U.S. Embassy-Bogota Seeks Greater Internal Oversight of Drug-War Funds

The U.S. Embassy in Bogota is searching for a Financial Management Advisor to oversee a billion-dollar stockpile of U.S. taxpayer dollars slated for counternarcotics operations in Colombia. The Embassy’s Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) issued a sources-sought notice May 2 via the federal Electronic Posting System to fill the position – a job that comes with the responsibility of providing financial management “oversight and direction” for all U.S.-sponsored counterdrug programs and appropriations. “The NAS Bogota Management unit controls a current $460 million budget that grows to approximately $900 million when prior year funding (pipeline) is included,” the notice said, “and exceeds $1 billion when other agency funding is added; to support the execution, logistical and administrative support of Colombia counter-narcotics and law enforcement programs, which includes twenty five programs and eight multi-year appropriations.”

In addition to reporting to the NAS director, the new financial management official will develop and supervise “sixteen locally hired staff supporting the financial management function.” The staffers will include two budget analysts, five accountants, and nine voucher examiners “who provide funding and payment function support for the counter-narcotics and law enforcement programs of NAS Bogota,” according to the notice.

The advisor selected for this post work will have his or her work cut for them, as the job entails “financial and organizational analysis of enormous complexity.” NAS also said the “incumbent will perform duties in a hazardous environment where 15% danger pay is authorized.”

The document indicates that job is made even more difficult by policymakers in Washington, whom it characterized as clueless about the difficulty of actually implementing such top-to-bottom foreign policy: “Discerning the intent of legislation and policy statements and determining how to apply them in a unique field of operations not likely envisioned by crafters of the legislation or policy statements when created, offer unique and demanding challenges.”

The pay scale for the position is in the FP-3 to FP-2 range – in other words, somewhere between $58,845 and $123,690, not including danger pay.

http://www1.eps.gov/spg/State/INL/INL-RM-MS/PSC%2D 05%2D034%2DINL/SynopsisR.html