?s leadership and management principles.
• Embassy Lilongwe had consular internal control deficiencies related to its facilities, cashier operations, crisis preparedness, fraud prevention, nonimmigrant visa policy, and the panel physician program.
• The embassy had several deficiencies in its management of federal foreign assistance, including the lack of a comprehensive foreign assistance and coordination mechanism and standard operating procedures.
• Embassy Lilongwe had multiple internal control issues in its facility management, general services, and human resources operations.
• The embassy had information management internal control deficiencies related to satellite phones, records management, information systems security officer duties, and physical infrastructure.