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Michele T. BondActing Assistant Secretary, Consular Affairs, Department of State
Goal Overview
The mission of the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) is to provide consular operations that most efficiently and effectively protect U.S. citizens, ensure U.S. security, facilitate the entry of legitimate travelers, and foster economic growth. Two core functions of this mission are the provision of passports and visas. Demand for passport and visa documents is inherently unpredictable in the long term, and this variability can greatly affect workload planning efforts. This is true especially with regard to the current Congressional discussion surrounding comprehensive immigration reform and the potential challenges the Department would face in implementing any reform legislation. While the proposed reforms would have a major impact on consular operations and workload, CA will work closely with Congress, the Administration, and its interagency partners to be sure it has the human and financial resources to implement any changes to U.S. law efficiently and effectively.
Domestically, the Department supports a significant presence across the country to respond to the consular service needs of the U.S. public. Most notably, this presence consists of 28 passport agencies and centers and a network of more than 8,441 public offices managed by other federal, state, and local government agencies/offices that are designated to accept passport applications. The number of valid passports in circulation has doubled in the past decade. Approximately 114 million U.S. citizens, or 37 percent of the population, have valid passports. In FY 2013, CA issued 13.5 million passport book and card products, a 3.1 percent increase over FY 2012. A potential impending surge in passport renewal applications represents a rising challenge to the achievement of this performance goal. Based on analysis of renewal application trends, passport renewal rates are expected to increase significantly from previous years, beginning in FY 2017.
With Executive Order 13597 issued in January 2012, CA needed to increase its visa processing capacity in Brazil and China by 40 percent and ensure that 80 percent of nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applicants worldwide are interviewed within three weeks of receipt of an application. In FY 2013, CA processed 10.7 million nonimmigrant visa applications and issued 9.2 million nonimmigrant visas, a 3.6 percent increase over the previous year, while working through extraordinary increases in visa demand in key markets such as a nearly 38 percent increase in Colombia. Currently, more than 80 percent of applicants worldwide, on average, are interviewed within three weeks of submitting their applications, a significant change over the 70% in early FY 2012.
Providing Excellence in Consular Service Delivery provides additional benefits toward the achievement of the Department’s goals. The Department’s efforts facilitate the travel of 67 million visitors to the United States each year, who, according to the Department of Commerce’s 2012 United States Travel and Tourism Statistics, spent $166 billion, an average of $2,478 per visitor. An estimated 1.2 million jobs in the United States are supported annually by international travel. In addition to the economic benefits, the visa issuance process is the front-line of ensuring U.S. security through the visa interview process, which can eliminate applicants desiring to travel to the U.S. for illegitimate purposes.
Strategies
To meet the demand for passports, CA has committed to creating an option for processing renewal applications online, reducing the level of effort required for issuing renewals requests. In FY 2012, CA successfully launched an online passport card pilot program, testing its ability to process securely applications for cards online from U.S. citizens who already had a valid passport book. Using the ConsularOne initiative, CA will take the lessons learned from the pilot in order to offer improved electronic transactions for passport book and passport card renewals.
With its focus on providing sufficient and flexible staffing to meet demand, the Department can meet the visa performance goal. CA tracks visa applicant wait times and reports average percentages on a weekly basis. Consular personnel continually balance efforts to meet growing demand with the need to conduct vigilant adjudications that uphold its world-class standard of secure processes and documents using these reports as guidelines for action. Efforts include deploying additional personnel to posts with growing visa demand, expanding the physical space in visa sections—particularly the number of interview windows—and upgrading to more modern systems and technologies. These advances allowed the Department to issue more than 9.2 million nonimmigrant visas in FY 2013, a 59 percent increase over FY 2009.
The Consular Affairs Bureau will continue to replicate pilot projects that improve efficiency of the visa process. The Departments of State and Homeland Security previously implemented a pilot program that allows consular officers to waive in-person interviews for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants renewing their visas is operational at 90 visa-processing posts in more than 50 countries. Consular officers have subsequently already waived interviews for more than 500,000 of these low-risk visa applicants. Consular officers can spend their time and resources more effectively evaluating higher-risk visa applicants and other applicants who require interviews. All of these applications have been thoroughly reviewed by a commissioned consular officer, and the applicant’s fingerprints and biodata have undergone extensive database checks.
