Inspection of Embassy Maputo, Mozambique (ISP-I-03-06)

The Ambassador has a good relationship with the Mozambican government and a positive image among Mozambicans. However, in OIG’s administrative services satisfaction questionnaire, personnel awarded low marks to embassy management for its inattention to morale. Embassy management needs to demonstrate greater effectiveness in dealing with morale issues.

Washington agencies expressed considerable interest in Mozambique’s democracy, the political participants, and prospects for economic reform. Notwithstanding general satisfaction with the reporting, readers in both the Department and other agencies want more analysis on where the embassy sees Mozambique going in the future.

Embassy Maputo has critical space needs. Embassy efforts to occupy office space to be vacated by USAID will alleviate some of these space needs in the short term. The embassy is on the OBO priority list for a new facility in 2006. Replacement of the Maputo chancery was reviewed recently by OBO and was reconfirmed. The Marine house also should be replaced.

The administrative section needed attention. Although systems support was good and budget and fiscal work were performed adequately, human resources and general services (notably maintenance) required front office attention. Communication within the administrative section, and between the section and clients, had been limited. Overall dissatisfaction with administrative services has had a negative effect on embassy morale. Embassy management also needed to focus more systematically on management control requirements. Improvements were needed in controls affecting property management, vehicle disposal, motor pool operations, procurement, cashier operations, financial management operations, and human resources.