2003 Year in Review

 Highlights:

• Completed the major undertaking of transferring accounting data for 109 embassies from a home-grown WIN/DATEL and conversion to the new overseas Regional Financial Management System (RFMS) to be serviced by Comptroller Global Finance Services (CGFS) in Charleston, SC and the Financial Service Center (FSC) in Bangkok.. Many hours of conference calls with individual embassy financial management staff were required to not only effect the transfer of data to RFMS but to train local staff in the new system and tracking individual post progress in making the initial countdown to conversion with data and transaction cleanup the weekend of March 29th followed by others May 3rd, 31st and June 28th and final wrap up August 2nd.

• Closed FSC operations in Paris and moved to Charleston for an assignment at the Comptroller Global Finance Services (CGFS) center on the old Naval Base.  Paris was the second finance center to move to Charleston after Mexico in 1995 to provide accounting, disbursing, payroll and systems support for our embassies overseas not only in the Americas but also then Europe and Africa.   

• Thanks to our Director, Rob McAnneny, 16 senior Foreign Service National (FSN) employees, including Accountants, Cashier Monitors, FSN Payroll and Systems staff were retained and established the Financial Support and Training Office (FSTO) office.   

• In late January we were visited by CFO Chris Burnham (January 2002-February 2005).  Actually his title was the Assistant Secretary of Resource Management who did a walk through of our facility.   Chris was previously a three-term member of the Connecticut House of Representatives.  After the Department he went on to be an executive with Deutsch Bank.

• The Managing Director of RM/Financial Management Systems, Alan Evans, visited us May 8-9 and I accompanied him to the embassy where he could see first hand how RFMS was working with initial input of payment vouchers and accounting.   Alan an I came into FMP, RM (then CGFS) about the same time and stayed in touch on systems issues.  I participated with Alan on the review of the proposals for the new travel management system that ended up being awarded to Carlson Wagon-Lit Travel and the implementation of E2 Solutions program for official travel authorization and voucher claims..  

• The new associate Comptroller to DAS Jim Millette, Charlie Grover, visited us July 7 for consultations.  Charlie came from London where he was FMO and before that Brazil.   His last tour was as the U.S. Olympic Coordinator in Rio de Janeiro.  Following retirement he went to work for the Organization of American States as the Secretary for Administration and Finance.   We still stay in touch and has a house here on James Island.  

• September 20-24 I was in Washington D.C. according to my Day Timer calendar but don't recall the reason. 

 

Favorite Memories:

• I loved my apartment in the 17th arrondissement on Avenue Colonel Carnot just down from the Arc de Triomphe but not as much as when I lived in the 16th, but I did get used to the market on Rue Poncelet.

• Celebrated my 60th birthday with cousin Bob Porter who was visiting Paris at the time.  Had an excellent dinner of leg of lamb at Restaurant George.

• Annual leave April 11-21, 2003 to visit family.

• Jeffrey stayed for a couple of months with me in the summer and worked with the Public Affairs office.  Fond memories of cooking dinners and rotating meals between pasta, chicken and fish.  My wife and Patrick visited August 8-18

• Continued excursions outside Paris on my bike on the weekends.

• Playing tennis with Laurent Potash at the tennis club in the 16th.  Laurent had his own Land Rover dealership from his father and then went to work for Cartier. 

• Travelled to Washington D.C. April 10-21 to visit family. 

• Diana Krall live in Paris at the Olympia.

• The French Open at Roland Garros had Justin Henin defeating Kim Clijsters after defeating Serena Williams in the semi final.  

• Jim and Judith Paravonian wedding June 22, 2003 on board one of the tourist boats along the Seine.  

• July 5 saw Wayne Shorter and his band at the Paris Jazz Festival at Parc Floral at Bois de Vincennes

• July 9th we were invited to the Ambassador's residence for a reception.  Howard Leech was the Ambassador from 2001-05.  Originally from Salinas, California, he was a major shareholder in Tejon Ranch Company, invested in Royal Packing Company and President of Foley Timber and Land Company.  According to Wikipedia he refused to learn a word of French.  I did have an exit briefing with him October 10th.    

• July 12 saw Jazz Diva Diane Reeves at the Paris Jazz Festival at Parc Floral at Bois de Vincennes

• Friday, July 18 we had TGIF with the Brits at the Embassy.