Another example of CA developing flexible, efficient solutions is by using leading management tactics to expand productivity and increase transparency in the visa application process through the Global Support Strategy (GSS), a worldwide program that standardizes the process across all U.S. embassies and consulates. This standardization effort maximizes efficiency in the process and provides scalability to respond to fluctuations in demand. As of October 2013, there are 101 countries and 155 posts with awarded GSS contracts, including 17 countries currently in the transition process. These task orders represent 87% of worldwide NIV volume for FY 2012. By the end of FY 2014, CA will have awarded contracts for the remaining 32 countries and 37 posts slated to receive GSS services.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) remains a key factor in the achievement of this goal, especially the visa target. CA will continue to work with Congress to prepare for the impact that CIR will have on the visa issuance process and adapt its processes as necessary to improve its visa service delivery.
Progress Update
Overview
This goal is continuing as an Agency Priority Goal in the fiscal year (FY) 2016 - 2017 cycle.
During fiscal year (FY) 2015 quarter four, the Department continued to exceed its goal of processing 99 percent of passports within the targeted timeframe. As of October 1, 2015, 99.31 percent of routine passport applications and 98.41 percent of expedited cases were processed within the service level commitment to the American public. Based on workload composition, 99.1 percent of all passport applications were processed within the targeted timeframe.
During FY 2015 quarter four, the Department continued to meet the goal set by Executive Order 13597. As of September 30, 2015, 90.3 percent of nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applicants for B1 and B2 (tourism and business) visas could receive a visa appointment within three weeks of submitting an application.
Explanation of Results
The Department continues to exceed the goal of 80 percent of NIV applicants receiving appointments in three weeks or less through active shifting of staff resources towards posts facing workload surges, as well as efficiencies and process improvements at overseas posts. The Bureau and overseas consular managers both continuously monitor NIV wait times. Posts report wait times and the Bureau calculates the global metric, both on a weekly basis. CA works with overseas consular managers to analyze developing trends and to determine whether additional short term support or additional full-time positions are justified by the workload. Thus far, we have been successful in identifying available resources to meet the most pressing of those staffing needs.Passport Services effectively distributed applications across the network of passport agencies and centers to ensure that resources were fully employed and customer service timeframes were met. Passport Services’ continuous analysis of workload and judicious use of overtime ensured the timely processing of passport applications in the highest demand months, which occur in quarters two and three.During FY 2015 quarter four, the Department continued to meet the goal set by Executive Order 13597. As of September 30, 2015, 90.3 percent of nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applicants for B1 and B2 (tourism and business) visas could receive a visa appointment within three weeks of submitting an application.
The Bureau anticipates that the standard of a wait time of three weeks or less for a NIV interview appointment will continue to be maintained for at least 80 percent of applicants, however world events affecting demand for services or available resources may justify specific exemptions in a given country or region.
Challenges and Opportunities
In FY 2007-2008, Passport Services experienced a surge in application workload associated with the implementation of Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). Passport Services’ workload is beginning to increase as a result of passport renewal applications associated with those FY 2007-2008 applications. Passport Services is proactively addressing the resurgence of applications and expects to continue to meet its posted service level commitments to the public.
The demand for NIV appointments can fluctuate both seasonally and on an ad hoc basis, affecting a consular section’s ability to maintain three-week appointment availability for 80 percent of visa applicants.
The economic, political or security situations in a given country also have the potential to significantly affect the number of visa applicants. A more robust economy can lead to greater demand for visas, as can political instability.
Events beyond our control, such as natural disasters or political upheaval, may also impact the workload of consular sections in a particular country or region. Examples include the closures of Embassies Damascus (2012) and Sanaa (February 2015) as well as the limitation of NIV services in Baghdad (2014).
