In Washington, D.C., State  headquarters provides guidance and training to prepare for evacuations. State’s primary crisis management guidance, the EPH, has limited  usefulness in preparing overseas posts for evacuation. Post-produced estimates of  American citizens in country are frequently inaccurate best guesses, and  weaknesses in a State and DOD MOA need to be corrected to prepare for  large-scale evacuations. However, we found almost 40 percent of  posts who gave a date reported that it has been 18 months or longer since  they most recently updated their EAP. However, we found weaknesses in the MOA (and its amendments) that  could reduce State and DOD’s ability to quickly and effectively work  together during a crisis. For example, officials from  several posts reported that newer staff have not received training  necessary to meet their assigned emergency responsibilities. In addition, over one-quarter of posts reported that EAC members have  not received training necessary to meet their assigned emergency  responsibilities. Although State  headquarters has disseminated some ad hoc guidance based on lessons  learned from prior evacuations, the guidance is sometimes vague and may  be overlooked by posts due to the high volume of material they receive. Despite this explicit guidance, almost 60 percent of posts that have  experienced an authorized or ordered departure in the past 5 years  reported that they have not produced an after action report. Since post staff have  limited institutional memory of prior evacuations, particularly at  unaccompanied posts, it is important to have a process that captures and  disseminates lessons learned from prior evacuations to all post staff. In addition, State lacks a systematic process to collect,  analyze, and incorporate lessons learned from previous evacuations. Recommendations for Executive Action

To help improve State planning, preparations for, and management of  evacuations of post staff, dependents, and American citizens from  overseas posts, we recommend the Secretary of State    designate an entity within State to (1) ensure that EAPs are prepared  annually, (2) ensure that posts generate standardized evacuation after  action reports with lessons learned, and (3) systematically collect and  analyze these reports to assess State’s performance and recommend  modifications to State guidance, plans, training, and exercises, if    direct posts to complete narrative sections in the F-77 report documenting  the processes and data sources used to produce their estimates, as well as  lessons learned on generating estimates for that particular country; review post and FSI crisis management training for EAC members to meet  assigned emergency responsibilities, including planning and preparing for  possible evacuation, and identify areas for improving training, particularly  for less experienced EAC members; and    strengthen CMEs by having posts play a greater role in designing them and  incorporating the most likely threats to occur at the post into exercise  scenarios. GAO staff who made contributions to this report are  listed in appendix V.

Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

To examine the Department of State’s (State) efforts to plan, prepare for,  and manage evacuations of post staff, dependents, and American citizens  from overseas posts, we (1) assessed State’s guidance and plans to prepare  for possible evacuations of post staff, dependents, and American citizens;  (2) assessed the training, drills, and exercises used to prepare staff at  overseas posts for crises, including possible evacuation; and (3) evaluated  State’s efforts to collect, analyze, and incorporate lessons learned from  previous evacuations into modifications of guidance and training. We  conducted a survey of all Emergency Action Committees (EAC) at State  embassies and consulates worldwide. Structured  interview respondents had experienced many different crisis situations,  including natural disasters, disease epidemics, war threats, and civil  unrest. To review State and DOD’s planning, preparation for, and managing of  evacuations, we examined State and DOD documents, including State’s  Emergency Planning Handbook, numerous post Emergency Action Plans,  several post-produced F-77 reports of potential evacuees, the  Memorandum of Agreement between State and DOD on the Protection and  Evacuation of U.S. Citizens and Nationals and Designated other Persons  from Threatened Areas Overseas, and various other State cables and  documents related to evacuations, including situation reports, lessons- learned cables, and other documents discussing lessons learned. We reported that  more than three-quarters of posts said their last estimate was, at best,  only somewhat accurate in its estimation of the American citizen  population.
Why GAO Did This Study

Since 1988, the Department of State (State) has ordered over 270 evacuations from overseas posts due to civil strife, terrorist incidents, natural disasters, conventional war threats, and disease outbreaks. To prepare for evacuation, overseas posts rely on a variety of guidance, plans, and training, such as Emergency Action Plans (EAP). GAO was asked to assess State's (1) guidance and plans to prepare for evacuation, (2) training and exercises to prepare post staff for crisis, and (3) efforts to collect, analyze, and incorporate evacuation lessons learned into guidance and training. GAO examined State and Department of Defense (DOD) documents, spoke with State and DOD officials, conducted a survey of 243 overseas posts, and completed 22 structured interviews with State personnel.

What GAO Found

Using its guidance and training, State has carried out numerous evacuations in the recent past--notably the safe evacuation of nearly 15,000 American citizens and family members from Lebanon. However, GAO found areas where State can improve its guidance, plans, and training to prepare for and manage evacuations of post staff, dependents, and American citizens. For example, posts do not find State's primary guidance particularly useful in preparing for evacuation. In addition, while State requires posts to update EAPs annually, almost 40 percent of posts surveyed have not updated their plans in 18 months or longer. Post-produced estimates of American citizens in a country are best guesses and more than three-quarters of posts said their last estimate was, at best, only somewhat accurate. We also found weaknesses in a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between State and DOD that could limit these agencies' ability to effectively work together during a large-scale evacuation. While State provides crisis management training to post staff, GAO found gaps in training related to preparing for evacuations. Over one-quarter of posts reported that Emergency Action Committee (EAC) members have not received training necessary to meet their emergency responsibilities. In addition, officials from several posts reported that newer staff have not received training for their EAC roles. Although posts reported that crisis management exercises are an important training tool, post staff said exercises should be more practical and reflect scenarios more likely to occur at post. State's evacuation preparations are constrained by the lack of a systematic process to collect, analyze, and incorporate evacuation lessons learned. Almost 60 percent of posts evacuated in the past 5 years said they did not produce an evacuation "after action" report, as required. Further, State has no entity to ensure posts are producing after action reports and no formal review process to analyze and incorporate lessons learned from these reports into guidance and training. Although State has developed some documents on evacuation lessons learned and distributed them to all U.S. overseas posts, the documents are sometimes vague and can be overlooked by posts due to the volume of material they receive. Limited institutional memory of prior evacuations at posts reinforces the need for a process to collect, analyze, and disseminate lessons learned from evacuations to all post staff.