• August 23 Catherine Berriane singing "Songs of Love" at the Theater de la Vieille Grillesaw Wayne Shorter and his band at the Paris Jazz Festival at Parc Vincennes

• September 11 saw the Archie Shepp Quartet with special guest Mina Agossi at New Morning jazz club.

• Ordered my 2004 Ford Mustang through Diplomatic Auto Sales at the SHAPE headquarters base in Belgium.  Special order including five speed transmission and custom leather interior and upgraded sound (40th Anniversary model). Scheduled delivery from factory to Charleston.

• September 28 attended a Petula Clark concert at the Olympia concert hall.

• Departed Paris October 21, 2003 to Charleston and had my first staff meeting October 31st.  I received a Superior Honor Award from the Comptroller for my work on the RFMS conversion.

Superior Honor Award 

• Purchase of Townhouse on Daniel Island (DI) and delivery of household effects November 19 followed by installation of window coverings by Blinds Plus.

• Joined the Family Circle Tennis Center on DI and started playing tennis after work and even joined a team the "Viagra Boys". 

   U.S. Events               

·         Bush signs ten-year, $350-billion tax cut package, the third-largest tax cut in U.S. history (May 28).

·         In California Governor Gray Davis ousted in recall vote; actor Arnold Schwarzenegger elected in his place (Oct. 7).

·         Space shuttle Columbia explodes, killing all 7 astronauts (Feb. 1).

·       One of the most important rulings on the issue of affirmative action in twenty-five years-the Supreme Court decisively upholds the right of affirmative action in higher education (June 23).

·        Investigation into the loss of space shuttle Columbia cites egregious organizational problems at NASA (Aug. 25).

·         Congressional Budget Office predicts federal deficit of $480 billion in 2004 and $5.8 trillion by 2013 (Aug. 26).

·         President Bush signs $87.5 billion emergency package for post-war Iraq reconstruction; this supplements $79 billion approved in April. (Nov. 5).

·         John A. Muhammad, convicted in the 2002 Washington, DC, area shootings, receives death sentence (Nov. 24).

·         President Bush eliminates steel tariffs after WTO says U.S. violated trade laws (Dec. 4).

World Events

·       U.S. Secretary of State Powell presents Iraq war rationale to UN, citing its WMD as imminent threat to world security (Feb. 5).

·         In State of the Union address, Bush announces that he is ready to attack Iraq even without a UN mandate (Jan. 28). (For an account of the U.S. build-up to war in Iraq, see News of the Nation, 2003.)

·         U.S. and Britain launch war against Iraq (March 19). See also Iraq war timeline.

·         The Bush administration reverses policy, agreeing to transfer power to an interim Iraqi government in early 2004 (Nov. 14).

·         North Korea withdraws from treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons (Jan. 10).

·         After Israel retaliates for suicide bombing by killing top member of Hamas, militant Palestinian groups formally withdraw from cease-fire in effect since June 29 (Aug. 24).

·         Palestinian suicide bombing in Jerusalem kills 20 Israelis, including 6 children (Aug. 19).

·         Suicide bombing destroys UN headquarters in Baghdad, killing 24, including top envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello (Aug. 19).

·         Libya accepts blame for 1988 bombing of flight over Lockerbie, Scotland; agrees to pay $2.7 billion to the families of the 270 victims (Aug. 15).

·         NATO assumes control of peacekeeping force in Afghanistan (Aug. 11). Background

·         Liberia's autocratic president Charles Taylor forced to leave civil-war ravaged country (Aug. 11). Background

·         Palestinian militant groups announce ceasefire toward Israel (June 29).

·         International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) discovers Iran's concealed nuclear activities and calls for intensified inspections (June 18).

·         Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi again placed under house arrest by military regime (May 30).

·         Terrorists strike in Saudi Arabia, killing 34 at Western compound; Al-Qaeda suspected (May 12).

·         The U.S. declares official end to combat operations in Iraq (May 1).

·         U.S.-backed "road map" for peace proposed for Middle East (April 30). Background

·         First Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, sworn in (April 29).

·         Baghdad falls to U.S. troops (April 9).

·         Nine-week general strike in Venezuela calling for President Chavez's resignation ends in defeat (Feb. 2).