Next Steps
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Performance Indicators
Passport Processing Efficiency
Visa Applicant Interview Wait Times
Contributing Programs & Other Factors
State is part of a multi-faceted U.S. government effort that works with several public-private partnerships that have a shared mission to increase international visitors to the United States and contribute to our economic growth and job creation. At 222 visa-processing embassies and consulates worldwide, a highly trained corps of consular officers and staff support legitimate travel by adjudicating millions of nonimmigrant visa applications each year, allowing qualified, job-creating tourists, businesspeople, and students to visit the United States, while protecting our borders from terrorists, criminals, and other mala-fide travelers. In 2014 and beyond, State, DHS, Commerce, and other members of the interagency team dedicated to visa improvements will work further to expand capacity for timely processing of more nonimmigrant visa applications.
State's Passport Services Directorate issues U.S. passports to eligible U.S. citizens and nationals to facilitate trade, travel, and tourism.
Passport Services consists of 29 Regional Passport Agencies and Centers – 26 of which have public counters; a headquarters office in Washington, D.C.; the National Passport Information Center; and a network of more than 8,000+ acceptance facilities across the United States designated to accept passport applications.
Our Passport Centers also issue passports for U.S. citizens that apply at our Embassies and Consulates abroad.
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Strategic Goals
Strategic Goal:
Modernize the Way We Do Diplomacy and Development
Statement:
Modernize the Way We Do Diplomacy and Development
Strategic Objectives
Statement:
Enable Diplomats and Development Professionals to Influence and Operate More Efficiently, Effectively, and Collaboratively
Description:
Twenty-first century diplomatic and development challenges demand innovative approaches to create transformational solutions. In an era when information is disseminated instantaneously worldwide, our ability to engage quickly and effectively with the multitude of stakeholders, customers, and audiences is a core competency for our high-performing, motivated professionals. To meet these challenges also requires a flexible, nimble and efficient support platform for our professionals who are representing the United States around the world.
President Obama announced his commitment to attaining an unprecedented level of transparency and excellence in government, which is reflected in his second-term Management Agenda. The State Department and USAID, in support of this Agenda, are spearheading new efforts to engage with the public, modernize information systems, streamline administrative processes, and ensure the prompt release of information to the public, while remaining cognizant of protecting our partners working in closed societies and other sensitive environments. Several of our initiatives involve management innovations in an environment that encourages us to continuously improve our processes and procedures. These apply evidenced-based planning; acquisition and assistance reform; enhanced information technology platforms; and procedures for the strategic allocation, alignment, and assessment of our resources. Other initiatives involve creating new approaches to diplomacy and development that embrace the power and role of individual citizens and publics as critical to achieving shared goals or for countering the influence of extremist and violent individuals and groups. In meeting all of these challenges, State and USAID are committed to ensuring that we use our resources in the most effective and focused ways possible while also adhering to U.S. government statutes and regulations and embracing the highest ethical and professional standards.
Reflecting a new model, we seek to apply the transformative power of science, technology, innovation, and partnerships to deliver more cost-effective, sustainable results. Applying technological advances is a common element of the activities directed at achieving this goal’s objective. Improving customer service and coping with a projected 40 percent increase in passport applications through a new electronic application process; furthering sustainability of USAID development investments through a diversified partner base of local organizations, U.S. small businesses, and other high-impact partnerships; introducing interactive communications platforms for engagement beyond the state and to share more information with the public through innovative technologies, and creating training opportunities to keep our professionals and their families safe and secure. These exemplify efforts where State and USAID are changing the ways that we do business.
At a time when changes in technology, demography, and political discourse are giving citizens around the world unmatched power to affect their societies and U.S. interests, the President has called upon the Department and USAID to understand and forge stronger relationships with foreign publics and emerging leaders. Modernizing diplomacy and development requires the Department and USAID’s commitment to becoming more efficient, effective, transparent, and flexible organizations and to finding innovative approaches to advance U.S. interests and enhance our national security.
Strategies for Achieving the Objective
The Department of State and USAID are pursuing several courses of action to achieve this objective. They will continue to explore balanced, smart, and lean approaches to addressing joint management issues. The Joint Management Board, which was a direct result of Government Accountability Office recommendations, will continue to find ways to drive efficiency into our overseas operations and reduce operating costs. The Department and USAID will continue to adopt balanced, smart, and lean methodologies for continuously improving core business processes, including the completion of joint vouchering efficiencies by September 30, 2014. The Department and USAID will also leverage learning from each other to advance efficiency and effectiveness in their contributions to the achievement of Federal Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goals.
