US embassy cable - 04MAPUTO1607

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 MAPUTO 001607 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR CA/EX, AF/EX, AF/S, OIG/ISP, M/FSI/SPAS, CA/VO, 
CA/FPP, CA/OCS 
JOHANNESBURG FOR RCO BACA 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CMGT, CVIS, CASC, KFRD, ASIG, AFSI, MZ, MPP 
SUBJECT: CONSULAR NARRATIVE FOR MOZAMBIQUE 
 
REF: STATE 227856 
 
The following are Embassy Maputo's responses to the 
questions posed in REFTEL. 
 
Management: 
A) Please identify the following: 
- Consular Section Chief name, ETD, direct office 
telephone number and e-mail. 
Leyla L. Ones, September 2006 (rotation to 
Political/Economic section), (258) 1 492797 ext. 3434, 
onesll@state.gov 
- Deputy Consular Section Chief name, ETD, direct office 
telephone number and e-mail. 
Not applicable. 
- Back-up Consular Officer name (if this is a one-officer 
consular section), direct office telephone number and e- 
mail. 
James Potts, (258) 1 492797 ext. 3423, pottsjh@state.gov 
- Consular Section Fax number (please provide both IVG 
numbers and standard phone numbers including country and 
city codes). 
Tel: 258 (1) 492797, Fax: (258) 1 490448; IVG line 8 887 
3434/36/47 
 
B) Do you have sufficient staff to meet consular MPP 
objectives? 
Yes. The consular section comprises one American Foreign 
Service Officer, and two Foreign Service nationals. The 
current staffing pattern is adequate to meet MPP objectives. 
 
C) Do you have sufficient space to meet consular MPP 
objectives? 
While space is inadequate and work efficiency suffers as a 
result, Post can still meet MPP objectives. The 3-member 
consular staff currently occupies a space - consisting of 
two small rooms and a cubbyhole - of less than 35 square 
meters. This space accommodates furniture, consular 
equipment for all NIV, ACS, and cashier functions, large 
safes for storage of controlled items, A-Z files, ACS vault, 
general storage of consular handouts/brochures, tax guides, 
voting materials, office supplies, and all NIV, ACS, and IV 
case archives. 
Insufficient space allows for only one public-service window 
for all NIV, ACS and cashier functions, resulting in delays 
in visa processing and the provision of other consular 
services. Because cash payments, NIV intake and 
interviewing/fingerprinting must be done at the same window, 
it is not unusual for ten visa applicants to wait for up to 
three or four hours to be interviewed. Additionally, as 
American Citizen Services are provided during all hours of 
Embassy operation, should a U.S. citizen request assistance 
during visa hours, the use of the single window for ACS 
effectively halts all NIV processing. This leads to further 
delays, hampering efficiency, interrupting workflow and 
compromising customer service. Having only one consular 
window also forces the consular chief of section to leave 
her office to deal with the public in the foyer of the 
Embassy (which also serves as the NIV waiting room). In 
sum, the efficiency, quality and accuracy of consular work 
is undermined by these space and design limitations. impact 
on improving workflow. 
Post addressed the issue of inadequate space and poor design 
in Maputo 1493, a cable sent in response to CA's Consular 
Improvement Initiative. In this same cable, Post requested 
funds and OBO assistance in redesigning and possibly 
expanding the consular section. 
 