·         Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi announces he will give up weapons program (Dec. 19).

·         Saddam Hussein is captured by American troops (Dec. 13).

·         Paul Martin succeeds Jean Chretien as Canadian prime minister (Dec. 12).

·         Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze resigns after weeks of protests (Nov. 23).

·         Another terrorist attack in Istanbul kills 26 (Nov. 20). Al-Qaeda suspected in both. See suspected al-Qaeda terrorist attacks.

·         Suicide bombers attack two synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey, killing 25 (Nov. 15).

·         Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas resigns; "road map" to peace effectively collapses (Sept. 6). Background

·         Ariel Sharon elected Israeli prime minister (Jan. 29).

 Movies:

" Chicago" won the Oscar for best picture at the 75h Academy Awards.   Adrian Brody won lead actor award for "The Pianist”, and the lead actress Oscar went to Nicole Kidman "The Hours".  Catherine Zetta-Jones,  "Chicago" and Chris Cooper, "Adaptation" won for supporting actress and supporting actor.  Directing Roman Polanski, "The Pianist".

Super Bowl:

Super Bowl 37 pitted the Oakland Raiders against Tampa Bay Buccaneers.   The Buccaneers defeated the Raiders by the score of 48–21.  This was the first Super Bowl in which the league's number one-ranked offense (Raiders) faced the league's number one-ranked defense (Buccaneers). The game sometimes is referred to as the "Gruden Bowl", because the primary storyline surrounding the game revolved around Jon Gruden. Gruden was the Raiders' head coach from 1998 to 2001, and as a result of a trade then became the Buccaneers head coach in 2002. Tampa Bay, "Gruden's new team", made their first Super Bowl appearance in team history after posting a 12–4 regular season record. Oakland, "Gruden's old team", advanced to their fifth Super Bowl after an 11–5 regular season. The Raiders came into the game as four-point favorites. However, the Tampa Bay defense dominated the contest. Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon threw a Super Bowl record five interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. The Buccaneers also sacked Gannon five times, and scored 34 consecutive points to build a 34–3 lead late in the third quarter. Tampa Bay safety Dexter Jackson, who had two of those interceptions and returned them for 34 yards, was named Super Bowl MVP. Jackson became only the second safety and third defensive back named Super Bowl MVP.

World Series:

The 2003 World Series was between the National League champion Florida Marlins and the American League champion New York Yankees; the Marlins upset the heavily-favored Yankees, four games to two. The series was played from October 18 to 25, 2003. This is the most recent Series in which the losing team outscored the winning team; the Yankees lost, despite outscoring the Marlins 21–17 in the Series. This was the Marlins' second World Series championship win, having won their first in 1997. As of 2019, this is the last time the Marlins have appeared not only in the World Series, but in the postseason at all.  Josh Beckett was the series MVP who retired after.

Street Market Rue Poncelet in the 17th 

FSC Paris Staff Hollaween Party 

Justine Henin beat Martina Hingis in the final after defeating
 Serena Williams in the Semis at Roland Garros 

Diana Krall live in Paris at the Olympia

2002 Year in Review

Highlights:

• Winter OIG Inspections in Angola, Luanda; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; and          Windhoek, Namibia 
• Consultations at FSC/Paris in route to posts January 31-February 4, 2002.
• In Kinshasa excursion to Lac de ma Valee equatorial forest and Lola Bonobo sanctuary. 

• In Namibia visited Etosha game park, Kenpinski Mokuti lodge    Variety of animals including Springbok, Impala, Wildebeast, Oryk, Jackals, Antelope, and Black Rhino 

• Trip to Swaakopmund, on the Skeleton coast
• Sand dunes at Sossusvlei in the Namib desert (See Namibia photos in separate Blog)
• View the site for filming of Angelina Jolie movie “Beyond Borders”.
• Visit to Capetown, South Africa, Waterfront,  Panama Jacks Restaurant, Cape of Good Hope, Penguins and Stellanbosch Winery  (See photos in separate Blog)

• Spring OIG Inspections in Slovenia and Croatia
• Consultations at FSC/Paris May 15-17, 2002.
• Embassy in Ljubljana and the quaint town
• Side trips to Lake Bled,  Ljubljana Castle and train trip to Trieste in Italy and visit to Miramare Castle.(see separate blog)
• In Zagreb the capital of  Croatia visited the Cathedral, central market and took a bus out to Plitvice National Park, a UNESCO site.  

