U S Government Accountability Office

Overseas rightsizing U S Government Accountability Office

" After the 1998 bombings of two U. S. embassies, a U. S. government panel determined that staffing levels had not been adjusted to reflect changing missions, requirements, and security concerns. In 2004, Congress mandated the establishment of the Office of Rightsizing within the Department of State. The office reviews levels of overseas staffing for all U. S. government agencies at every post every 5 years, projects future staffing levels it determines are appropriate to meet mission needs, and recommends ways to improve efficiency. Rightsizing is intended to align the number and location of staff with foreign policy priorities, security, and other constraints. GAO examined (1) the consistency of State's approach to conducting rightsizing reviews and how its projections compare to actual staffing levels; (2) the focus of State's rightsizing recommendations; and (3) the extent to which State uses its rightsizing reviews and monitors implementation of recommendations. GAO reviewed 181 rightsizing reviews, compared projections in reviews with current actual staffing data, and interviewed officials from State and other agencies in Washington, D. C., and at overseas posts. "