D) Describe any management practices (such as off-site fee 
collection, use of a user pays call center, courier 
passback, post hosted web appointment system, business 
programs) that post has instituted in the past year. Are 
these management practices effective? Also, please list any 
management practices that have been discontinued in the past 
year, citing reasons for their termination. 
Given the relatively low volume of consular cases at Post, 
the consular section does not have off-site fee collection, 
a call center, courier passback, a web-based appointment 
system, or any special business programs. However, the 
consular section strives continually to develop better 
management systems within the limitations of our resources 
and physical space. The recent installation of a teller 
window intercom/paging system - in October 2004 -- has 
improved workflow and efficiency, as consular staff no 
longer has to physically leave the section in order to call 
the next NIV applicant waiting in the Embassy foyer. While 
it is difficult to be efficient with only one teller window 
available to serve the public, fee collection is handled as 
promptly and capably as possible, with one FSN working as 
the cashier, and the other in data-entry. Currently, 
prospective NIV applicants must call the consular section 
directly to make appointments, which often results in the 
chief of section interrupting work to respond to these 
routine phone calls if the FSNs are otherwise occupied. To 
enhance section productivity, Post is now exploring the 
option of setting up a dedicated automated NIV appointment 
telephone line with voicemail. Additionally, through 
information and links posted on the Embassy's website, and a 
telephone outreach campaign to local business and government 
contacts, Post is encouraging use of the electronic visa 
application form (EVAF) to help speed up data entry time for 
NIV processing. While the consular section has seen only a 
handful of EVAFs to date, we hope to see an increase in its 
use during the next fiscal year. 
 
E) Please advise whether and why post might benefit from a 
Consular Management Assistance Team (CMAT) visit. (By 
year's end, CMAT's will have visited since their inception 
nearly 60 posts. If a CMAT visited your post over the past 
year, please summarize any benefits and what steps, if any, 
could be taken to further enhance the productivity 
of CMAT visits.) 
While there is no doubt that Post would currently benefit 
from a CMAT visit to evaluate new ways to boost efficiency 
and offer innovations on existing management techniques, a 
future CMAT visit may be more appropriate if timed to 
correspond with the completion of a possible consular 
section expansion/construction project - currently proposed 
but not approved. Future CMAT feedback on improving 
consular operations in a newly designed workspace would be 
very useful. 
 
Systems: 
F) Do you have the equipment you need to meet consular MPP 
objectives? (If you believe you do not, describe the 
equipment you need and efforts you have made to obtain it.) 
A 3-member Harris Orkand team recently completed a 10-day 
visit to Post in which new computer hardware (computer and 
CRBA/NIV printers) and system upgrades were installed. 
Technical problems that had long plagued the consular 
section were successfully addressed. Consular systems are 
now operating more smoothly, particularly since the Parser 
was moved into the consular section and can be easily reset 
by the chief of section without having to call upon the 
services of IPC/IMS. 
Emergency passport equipment is inadequate, however, and 
Post has written the department requesting a new passport 
lamination machine. Post currently relies on the old glue- 
pot and daisy wheel method of emergency passport production 
for the older Z-series passports. This type of passport does 
not meet currently security standards, and should no longer 
be produced given the current elevated U.S. threat level. 
 
G) How would you rate your consular section's satisfaction 
with automated consular systems (excellent, good, average, 
poor)? Are there any unresolved software or hardware issues? 
How do you rate the training of post personnel both within 
the consular section and in Management/IM on the use and 
support of Consular systems (excellent, good, average, 
poor)? What types of assistance would you need from the 
next training and refresher teams coming from the consular 
systems division to assist consular system users? Please 
also comment on the quality of assistance provided by the CA 
Overseas Help Desk. 
As mentioned above, Post recently benefited from an Orkand 
visit during which hardware was replaced and upgraded, and 
new versions of consular software were installed. The 
consular chief, FSNs, back-up consular officer, and 
alternate "emergency" consular officer (with a commission 
from her last assignment) received thorough training 
sessions on upgraded consular applications. Overall, Post's 
satisfaction with automated consular systems can be 
characterized as good. Post continues to experience mild 
problems with CLASS namechecks "freezing" or showing 
"errors," but consultations with IT people show that this is 
related to Post's server and not linked to faulty consular 
equipment or systems. 
Post would like to see more user-friendly and accurate 
applications of the Ad Hoc Reporting Tables. When the 
consular section chief recently generated an F-77 report 
using Ad Hoc, the information reflected in the report was 
glaringly incorrect. Post sent an inquiry to the CA Support 
Desk and was informed that many reports used in Ad Hoc are 
often inaccurate and therefore should not be used. There 
also don't seem to be any dependable training manuals for Ad 
Hoc, and the general approach recommended by CA systems 
personnel is experimentation and "tinkering around" with the 
program to see what it can (and cannot) do. 
Post is highly satisfied with the timely responses and 
quality of the work and effort put forward by the CA 
Overseas Help Desk. No matter what time of the day the 
consular section calls upon the Help Desk's expertise, the 
assistance received is invariably professional and time- 
sensitive. The Help Desk also does a good job in following 
up on written inquiries, often writing back to make sure the 
problem was solved, or that the advice dispensed was on- 
target. 
 