• Fall inspection of WHA/EX Bureau

• Attended Leadership and Management training at FSI August 19-23.

• OIG wanted me to stay on and extend for another year and even had me scheduled to go to Australia if I stayed.  However, Jim Millette, my former colleague back in the days of M/COMP,  and now the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) at Comptroller Global Financial Services (CGFS) in Charleston wanted me to go to Paris and help with closing to coordinate the transfer of the new Regional Financial Management System (RFMS) and assist in the closeout of the WIN/DATEL system and drawdown of staff.      

• After one week of training at FSC/Charleston October 15-18, I transferred to FSC/Paris.  My job was RFMS Coordinator and I had taken over from Bill Chiplis who really set in motion the whole process.  I met with Bill before going out to Paris.  Bill retired to Southern California.   

• The conversion to RFMS was a major undertaking and a significant achievement.  Heretofore, there were two legacy financial systems for processing payments and accounting overseas.  About 60% were serviced by FSC/Bangkok under a system called LAN/SPFMS and the other in Paris with WIN/DATEL, and needles to say they talked to each other.  Until finally RFMS came along to integrate the financial systems into one.  Converting posts was a major undertaking, not only for the change in systems, but some posts (e.g. former Soviet Union) ended up transferring  servicing from Paris to Bangkok.   CGFS/CHS set up the calendar for conversions month-to-month and a checklist to follow for each post conversion.  We had a schedule for virtual contact with each post FMO and staff and FSC/Charleston to execute the conversion to RFMS.  The whole process lasted  into the beginning of 2003 with the final countdown to conversion.  RFMS was the product of Computer-generated Imagery (CGI) Momentum that still operates and supports the program today.    

Favorite Memories:

• After leaving Zagreb and transiting through Paris I connected to a flight to Corsica to meet up with my former colleague from RAMC/Paris, Alain Bouguan, and visit the island.  

• A favorite pastime during each inspection was the first  priority to find a laundry and dry cleaners.  One inspector usually found the most convenient and reasonable laundry to use as opposed to using the hotel. Another activity was visiting the Marine House, usually on Friday nights for beers and to socialize with the Marines and guests.  Lastly, buying gifts.  In addition to MSG polos and t-shirts local crafts or jewelry were always a a good buy.

• My calendar on September 13 noted Virginia Tech which, if I remember correctly, Jeffrey and I visited as he was considering going there for college which he did end of doing.          

• Back in Paris I had many memorable bike rides on the weekends.  The route along the Canal St-Martin is one section of a 130-kilometre canal network (including Canals St-Denis and Ourcq) that Napoleon built in the early 1800s to provide Paris with drinking water.  

• Tennis with Laurent Potash at the hard courts near Porte Dauphne.

• Watching NFL football at the British pub in the 6th, The Frog and the Princess, on Sunday evenings.  Watching British soccer at the Bowler in the 8th and favorite team Arsenal.    

• In the the Foreign Service, with staff rotating from embassy to embassy around every three years you meet a lot of other officers and run into the same people from time-to-time.  Paris was no exception.  I have stayed in touch with all the colleagues I worked with and some I had met from the embassy.   My boss and good friend, Mark Young, took a job with Consular Affairs and was assigned to a Latin American country.  Mark considered a job with OIG but didn't like the idea of having to pay for lodging while in D.C.  He retired and I lost contact but believe he is up in Cape Cod.   I'm sure if he ever gets down to Charleston he will look me up as he is known to do.    Our USDO Richard Boohaker and his wife Tacla (IMO) ended up in Rome and I still talk to Richard on TEAMS from time to time.  Jerry Helmick (IMO) retired and moved out to San Francisco and we try to get together with he and his wife Margarita whenever we are in the Bayt Area.  Jim Paravonian and his wife Judith are in Los Angeles but have lost track.  The Management Counselor at the embassy in Paris was Jim Melville who we had meetings with on the staff drawdown.  Jim ended up as Ambassador to Latvia and retired to Charleston and is at the College of Charleston heading up their School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs.             

    U.S. News:

·        President Bush's first State of the Union address vows to expand the fight on terrorism and labels Iran, Iraq, and North Korea "an axis of evil" (Jan. 29).

