Inspection of Embassy Nassau, Bahamas (ISP-I-02-01)

Reflecting U.S. interests in The Bahamas, the embassy’s MPP emphasizes counternarcotics, border security, and law enforcement issues. Virtually all federal agencies, dealing with these issues, are accredited to The Bahamas. The embassy’s chargé effectively coordinates the efforts of these agencies.

The mission’s efforts are directed to strengthening already good bilateral relations with the current Bahamian government. The embassy worked closely with the Bahamian government in changing its financial controls and monitoring of money laundering, which subsequently permitted the G-7 to remove The Bahamas from the list of non-cooperating countries. Consular services in Nassau are important, with three million Americans visiting The Bahamas annually. The consular section is well managed.

Morale at the embassy is low in large part because some staff believe that administrative services are not customer service-oriented and that, as a result, services are unevenly or unfairly distributed. In addition, the fact that the embassy is located in three different facilities makes achieving a sense of community a challenge.