A proposed multibillion-dollar program could speed up embassy
construction and reduce staffing levels overseas, but the
agencies that would share the costs have “expressed concern”
over its implementation, the Government Accountability
Office has said.
It said State’s bureau of overseas buildings operations
would manage the program, that if enacted, would mean 30
agencies would pay $17.5 billion to build 150 new
high-security embassies by 2018, beginning in 2005.
The administration’s proposed Capital Security Cost-Sharing
Program could save $1.4 billion each year from fiscal
2009 through 2018, with State paying about $920 million
and other agencies paying $480 million.
GAO did not make any recommendations, but said the
program has the potential to result in funds to speed up
embassy construction, “encourage agency rightsizing”
overseas, and add discipline to staffing projections.
Some non-State agencies object to fees based on personnel
“head-counts,” saying the bill arising out of that
formula would harm their overseas missions — and have
asked for “interagency mechanisms” to work through
implementation issues, according to GAO-05-32.
It said State is concerned with imprecise staffing
projections what would result in agencies building too
much office space and said without cost-sharing
employees are at greater risk.