    Embassy Construction: Better Long-term Planning Will Enhance Program
    Decision-making (Letter Report, 01/22/2001, GAO/GAO-01-11).

    The State Department has determined that about 80 percent of overseas
    U.S. diplomatic facilities lack adequate security and may be vulnerable
    to terrorist attack. In September 1998, State expanded its capital
    construction program to accelerate replacing its most vulnerable
    embassies and consulates by acquiring sites and preparing plans at 10
    priority locations. This report summarizes (1) the status of the 10
    priority embassy and consulate construction projects, and (2) State's
    plans for the overall construction program. As of November 2000, seven
    projects are in the construction phase. The remaining three projects are
    on hold pending agreement between State and Congress about the
    Department's construction proposals. Although State envisions a
    long-term, multi-billion dollar program and has ranked more than 180
    facilities it may need to replace, it has not prepared a long-term
    capital construction plan that identifies (1) proposed construction
    project's cost estimates and schedules, and (2) estimated annual funding
    requirements for the overall program.

    --------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

     REPORTNUM:  GAO-01-11
         TITLE:  Embassy Construction: Better Long-term Planning Will
    	     Enhance Program Decision-making
          DATE:  01/22/2001
       SUBJECT:  Construction costs
    	     Government facility construction
    	     Strategic planning
    	     Embassies
    	     Future budget projections
    	     Facility security
    	     Terrorism
    IDENTIFIER:  Kampala (Uganda)
    	     Doha (Qatar)
    	     Tunis (Tunisia)
    	     Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)
    	     Nairobi (Kenya)
    	     Istanbul (Turkey)
    	     Zagreb (Croatia)
    	     Sao Paulo (Brazil)
    	     Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
    	     Luanda (Angola)