VZCZCXRO4596
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHPA #0080 0571816
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261816Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY PRAIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1960
INFO RUEHPA/AMEMBASSY PRAIA 2941

UNCLAS PRAIA 000080 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR M/PRI, AF/EX 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: APER ASEC AMGT AMTC CV
SUBJECT: PRAIA SUPPORTS NSDD-38 FOR GSO AND IMO POSITIONS 
 
REF: STATE 12030 
 
Per reftel, Embassy Praia fully supports the addition of a GSO 
and IMO position to the USDH Staff ranks.  The ICASS Council met 
on February 24, 2010 and unanimously approved the addition of a 
GSO position.  The COM's answers are keyed to the reftel 
questions below. 
 
¶1.  Is the need for the proposed staffing change reflected in 
the most recent (or earlier) Mission Strategic Plans?   If so, 
under which goal?  If not, what circumstances have changed to 
justify this NSDD 38 proposal? 
 
-       Yes, Embassy Praia clearly needs the addition of one GSO 
and one IMO position.  As members of the management support 
platform, both will facilitate and assist in making our priority 
MSP goals possible.  In GSO, we currently have locally-engaged 
GSO carrying the full load of property, procurement, 
warehousing, facilities, leasing, and motor pool 
responsibilities singlehandedly.  Although we were lucky enough 
to locate a person fluent in the local language as well as 
English, our current GSO specialist is unable to coordinate all 
of the services in keeping with the Universal Service Standards 
while meeting the procurement/property reporting requirements. 
Adding a full-time GSO will allow the section to meet the needs 
of the ICASS customers and improve the customer service to all 
serviced agencies. 
 
-       The IMO position is also a critical addition.  Our 
Ambassador's OMS is currently occupying both the OMS and IMO 
roles simultaneously.  She is the Mission's only direct-hire OMS 
and, Since she is not an IMO specialist by training, she often 
requires assistance from regional support, AF/EX, or Frankfurt. 
As a result, we need to postpone required upgrades and other 
major communications projects for long periods until we have our 
occasional TDY support visits.  We require an IMO specialist to 
oversee our communications system and ensure we remain on the 
network, as well as to help us advance our bilateral cooperation 
by way of our website, telephones, e-mail, and other 
communication tools.  We strongly support both additions. 
 
¶2.  If the agency proposes to add staffing based on workload, 
are there other resources already present at post that are 
performing or could perform the function(s)? 
 
-       We are recommending the additions based on skill sets as 
well as workloads, and because there are no resources present 
that can assume additional responsibilities. 
 
¶3.  If a U.S. Direct-Hire position is requested, could the 
function be accomplished through the use of TDY visits, 
commercial contracts, host country nationals, American family 
members, third country nationals, resident Americans or other 
local hire personnel? 
 
-       Both of these tasks have been supported through regional 
visits and other temporary support, but have not been 
particularly successful.  Praia has been fortunate thus far in 
being able to cover the GSO and IMO responsibilities in-house 
with the use of heavy overtime and online assistance, but we are 
not able to continue our necessary work when we have a larger 
community to support and the same number of service providers 
occupying multiple roles on an ad hoc basis. 
 
¶4.  What specific administrative support, space, and funding 
arrangements are required to accommodate this staffing change? 
Please list the minimum ICASS cost centers in which the 
requesting agency must enroll. 
 
-       We will need to purchase office furniture for the new GSO 
position, but already have a work station available for the IMO. 
 Both positions would require housing and housing furniture. 
The requesting agency is State, so the officers will have full 
enrollment in ICASS.  We have submitted a request for additional 
space, which was mandated by the OIG in its 2009 report for 
reconfiguration of our sensitive chancery offices.  The cleared 
Americans are authorized to work in these security sensitive 
floors. 
 
¶5.  Do the benefits of increasing post's presence outweigh the 
inherent security risks associated with additional personnel and 
their dependents? 
 
- Yes, the benefits to our diplomatic presence far outweigh the 
risks at this low threat posting. 
 
BROWN