H) Some posts have recently begun scanning 2-D barcodes to 
input DS-156 information into consular systems. Please 
comment on other forms you would like to see automated and 
explain why. 
Post has no specific recommendations regarding automation of 
other consular forms. 
 
ACS: 
I) What aspects of your ACS work are the most demanding? 
It is a challenge to keep the warden system current and 
accurate, and even more challenging to make sure the Embassy 
is reaching out effectively to the more than 600 American 
citizens dispersed widely in a country twice the size of 
California. Post relies primarily on e-mail to distribute 
Warden messages, as many U.S. citizens do not have cell 
phones or even landline telephones. Having only one 
dedicated consular officer makes it difficult to conduct the 
kind of hands-on outreach that would be ideal for American 
citizens. Ideally, the consular chief would be able to 
travel upcountry at least three times a year to meet with 
Embassy wardens and to conduct town hall meetings on issues 
of concern to American citizens. This type of physical 
outreach would have been particularly useful in the months 
preceding the U.S. presidential and general election in 
November 2004 in order to increase the number of people 
using the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot. 
 
J) Describe the impact that added responsibilities for 
provision of victim's assistance as well as reporting 
requirements (for example, in death cases and for serious 
crimes) have had on your workload. 
Regarding victim's assistance, additional responsibilities 
for service and reporting have not had significant impact on 
Post's consular workload. However, the provision of 
emergency services to American citizens - such as welfare 
and whereabouts cases, assistance in criminal cases, traffic 
accidents, etc. - is difficult in a country where there is 
an absence of standardized regulations and inconsistent 
application of existing laws. Rendering assistance to 
American citizens will become a more critical issue, as 
incidences of crimes against foreigners appear to be rising. 
 
Visas: 
K) What aspects of your NIV work are the most demanding? 
The high prevalence of third-country national (TCN) 
applicants makes NIV processing more protracted, both in 
terms of intake and interviewing. Frequently, security 
advisory opinions are required for TCNs, which further 
extends the time required to process individual cases. Many 
applicants do not know how to fill out the DS-156 or DS-157 
forms and this hampers workflow on NIV days as FSNs often 
spend a great deal of time providing assistance - sometimes 
question by question. 
 
L) Describe the impact that post-9/11 changes in NIV 
processing, such as special processing requirements, SEVIS, 
etc. have had on your workflow, including the amount of time 
it takes to conduct an interview. 
Third country national interviews warrant intense scrutiny 
and therefore take longer, even if applicants purport to be 
long-time residents of Mozambique. As Mozambican passports 
and residency permits can be obtained through illegal 
channels, extensive interviews must be conducted to 
ascertain the bona fides of TCNs. Regarding SEVIS, very few 
students seem to know about the new fee, and are asked to 
reschedule their interviews after payment. The consular 
chief is working with the Public Affairs office on outreach 
programs to inform prospective students of NIV requirements. 
 
M) Please comment on the impact that the fingerprinting 
requirement has had on consular space, processing time, and 
relations with your host country. 
The introduction of the fingerprinting requirement has been, 
on balance, well received by the host country. Applicants 
have adapted quickly to fingerprinting and it has not had 
significant impact on NIV processing. 
 
N) What aspects of your IV work are the most demanding? 
(Discussion should address any backlogs and their causes). 
While Post does not process IV cases, the consular chief 
spends a significant amount of time explaining the IV 
process to prospective applicants, providing forms, and 
responding to general and specific inquiries covering a 
broad spectrum of IV areas (from adoption to family-based 
petitions.) Post forwards the I-130 forms, supporting 
documents, and case notes from preliminary interviews to 
Consulate General Johannesburg for processing and 
adjudication. This system sometimes presents a challenge as, 
in case of delays, confusion, or unreceived documents, 
applicants will often hold Post responsible and direct their 
frustration toward Post consular staff. As a result, Post 
has requested that Johannesburg send to Maputo duplicate 
copies of all packet 3's dispatched to Mozambique-based 
applicants. 
 
