United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-08-29 monographic deposited born digital 112 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-96-124 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-124 P0b002ee1803873cc f:ns96124 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-124 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-124 NSIAD-96-124 Strategic planning Interagency relations Cost control Federal downsizing Foreign policies Agency missions Budget cuts Property disposal Administrative costs Federal agency reorganization Dept. of State Strategic Management Initiative Belarus Brazil Malaysia Netherlands Paraguay Senegal Western Hemisphere Summit Program on Partnership for Pollution Prevention Dept. of State Foreign Affairs Administrative Services System Dept. of State International Cooperative Administrative Support Services System Dept. of State Family Member Program Chapter Report NSIAD Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of State's reform and cost-cutting efforts and identified options that would enable State to adjust to reduced budgets.<p/>GAO found that: (1) State does not have a comprehensive strategy to restructure and downsize its operations to meet potential funding reductions; (2) State has reduced its staff and implemented some cost reduction measures, but it has been reluctant to reduce its overseas presence or change its business practices to accommodate proposed budget reductions; (3) State believes that substantial downsizing would severely hamper its achievement of U.S. foreign policy goals and irreparably harm U.S. interests; (4) because of expected governmentwide budget constraints and congressional and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposals for even larger decreases in State funding, State is unlikely to receive the level of funding needed to maintain its existing activity level; (5) State could reduce costs by reducing duplication among its bureaus and with outside agencies with which it shares program responsibility, streamlining or eliminating some informational reports, eliminating or consolidating certain personnel positions, recovering some service costs from users, and expanding the authority of chiefs of mission over all U.S. government fiscal and staffing resources at overseas posts; (6) State has the opportunity to significantly reduce costs by reducing the size of overseas posts, which consume about 70 percent of State's budget; and (7) State could reduce support costs, which constitute two-thirds of its budget, by recouping support costs from other agencies, hiring more U.S. family members for overseas positions, adjusting employee benefits and allowances, increasing tour lengths, reducing costs for Marine guards at overseas posts, reducing headquarters support staff, using more foreign nationals in support positions, disposing of unneeded overseas real estate, and reengineering and outsourcing administrative functions. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-124/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-124.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-124/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-124.pdf GAO/NSIAD-96-124 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-124 Chapter Report GAO/NSIAD-96-124; State Department: Options for Addressing Possible Budget Reductions; Strategic planning Interagency relations Cost control Federal downsizing Foreign policies Agency missions Budget cuts Property disposal Administrative costs Federal agency reorganization Dept. of State Strategic Management Initiative Belarus Brazil Malaysia Netherlands Paraguay Senegal Western Hemisphere Summit Program on Partnership for Pollution Prevention Dept. of State Foreign Affairs Administrative Services System Dept. of State International Cooperative Administrative Support Services System Dept. of State Family Member Program