·         Kenneth L. Lay, chairman of bankrupt energy trader Enron, resigns; company under federal investigation for hiding debt and misrepresenting earnings (Jan. 24). Background: 2002 News of the Nation

·         U.S. withdraws from International Court treaty (May 6).

·         FBI lawyer Coleen Rowley criticizes FBI for thwarting terrorist efforts in a letter to the FBI director (May 21).

·         U.S. abandons 31-year-old Antiballistic Missile treaty (June 13). Background: 2001 News of the Nation

·        Bush announces change in Middle East policy: U.S. will not recognize an independent Palestinian state until Yasir Arafat is replaced (June 24).

·        Bush signs corporate reform bill (July 30) in response to a spate of corporate scandals: Enron, Arthur Andersen, Tyco, Qwest, Global Crossing, ImClone, and Adelphia, among others, were convicted or placed under federal investigation for various misadventures in fraud and crooked accounting. Background: 2002 News of the Nation

·         Pennsylvania miners rescued after spending 77 hours in a dark, flooded mine shaft (July 28).

·         Bush addresses United Nations, calling for a "regime change" in Iraq (Sept. 12).

·         Bush signs legislation creating cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security (Nov. 25).

·         Boston archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law resigns as a result of the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandals and cover-up of priest-child molestation. (Dec. 13). Background: 2002 News of the Nation

·         Republicans retake the Senate in midterm elections; gain additional House seats (Nov. 5). Background: 2002 News of the Nation

·         Snipers prey upon DC suburbs, killing ten and wounding others (Oct. 2–24). Police arrest two sniper suspects, John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo (Oct. 24).

World News:

·        Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan government sign a cease-fire agreement, ending 19 years of civil war (Feb. 22). Background: World in Review

·         India's worst Hindu-Muslim violence in a decade rocked the state of Gujarat after a Muslim mob fire-bombed a train, killing Hindu activists. Hindus retaliated, and more than 1,000 died in the bloodshed (Feb. 27 et seq.). Background: World in Review

·         U.S. and Afghan troops launch Operation Anaconda against remaining al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan (March 2). Background: Taliban Timeline and Afghanistan

·         International Criminal Court wins UN ratification; U.S. refuses to ratify (April 11).

·         Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez ousted in coup, then reinstated (April 12, 14).

·         U.S. and Russia reach landmark arms agreement to cut both countries' nuclear arsenals by up to two-thirds over the next 10 years (May 13).

·         East Timor becomes a new nation (May 20).

·         Terrorist bomb in Bali kills hundreds (Oct. 12).

·         Government suspended in Northern Ireland in protest of suspected IRA spy ring (Oct. 14).

·         North Korea admits to developing nuclear arms in defiance of treaty (Oct. 16).

·         Chechen rebels take 763 hostages in Moscow theater (Oct. 23). Russian authorities release a gas into theater, killing 116 hostages and freeing remainder (Oct. 26). Background: Chechnya Timeline

·         China's Jiang Zemin officially retires as general secretary; Hu Jintao named as his successor (Nov. 14).

·         UN Security Council passes unanimous resolution calling on Iraq to disarm or else face "serious consequences." (Nov. 8).

·         UN arms inspectors return to Iraq (Nov. 18).

·         Israeli tanks and warplanes attack West Bank towns of Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem, and others in response to string of Palestinian suicide attacks (March 29–April 21). In the first three months of 2002, 14 suicide bombers kill dozens of Israeli civilians, and wounded hundreds. Background: World in Review

·         Former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic’s trial on charges of crimes against humanity opens at The Hague (Feb. 12).

Movies:

The 74th Academy Awards ceremony was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg hosted for the fourth time.  A Beautiful Mind won four awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Ron Howard.  Denzel Washington won best actor for “Training Day”.  Halle Berry won best actress for “Monster’s Ball”.  Jennifer Connelly in “A Beautiful Mind” and Jim Broadbent in “Iris” won best supporting actress and actor respectively. 