O) If applicable, please describe the impact of the DV 
program on your workload. 
Not applicable. 
 
P) What percentage of your NIV and IV applicants are third 
country nationals (TCNs)? From what countries are they? Do 
they speak a different language than post's designated 
language? If so, how do you communicate with them? 
Approximately 22% of NIV applicants are TCNs. The countries 
representing the largest number of applicants, beginning 
with the most prevalent, are Nigeria, South Africa, Guinea, 
Pakistan, India, Brazil, Congo, and Tanzania. Post has also 
processed applications for nationals of China, Cuba, and 
Lebanon. As consular staff has a combined knowledge of six 
languages, communication with TCNs is generally not a 
problem. 
 
Passport: 
Q) Discuss how your post has been affected by the Overseas 
Photodigitized Passports program (OPDP) deployed in 2003. 
Please note any major adjustments you have had to make to 
workflow or staffing. Has the number of emergency passports 
issued at post decreased? If so, by how much? 
Post has received high praise from American citizens on the 
new Overseas Photodigitized Passports program. The speedy 
turnaround appears to have had a significant impact on the 
issuance of emergency passports at post. Given that most 
American citizen applicants are residents of Mozambique and 
not tourists, virtually all applicants can wait 7-to-10 days 
to receive their new passport from the United States and, 
thus, do not need temporary emergency passports. The new 
procedures have had no significant impact on Post's workload 
and staffing. 
 
Fraud Prevention: 
R) Briefly summarize the types of fraud most frequently 
encountered at post and programs in place to combat that 
fraud, including use of investigation resources, tracking 
systems, electronic tools, liaison and information sharing. 
If post has conducted a validation study, what was learned 
from it? Are you satisfied with the level of fraud 
prevention training for officers and FSNs? If not, what do 
you believe you need to support your efforts in this area? 
Do you conduct in-house fraud training? If so, who is the 
targeted audience and how often is it done? Do you conduct 
fraud training for non-Embassy consular contacts? If so, 
who is the targeted audience and how often is it done? Do 
local authorities effectively prosecute document vendors and 
smugglers? 
Imposter fraud is the most frequently encountered type of 
fraud at Post. Mozambican nationality and identity 
documents (as well as residency permits) are easily obtained 
on either the black market, or by bribing immigration 
officials. Consequently, TCNs posing as Mozambicans - or 
long-time residents of Mozambique - are able to apply for 
nonimmigrant visas with genuine Mozambican passports or 
residency permits. A thorough NIV interview must be 
conducted with all applicants to assess Portuguese language 
ability, knowledge of the country, professional and 
educational background, and economic ties. Document fraud 
is less prevalent but more difficult to detect as official 
documents often lack uniformity and/or security features, 
and even legitimate documents are often of poor quality - 
printed with dot matrix printers or handwritten. 
Post is expanding anti-fraud efforts by strengthening ties 
with key local contacts in immigration and other areas, and 
is in the process of putting together Post's first 
Mozambique anti-fraud guide as a key element of the new 
officer training handbook, another new endeavor currently 
being undertaken. 
 
General: 
S) Describe country conditions that affect your ability to 
provide consular services (infrastructure, fraud, political 
setting, etc.). 
Mozambique's vast territory and absence of adequate 
infrastructure, both in terms of transportation and 
communication networks, present challenges to providing 
emergency and non-emergency services to American citizens. 
Legitimate Mozambican identity and nationality documents, as 
well as residency permits, can be obtained through bribes 
offered to local officials, adding another dimension of 
difficulty in NIV adjudication. Mozambique's borders are 
porous and poorly monitored due to an underpaid and ill- 
equipped police force, and it is difficult to obtain illegal 
immigration information from local officials since 
statistics are rarely tracked and cases seldom investigated. 
 
T) Describe any other issue not raised in the preceding 
questions that you believe to be significant to the consular 
section's effectiveness in handling its responsibilities. 
None. 
LA LIME