USAID and the Department will enhance their effectiveness by implementing new technology solutions. These are geared to improving the provision of American citizens services, streamlining and simultaneously enhancing the scrutiny given visa applicants, reducing operating costs, boosting collaboration, improving security and countering extremist threats, and broadening engagement opportunities. By applying existing and new analytical tools and data sources, USAID and the Department are aiming to strengthen their staffing and operations through identifying opportunities for more cost-effective procurement processes and foreign assistance management.
Another focus of the Department’s efforts involves transitioning its engagement activities from ones which tended toward engagements that involved limited, exclusive, and direct contacts to an approach based on a culture of openness. This has resulted in the expanded use of digital communications platforms such as social media, digital video conferencing, smart phone applications, and similar means that allow the Department to reach directly to people and that open up its public engagement to all who are interested, not just the limited audience that can be invited to attend our events in person.
Innovations at USAID make it possible to deliver results on a larger scale while simultaneously pursuing more strategic, focused, sustainable, and results-oriented approaches that maximize the impact of our development dollars. Evidence-based planning and increased operational efficiency and effectiveness are among the factors accounting for the impressive improvements in performance and results.
USAID is also promoting sustainable development through building high-impact partnerships. USAID is collaborating with and directly supporting host governments, the private sector, civil society, and academia, all of which serve as engines of growth and progress for their own nations. USAID is using, strengthening, and rendering accountable local partners so they can sustain their own development. These and other efforts have made it possible to identify and scale up innovative, breakthrough solutions to hitherto intractable development challenges. For USAID, the power of science, technology, innovation, and partnerships are all being applied to the goal of delivering more effective, cost-efficient results for sustainable global development.
Agency Priority Goals
Statement:
Through September 30, 2015, maintain a 99% rate of all passport applications processed within the targeted timeframe and ensure 80% of nonimmigrant visa applicants are interviewed within three weeks of the date of application.
Description:
The mission of the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) is to provide consular operations that most efficiently and effectively protect U.S. citizens, ensure U.S. security, facilitate the entry of legitimate travelers, and foster economic growth. Two core functions of this mission are the provision of passports and visas. Demand for passport and visa documents is inherently unpredictable in the long term, and this variability can greatly affect workload planning efforts. This is true especially with regard to the current Congressional discussion surrounding comprehensive immigration reform and the potential challenges the Department would face in implementing any reform legislation. While the proposed reforms would have a major impact on consular operations and workload, CA will work closely with Congress, the Administration, and its interagency partners to be sure it has the human and financial resources to implement any changes to U.S. law efficiently and effectively.
Domestically, the Department supports a significant presence across the country to respond to the consular service needs of the U.S. public. Most notably, this presence consists of 28 passport agencies and centers and a network of more than 8,441 public offices managed by other federal, state, and local government agencies/offices that are designated to accept passport applications. The number of valid passports in circulation has doubled in the past decade. Approximately 114 million U.S. citizens, or 37 percent of the population, have valid passports. In FY 2013, CA issued 13.5 million passport book and card products, a 3.1 percent increase over FY 2012. A potential impending surge in passport renewal applications represents a rising challenge to the achievement of this performance goal. Based on analysis of renewal application trends, passport renewal rates are expected to increase significantly from previous years, beginning in FY 2017.
With Executive Order 13597 issued in January 2012, CA needed to increase its visa processing capacity in Brazil and China by 40 percent and ensure that 80 percent of nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applicants worldwide are interviewed within three weeks of receipt of an application. In FY 2013, CA processed 10.7 million nonimmigrant visa applications and issued 9.2 million nonimmigrant visas, a 3.6 percent increase over the previous year, while working through extraordinary increases in visa demand in key markets such as a nearly 38 percent increase in Colombia. Currently, more than 80 percent of applicants worldwide, on average, are interviewed within three weeks of submitting their applications, a significant change over the 70% in early FY 2012.