Super Bowl:

 Super Bowl 36 was between the St. Louis Rams and New England   Patriots.  The Patriots defeated the Rams by the score of 20–17. It was   New England's first Super Bowl championship, and the franchise's first   league championship of any kind. The game was also notable for snapping   the AFC East's long streak of not being able to win a Super Bowl   championship, as the division's teams had lost eight Super Bowls in total.   It would be the last time the Rams reached a Super Bowl during their time   in St. Louis; the team would return to Super Bowl LIII in 2019 as the Los   Angeles Rams 17 years later, where they would again face the Patriots,   only to lose 13–3.  Tom Brady was MVP.

World Series:

The Anaheim Angels defeated the San Francisco Giants, four games to three, to win their first, and, to date, only World Series.  In Game 6, the Giants looked to be on their way to winning the World Series with a five-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, keyed by homers from Shawon Dunston and Barry Bonds, only to see the Angels make a memorable rally. Scott Spiezio got the Angels back into the game with a three-run homer off Felix Rodriguez in the seventh. In the eighth inning, Darin Erstad led off with a home run off Tim Worrell to get the Angels within one run. World Series MVP Troy Glaus gave the Angels the lead with a two-run double off closer Robb Nen to complete the unlikely comeback. 

The Angels turned to rookie John Lackey in the deciding Game 7 at home and he delivered by allowing one run over five innings. The lone run he gave up came in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Reggie Sanders. The Angels tied it in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double from Bengie Molina off Livan Hernandez.  Garret Anderson provided the big hit in the third inning -- a three-run double off Hernandez to give the Angels a 4-1 lead. After Lackey departed, rookie Brendan Donnelly threw two scoreless innings, fellow rookie Francisco Rodríguez threw a scoreless eighth with three strikeouts and Percival closed it out in the ninth.  

Zagreb, Croatia

Overview:

Croatia's declaration of independence in 1991 was followed by four years of war and the best part of a decade of authoritarian nationalism under President Franjo Tudjman.  By early 2003 it had made enough progress in shaking off the legacy of those years to apply for EU membership, becoming the second former Yugoslav republic after Slovenia to do so.  Following protracted accession talks, Croatia took its place as the 28th member state of the EU on 1 July 2013.  A country of striking natural beauty with a stunning Adriatic coastline, Croatia is again very popular as a tourist destination. Moderate conservative Kolinda Grabar-Kiratovic was elected Croatia's first female president in January 2015, narrowly beating Social Democrat incumbent Ivo Josipovic in a run-off vote.  She pledged to kick-start the country's ailing economy.  She had previously served as foreign minister, ambassador to the United States and NATO assistant secretary-general.  The role of president is largely ceremonial. The president proposes the Prime Minister but it is for parliament to approve the nomination. 

Source:  BBC Country Profile

American Embassy Zagreb:

Embassy Zagreb is a midsized mission involving 11 agencies.   The DCM was Patrick Moon who went on to become Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina.  In the final exit briefing, where the final field draft of the OIG report is reviewed with normally the Ambassador and DCM, and on occasion the entire senior staff, the DCM took exception to some language I had written about representation, which, if I recall correctly, I omitted or changed.  The Management Officer was Dorothy Sarro very capable administrator. I had an interesting exchange with Dorothy regarding our team arrival coinciding high-level visitors the same week.  She wanted to make sure that Marshall was invited to the Charge’s for dinner with the visiting Assistant Secretary for EUR, Beth Jones and General Charles Williams the head of the Office of Overseas Buildings (OBO).  Lt. General Williams had a distinguished military career as the head of the Army Corps of Engineers and spent seven years heading up OBO.   Norman Thatcher Scharpf held the combined FMO/HRO position, which was strange to me depending on the background and expertise of the individual.  My first exposure to such a position   I did stop at FSC/Paris in route to post for consultations and hooked up with my former colleague Don Simmons, USDO. 

Findings:

A major project affecting the embassy's future operations is the ongoing construction of a new New Embassy Compound (NEC) due to be completed in 2003. Planning for that move and its implications for overall U.S. operations occupies much of management's attention.   The embassy needed to explore ways to increase the amount of usable warehouse space on the new embassy compound and consolidating USAID office space.  Formal proposals should be vetted with the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations and the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services (ICASS) council. There were examples of unauthorized commitments for the NEC project that needed to be adjudicated and ratified.  Also, OIG found examples of improper certification of vouchers from the contractor.  Both of these issues required internal controls to be established to prevent a reoccurrence.  There was also confusion over who is responsible for the NEC contracting be the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) or embassy General Services Office (GSO) which needed to be clarified.  The NEC was located out in the suburbs, quite a distance from downtown Zagreb and the old embassy.  It was unclear if there was even bus service for local staff.  There was also insufficient parking near the embassy compound for visitors to the consular section and employees.

