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| What is the Inspector General's (IG) mission? |
Per the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, the Inspector General's mission is to:
- Conduct independent and objective audits, investigations and inspections
- Prevent and detect waste, fraud and abuse,
- Promote economy, effectiveness and efficiency,
- Review pending legislation and regulation, and
- Keep the agency head and Congress fully and currently informed.
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| Are IGs independent? |
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Yes, IGs are independent. While by law, IG's are under the general supervision of the agency head or deputy; neither the agency head nor the deputy can prevent or prohibit an IG from conducting an audit or investigation.
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The IGs are authorized to:
- Have direct access to all records and information of the agency,
- Have ready access to the agency head,
- Conduct such investigations and issue such reports as the IG thinks appropriate (with limited national security and law enforcement exceptions),
- Issue subpoenas for information and documents outside the agency (with same limited exceptions),
- Administer oaths for taking testimony, and
- Hire and control their own staff and contract resources.
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| Who oversees the IGs? |
- The IGs serve under the general supervision of the agency head. Yet, by statute, IGs have a dual and independent reporting relationship to the agency head and to the Congress.
- Allegations of misconduct against an IG should be referred to the Integrity Committee of the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE).
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| How are the results of an IG's work communicated? |
IGs issue a variety of written reports such as:
- Audit, investigative, and inspection/evaluation reports prepared in accordance with professional standards;
- Semiannual reports to the Congress that describe the work of the OIG within the reporting period; and
- Immediate correspondence to the agency head to report egregious and flagrant problems and/or abuses. The agency head then transmits this reporting, along with any comments by the agency head, to the Congress within seven days.
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IGs also must report:
- Any unreasonable refusal within the agency to provide information to the agency head, or
- Suspected violations of Federal criminal law to the Attorney General.
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| How does an IG contribute to good government? |
- IGs look independently at problems and possible solutions.
- They issue fact-filled reports based on professional audit, investigative, and inspection standards.
- They provide technical and/or consultative advice as new plans are developed.
- They can perform independent investigation of allegations, as requested by the agency head.
- IGs maintain Hotlines for employees and others to report confidential information regarding allegations of fraud and abuse.
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