Providing Excellence in Consular Service Delivery provides additional benefits toward the achievement of the Department’s goals. The Department’s efforts facilitate the travel of 67 million visitors to the United States each year, who, according to the Department of Commerce’s 2012 United States Travel and Tourism Statistics, spent $166 billion, an average of $2,478 per visitor. An estimated 1.2 million jobs in the United States are supported annually by international travel. In addition to the economic benefits, the visa issuance process is the front-line of ensuring U.S. security through the visa interview process, which can eliminate applicants desiring to travel to the U.S. for illegitimate purposes.
Statement:
By September 30, 2015, USAID will reduce procurement administrative lead time (PALT) by 40 percent from the 2009 baseline of 513 calendar days, increase percentage of program funding going directly to local partners to 30 percent, and meet or exceed the prime contract acquisition dollars obligated to U.S. small businesses worldwide by 10 percent from the FY 2013 baseline of 8.2 percent.
Description:
As a cornerstone of its USAID Forward reform agenda, USAID has begun a critical shift in the way we administer our assistance, placing a greater emphasis on public-private partnerships, channeling funding to local governments and organizations that have the in-country knowledge and expertise to create sustainable positive change, and expanding our partner base. USAID is also focused on streamlining the procurement process, building new partnerships, and institutionalizing our reforms.
USAID is committed to work in full partnership with local governments and organizations and tailoring its approaches accordingly. The Agency’s Local Solutions initiative will focus on the following:
- Convening partners from across local organizations with which USAID has partnered – whether these are governments, civil society, the private sector, donors, or implementing resource partners to identify development challenges;
- Connecting these stakeholders with innovative products, processes, or policies to address these challenges; and
- Contextualizing and scaling up these solutions within local systems.
In so doing, the Agency will support sustainable development results and allow cooperative and mutually accountable relationships to grow. These relationships – between USAID and partner country stakeholders, as well as among these stakeholders are critical to the development of resilient societies that can deliver results to their citizens.
The Agency collaborates with these stakeholders by investing in projects and programs in these countries through its procurement process. In 2012, USAID obligated $13.9 billion through acquisition and assistance mechanisms. Given the important role that procurement plays in enabling USAID to carry out its mission around the world, it is critical that the Agency’s acquisition and assistance processes operate efficiently and effectively to achieve our development objectives. In 2009, the average time for USAID to award a contract in originating in Washington was 513 calendar days. This delay in lead time for awarding contracts resulted in a delay in program implementation. Therefore, reducing the time it takes to make an award is a critical priority for the Agency.
Small businesses are vital to the U.S. economy and provide critical resources that contribute to the mission of USAID. By expanding opportunities for U.S. small businesses, we energize the U.S. economy and leverage a greater diversity of experience and expertise in our development objectives. U.S. small businesses make up a majority of U.S. businesses, and USAID partners with these businesses to increase innovation and provide new approaches to our programs.
Strategic Objectives
Strategic Objective:
Statement:
Enable Diplomats and Development Professionals to Influence and Operate More Efficiently, Effectively, and Collaboratively
Description:
Twenty-first century diplomatic and development challenges demand innovative approaches to create transformational solutions. In an era when information is disseminated instantaneously worldwide, our ability to engage quickly and effectively with the multitude of stakeholders, customers, and audiences is a core competency for our high-performing, motivated professionals. To meet these challenges also requires a flexible, nimble and efficient support platform for our professionals who are representing the United States around the world.
President Obama announced his commitment to attaining an unprecedented level of transparency and excellence in government, which is reflected in his second-term Management Agenda. The State Department and USAID, in support of this Agenda, are spearheading new efforts to engage with the public, modernize information systems, streamline administrative processes, and ensure the prompt release of information to the public, while remaining cognizant of protecting our partners working in closed societies and other sensitive environments. Several of our initiatives involve management innovations in an environment that encourages us to continuously improve our processes and procedures. These apply evidenced-based planning; acquisition and assistance reform; enhanced information technology platforms; and procedures for the strategic allocation, alignment, and assessment of our resources. Other initiatives involve creating new approaches to diplomacy and development that embrace the power and role of individual citizens and publics as critical to achieving shared goals or for countering the influence of extremist and violent individuals and groups. In meeting all of these challenges, State and USAID are committed to ensuring that we use our resources in the most effective and focused ways possible while also adhering to U.S. government statutes and regulations and embracing the highest ethical and professional standards.