There were 21 formal and 39 informal recommendations in the OIG report.  There were several problems with General Service Operations (GSO) which required recommendations in the report to be fixed including:  lack of separation of duties in keeping inventory records; the Real Property Application was not kept up to date.  The embassy pays utility costs directly to the city based on an unofficial meter, which is not approved by the city. GSO does not provide the housing questionnaires completed by new employees to the housing board before housing is assigned and there were issues with how housing was allocated. There were no written procedures for processing Blanket Purchasing Agreements and establishing obligations of funding with financial management.  

In terms of financial management services there were examples of inappropriate receipts and expenditures the suspense deposit abroad account that needed to be identified and paid or deposited into the U.S. Treasury.  The embassy should immediately start making U.S. dollar disbursements to U.S. direct-hire personnel via electronic funds transfer not by cash or check as mandated by the Government Performance a Results Act.  The accountable consular officer should submit the Monthly Consular Receipts report to the Management Officer, who should perform a monthly verification. The embassy does not maintain a centralized accounts receivable system for maintaining bills of collections as required by regulations.  There were several informal recommendations to improve internal controls in the area of cashier operations and automating issuing travel authorizations and processing vouchers.

Highlights:

•   Sightseeing in Zagreb and shopping central market

•   Trip to Plitvice National Park with Jim Martino while most of the other team members flew to      Split, on the Dalmatian coast, for the weekend.

Ban Lelacic Square or Republic Square

Early 12th Century Neo Gothic Cathedral of Zagreb

Central "Dolac" Market

 Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia). The Plitvice   Lakes National Park is UNESCO site, and one of the   highlights of Croatia. It is a truly natural wonder that   lies between Zagreb and the Dalmatian Coast, and is   famous for its crystal clear lakes, cascades,   waterfalls,  and pristine nature. At least two days are   necessary to fully explore the park with a camera.

   

 

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Overview:

Slovenia is a small country in Central Europe, but contains within its borders Alpine mountains, thick forests, historic cities, and a short Adriatic coastline.  Slovenia was the first former Yugoslav republic to join the European Union, in May 2004 - shortly after joining Nato.  Unlike Croatia or Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia's independence from Yugoslavia was swiftly won with relatively few deaths. The country also found the transition from a state economy to the free market easier than most.  Long regarded as one of the best-performing new EU members, Slovenia was dragged into a deep recession by the European financial crisis in 2012. This prompted mass protests at corruption and economic mismanagement by successive governments.  Prime minister of a centre-left government between 2008-12, Borut Pahor was was first elected president in December 2012.  He narrowly won re-election in November 2017, beating Marjan Sarec of the new LMS party. 

Source:  BBC Country Profile

American Embassy Ljubljana:

The inspection took place May 20 - 31, 2002.  The team consisted of Marshall P. Adair (team leader). Marshall was an experienced senior POL/ECON FSO who was a Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) in OIG and as a DAS in EUR for Richard Holbrooke.  He served as the president of AFSA.   Frances R. Culpepper (Deputy); Kris McMinn (Management) Robert W. Mustain (CONS); and Jim Martino (DS).  Kris was one of the oldest serving OIG inspectors dating back to when she was the Executive Assistant to the IG Jacquelyn Bridges in the late 90’s.  Kris left the OIG last year and transferred to the A bureau working part-time so she could devote more time to her family.  Jim Martino came from the GAO and got involved with State by leading a study of the security following the 1983 embassy bombing in Beirut.  He joined the OIG in 1989.     

The Ambassador was Johnny Young a Career Minister who had a long and distinguished 37 year career at State.  He started as a Budget & Fiscal Officer in Antananarivo, Madagascar in 1967.   He was Administrative Counselor in Bridgetown, Barbados in 1979 and Amman, Jordan in 1983.  He served as Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Togo, and Bahrain.  Slovenia was his final assignment.  In retirement Ambassador Young served as the Executive Director of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  His autobiography “Projects to the Palace:  A Diplomat’s Unlikely Journey from the Bottom to the Top” was published in 2013.   He and his wife Angelena were very outgoing.  I remember being at a local concert when they showed up with not a lot of fanfare.  The Management Officer was John Lipinski, who seemed very suspicious of OIG at first but later realized that we were no threat but there to help him address problems.  He was very helpful in arranging our separate arrivals, hotel accommodations at the Grand Union and onward two and a half hour travel by train to Zagreb.               

