ABOUT THE EMBASSY

Community Liason Office (CLO)

The Community Liaison Office (CLO)  works with US personnel and family members to  maintain high morale at post. The CLO assists individuals in adjusting to  post environment, identifies the needs of the US mission community and  responds with appropriate service, information and referral. The CLO  advises post management on community matters and functions as a resource for employees and family members at post. There are eight principal service areas that the CLO is responsible for; welcome and orientation,  community liaison, education liaison, information and resource management, guidance and referral, crisis management and security liaison, employment liaison, and events planning.

The CLO serves as a resource center for a wide variety of information both before you arrive and after you get settled in at post. CLO assists newcomers with the transition to life at post by sharing information before their arrival, handling school registration of children, and organizing orientation programs for newly arrived personnel. In addition, the office includes an Internet kiosk for use by the entire community. This is especially helpful to newcomers awaiting the arrival of their home computers.

Soon after you've settled in, you'll want to check out the CLO Library, which includes a bounty of travel books and brochures on destinations throughout Cote d'Ivoire and Africa, as well as general travel guides. The library also includes reference materials on a variety of topics, including employment, education, and health issues.

The CLO coordinator is the mission's advocate for families and community issues and concerns. The process of moving to a new place can be overwhelming, especially for family members who don't have the daily structure of work to maintain some degree of stability. The coordinator is always available to offer confidential advice and support. CLO can also help you get in touch with others with similar interests and to get involved in the community - the surest step toward feeling comfortable in a new place.

One important area in which the CLO is involved is in helping find employment for family members who wish to work. The coordinator is an advisor to the Eligible Family Member Employment Committee, which ensures that hiring within the embassy is done in a fair and unbiased manner. Family members interested in finding work in Abidjan should send a copy of their resume to the CLO. In addition to opportunities within the embassy, CLO is often contacted by outside organizations seeking part-time or temporary help. The coordinator also organizes the mission's summer hire program for high school and college students.

The CLO organizes a variety of community events, including orientation programs, social events and tours. You can find out the latest events going on in the community by looking at the calendar in the Drumbeat, the post's regular newsletter. When you are not sure where to turn, the CLO is a good place to start.