Reflecting a new model, we seek to apply the transformative power of science, technology, innovation, and partnerships to deliver more cost-effective, sustainable results. Applying technological advances is a common element of the activities directed at achieving this goal’s objective. Improving customer service and coping with a projected 40 percent increase in passport applications through a new electronic application process; furthering sustainability of USAID development investments through a diversified partner base of local organizations, U.S. small businesses, and other high-impact partnerships; introducing interactive communications platforms for engagement beyond the state and to share more information with the public through innovative technologies, and creating training opportunities to keep our professionals and their families safe and secure. These exemplify efforts where State and USAID are changing the ways that we do business.
At a time when changes in technology, demography, and political discourse are giving citizens around the world unmatched power to affect their societies and U.S. interests, the President has called upon the Department and USAID to understand and forge stronger relationships with foreign publics and emerging leaders. Modernizing diplomacy and development requires the Department and USAID’s commitment to becoming more efficient, effective, transparent, and flexible organizations and to finding innovative approaches to advance U.S. interests and enhance our national security.
Strategies for Achieving the Objective
The Department of State and USAID are pursuing several courses of action to achieve this objective. They will continue to explore balanced, smart, and lean approaches to addressing joint management issues. The Joint Management Board, which was a direct result of Government Accountability Office recommendations, will continue to find ways to drive efficiency into our overseas operations and reduce operating costs. The Department and USAID will continue to adopt balanced, smart, and lean methodologies for continuously improving core business processes, including the completion of joint vouchering efficiencies by September 30, 2014. The Department and USAID will also leverage learning from each other to advance efficiency and effectiveness in their contributions to the achievement of Federal Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goals.
USAID and the Department will enhance their effectiveness by implementing new technology solutions. These are geared to improving the provision of American citizens services, streamlining and simultaneously enhancing the scrutiny given visa applicants, reducing operating costs, boosting collaboration, improving security and countering extremist threats, and broadening engagement opportunities. By applying existing and new analytical tools and data sources, USAID and the Department are aiming to strengthen their staffing and operations through identifying opportunities for more cost-effective procurement processes and foreign assistance management.
Another focus of the Department’s efforts involves transitioning its engagement activities from ones which tended toward engagements that involved limited, exclusive, and direct contacts to an approach based on a culture of openness. This has resulted in the expanded use of digital communications platforms such as social media, digital video conferencing, smart phone applications, and similar means that allow the Department to reach directly to people and that open up its public engagement to all who are interested, not just the limited audience that can be invited to attend our events in person.
Innovations at USAID make it possible to deliver results on a larger scale while simultaneously pursuing more strategic, focused, sustainable, and results-oriented approaches that maximize the impact of our development dollars. Evidence-based planning and increased operational efficiency and effectiveness are among the factors accounting for the impressive improvements in performance and results.
USAID is also promoting sustainable development through building high-impact partnerships. USAID is collaborating with and directly supporting host governments, the private sector, civil society, and academia, all of which serve as engines of growth and progress for their own nations. USAID is using, strengthening, and rendering accountable local partners so they can sustain their own development. These and other efforts have made it possible to identify and scale up innovative, breakthrough solutions to hitherto intractable development challenges. For USAID, the power of science, technology, innovation, and partnerships are all being applied to the goal of delivering more effective, cost-efficient results for sustainable global development.
Agency Priority Goals
Statement: Through September 30, 2015, maintain a 99% rate of all passport applications processed within the targeted timeframe and ensure 80% of nonimmigrant visa applicants are interviewed within three weeks of the date of application.
