We identified three critical elements that should be evaluated together as part of this framework: (1) physical security and real estate, (2) mission priorities and requirements, and (3) operational costs. We can also see ambassadors using this framework to ensure that embassy staffing is in line with security concerns, mission priorities and requirements, and costs to reduce the number of people at risk. The Paris Embassy, our case study, illustrates the importance of security and real estate issues in determining overseas staffing levels. The security situation in Paris is not good and suggests the need to consider reducing staff. One of the buildings is particularly vulnerable and staff face a variety of threats. Each agency in Washington has its own criteria for placing staff overseas. Our work in Paris highlights the complexity of rightsizing the U.S. overseas presence given the lack of clearly stated mission priorities and requirements and demonstrates the need for a more disciplined process. What Are an Embassy’s Operating Costs? We have documented the total cost for all agencies operating in France in fiscal year 2001 to be about $100 million. These options include: relocating functions to the United States; relocating functions to regional centers; relocating functions to other locations under chief of mission authority where relocation back to the United States or to regional centers is not practical;   purchasing services from the private sector; and   streamlining outmoded or inefficient business practices. For instance, the executive branch needs to prioritize foreign policy goals and objectives and insist on a link between those goals and staffing levels. Developing comprehensive cost data and linking budgets and staffing decisions are also imperative. What is the ratio of support staff to program staff at the embassy?
Why GAO Did This Study

Rightsizing is the aligning of the number and location of staff assigned to U.S. embassies with foreign policy priorities, security, and other constraints. GAO is developing a framework to enable the executive branch to assess the number and mix of embassy staff. The framework will link staffing levels to the following three critical elements of overseas operations: (1) physical security and real estate, (2) mission priorities and requirements, and (3) operational costs. GAO reviewed policies and practices at the U.S. Embassy in Paris because of its large size and history of rightsizing decisions.

What GAO Found

GAO found that about 700 employees from 11 agencies work in main buildings at the Paris Embassy. Serious security concerns in at least one embassy building in Paris suggest the need to consider staff reductions unless building security can be improved. Staffing levels are hard to determine because agencies use different criteria and priorities to place staff. The lack of comprehensive cost data on all agencies' operations, which is estimated at more than $100 million annually in France, and the lack of an embassywide budget eliminate the possibility of cost-based decisionmaking on staffing. The number of staff could be reduced, particularly those in support positions, which constitute about one-third of the total. Options include relocating functions to the United States or to regional centers and outsourcing commercial activities.