Sometimes our government wastes money. Lately the waste is so stark that everyone just raises an eyebrow and moves on with life. The Office of Inspector General’s report titled Inspection of the Bureau of International Information Programs did not like the $630,000 spent on getting people to like three BIIP facebook pages. It took 52 pages to express the dislike.
How much money do you suppose was spent on the investigation and report?
The report states: Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) leadership failed to convey its strategic vision to staff members, despite formalized communications. Leadership created an atmosphere of secrecy, suspicion, and uncertainty.
Worse, the “Responsibility for information technology (IT) operations is diffuse, leading to problems of governance and oversight.”
Oh Pooh on the Bear. The IG just called the IT – wait for it – diffuse. At least they didn’t get cute and write about IT getting their signals crossed.