Description: The mission of the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) is to provide consular operations that most efficiently and effectively protect U.S. citizens, ensure U.S. security, facilitate the entry of legitimate travelers, and foster economic growth. Two core functions of this mission are the provision of passports and visas. Demand for passport and visa documents is inherently unpredictable in the long term, and this variability can greatly affect workload planning efforts. This is true especially with regard to the current Congressional discussion surrounding comprehensive immigration reform and the potential challenges the Department would face in implementing any reform legislation. While the proposed reforms would have a major impact on consular operations and workload, CA will work closely with Congress, the Administration, and its interagency partners to be sure it has the human and financial resources to implement any changes to U.S. law efficiently and effectively. Domestically, the Department supports a significant presence across the country to respond to the consular service needs of the U.S. public. Most notably, this presence consists of 28 passport agencies and centers and a network of more than 8,441 public offices managed by other federal, state, and local government agencies/offices that are designated to accept passport applications. The number of valid passports in circulation has doubled in the past decade. Approximately 114 million U.S. citizens, or 37 percent of the population, have valid passports. In FY 2013, CA issued 13.5 million passport book and card products, a 3.1 percent increase over FY 2012. A potential impending surge in passport renewal applications represents a rising challenge to the achievement of this performance goal. Based on analysis of renewal application trends, passport renewal rates are expected to increase significantly from previous years, beginning in FY 2017. With Executive Order 13597 issued in January 2012, CA needed to increase its visa processing capacity in Brazil and China by 40 percent and ensure that 80 percent of nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applicants worldwide are interviewed within three weeks of receipt of an application. In FY 2013, CA processed 10.7 million nonimmigrant visa applications and issued 9.2 million nonimmigrant visas, a 3.6 percent increase over the previous year, while working through extraordinary increases in visa demand in key markets such as a nearly 38 percent increase in Colombia. Currently, more than 80 percent of applicants worldwide, on average, are interviewed within three weeks of submitting their applications, a significant change over the 70% in early FY 2012. Providing Excellence in Consular Service Delivery provides additional benefits toward the achievement of the Department’s goals. The Department’s efforts facilitate the travel of 67 million visitors to the United States each year, who, according to the Department of Commerce’s 2012 United States Travel and Tourism Statistics, spent $166 billion, an average of $2,478 per visitor. An estimated 1.2 million jobs in the United States are supported annually by international travel. In addition to the economic benefits, the visa issuance process is the front-line of ensuring U.S. security through the visa interview process, which can eliminate applicants desiring to travel to the U.S. for illegitimate purposes.
Statement: By September 30, 2015, USAID will reduce procurement administrative lead time (PALT) by 40 percent from the 2009 baseline of 513 calendar days, increase percentage of program funding going directly to local partners to 30 percent, and meet or exceed the prime contract acquisition dollars obligated to U.S. small businesses worldwide by 10 percent from the FY 2013 baseline of 8.2 percent.
Description: As a cornerstone of its USAID Forward reform agenda, USAID has begun a critical shift in the way we administer our assistance, placing a greater emphasis on public-private partnerships, channeling funding to local governments and organizations that have the in-country knowledge and expertise to create sustainable positive change, and expanding our partner base. USAID is also focused on streamlining the procurement process, building new partnerships, and institutionalizing our reforms. USAID is committed to work in full partnership with local governments and organizations and tailoring its approaches accordingly. The Agency’s Local Solutions initiative will focus on the following: In so doing, the Agency will support sustainable development results and allow cooperative and mutually accountable relationships to grow. These relationships – between USAID and partner country stakeholders, as well as among these stakeholders are critical to the development of resilient societies that can deliver results to their citizens. The Agency collaborates with these stakeholders by investing in projects and programs in these countries through its procurement process. In 2012, USAID obligated $13.9 billion through acquisition and assistance mechanisms. Given the important role that procurement plays in enabling USAID to carry out its mission around the world, it is critical that the Agency’s acquisition and assistance processes operate efficiently and effectively to achieve our development objectives. In 2009, the average time for USAID to award a contract in originating in Washington was 513 calendar days. This delay in lead time for awarding contracts resulted in a delay in program implementation. Therefore, reducing the time it takes to make an award is a critical priority for the Agency. Small businesses are vital to the U.S. economy and provide critical resources that contribute to the mission of USAID. By expanding opportunities for U.S. small businesses, we energize the U.S. economy and leverage a greater diversity of experience and expertise in our development objectives. U.S. small businesses make up a majority of U.S. businesses, and USAID partners with these businesses to increase innovation and provide new approaches to our programs.