Findings:

The quality of regional coverage received by Embassy Ljubljana varies. Frankfurt’s Regional Support Center (RSC) Reginal Financial Management Officer, Charlie Eaton was adequate.  Carolyn Creevy, Regional Human Resources Officer (HRO) was helpful but needed to schedule more frequent visits; to facilitate communications with HR/Office of Overseas Employment (OE) for changes to the Local Compensation Plan and incorporate the newly developed Computer Aided Job Evaluation (CAJE) system in HR.   Assessments of the regional medical office coverage vary, although very good local health facilities help the embassy cope with medical issues.  

The mission occupied four sites throughout the city of Ljubljana. The GSO and community liaison office (CLO) are housed in the mission annex two blocks away from the chancery. The United States Customs regional export and border security facility is next door to the annex. The office of defense cooperation and the military liaison team are located at the Ministry of Defense. The embassy would like to consolidate all mission operations in one compound by purchasing the two properties adjacent to the chancery - the Russian embassy to the west and the nursery school to the south. OIG agreed that consolidation of all operations would, in principle, help to meet Department standards for both security and efficient operations. The cost of purchasing either of these two properties is too high to be justified at this time solely to consolidate operations.

In General Services Office (GSO) procurement contract folders including Blanker Purchase Agreements were not administered or organized as required by Department of State Acquisition Regulation.  Official vehicle inventory records to not distinguish which are International Cooperative Administrative Support Services Council (ICASS) and those that are Program develop a plan to reduce the overall number of vehicles. The Daily Vehicle Usage Report completed by Drivers did not sufficiently document the purpose of a trip nor obtain signatures of passengers, as required.

In the area of HR, OIG suggested that the administrative officer and HR specialist, in coordination with the FSN committee, develop a proposal to revise the mission local compensation plan to address the changes in the local labor laws in coordination with HR/OE.  Mission management should be more proactive in encouraging supervisors to recognize employee’s performance maintain open channels of communication and  encouraged more dialogue between the FSNs and mission management.

Formal recommendations in financial management included recommendations to:

• Install the Travel Manager program, arrange for training staff and issue an administrative instruction on preparation and submission of vouchers.
• Require the Accountable Consular Officer to forward the monthly summary of the daily accounting of consular fee receipts to the administrative officer for verification with cashier collections.
• Improve coordination between the Public Affairs section and FMO on grants management for funding, monitoring and close out.  
• Issue a mission-wide administrative directive to ensure that overtime is requested and approved in advance.

Highlights:

•   Quaint downtown Ljubljana

•   Ljubljana Castle

•   Train to Trieste and visit to Miramare Castle

River Ljubljanica first spanned by bridge in the Roman period.

Downtown Ljubljana

  Ljubljana Castle

Center City Trieste

Some of my colleagues went to visit San Marino, a four and half hour train ride from Ljubljana.  I decided to take the train to Trieste, which was two and a half-hour train ride and besides visiting the Miramar Castle I had a wonderful seafood meal on the coast.    

Trieste is a seaport city in northeastern Italy.  It is a narrow strip of Italian territory lying between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia and 19 miles from Croatia to the south.   Trieste is at the head of the Gulf of Trieste and has a very long coastline. In 2018, it had a population of about 205,000 and it is the capital of the autonomous region Friuli Venezia Giulia.  Trieste was one of the oldest parts of the Habsburg Monarchy from 1382 until 1918. In the 19th century the monarchy was one of the Great Powers of Europe and Trieste was its most important seaport. As a prosperous seaport in the Mediterranean, Trieste became the fourth largest city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after Vienna, Budapest and Prague.

 Miramar castle and park built by Archduke   Maximillian for his bride the Princess

 Charlotte of Belgium before he went off to his   death as the Emperor of Mexico. It's a     beautiful castle, in a rustic setting with a large   park surrounding it. It's well worth
 a visit.