About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (January 12, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govekfa0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the legislitive debate since 1914 0 Updated January 12, 2023 An Introduction to Oversight of Offices of Inspector General Who watches the watchers? is a frequently posed question when people consider the role of oversight bodies, including offices of inspector general (OIGs). However, the organization of OIGs may pose unique challenges that make it more difficult to conduct oversight of their activities. In particular, the level of independence from agency leaders that allows inspectors general (IGs) to conduct their audits and investigations with less risk of actual or perceived interference also makes it more difficult to identify and remedy issues that arise within an OIG by limiting their supervision by senior agency officials. While oversight of OIGs may create specific challenges for Congress and other stakeholders, the efficient and effective operation of OIGs, like the agencies and officials they oversee, is important to the successful operation of the government. Congress has established mechanisms for oversight of inspectors general through the Inspector General Act of 1978 (IG Act; 5 U.S.C. App.). While Section 3(a) of the act states that each IG shall report to and be under the general supervision of the establishment in which they serve, it also states that agency leadership may not prevent or prohibit the Inspector General from initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation. In practice, these provisions mean that OIGs typically operate with less supervision from agency leaders than other officials do. While the overall focus of the IG Act is oriented toward independence for IGs, particularly from those officials whom they oversee, it does contain several discrete provisions that facilitate or require specific forms of oversight of OIGs. This In Focus details how the IG Act addresses oversight of OIGs and provides information on government organizations that have formal and informal oversight roles with regard to the IG community, including the IG community itself, other oversight offices, the President, agency leaders, and Congress. The Inspector General Com unity A consistent form of oversight of OIGs comes from the inspector general community itself. The Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) is composed of inspectors general and certain other oversight officials who are tasked with, among other things, increasing the professionalism and effectiveness of OIGs. CIGIE conducts oversight of particular OIGs through two principle mechanisms: its Integrity Committee and OIG peer reviews. The Integrity Committee is a body within CIGIE created under Section 11(d) of the IG Act and tasked with receiving and reviewing allegations of wrongdoing against IGs and OIG staff. Investigative reports of the Integrity Committee are provided to both the appropriate congressional committees and the President (or agency head if that official appoints the agency's IG). Congress has maintained a regular interest in this work and included provisions in the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 117- 263) that expand the information on investigations that the Integrity Committee must report to Congress, including on investigations concluded without findings of wrongdoing. The IG community also conducts regular peer reviews in which OIGs evaluate each other's procedures and recent work to determine compliance with government audit, investigation, and inspection standards. These reviews provide regular opportunities for OIGs to receive expert evaluations of their activities. Other Oversight Offices In addition to reviews within the IG community, other federal entities may also oversee OIGs in some circumstances. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), in particular, has the authority to investigate the operations of OIGs and to improve their effectiveness and compliance with laws, regulations, and best practices for audits and investigations. For instance, in April 2021, GAO published a preliminary report on its review of the Department of Homeland Security OIG at the request of the House Committee on Homeland Security and appeared at a hearing on the subject before the committee (GAO-21- 452T). Under Section 4(b) of the IG Act, OIGs are also required to comply with GAO auditing standards. GAO may conduct compliance reviews to ensure that each OIG is adhering to those standards and make recommendations related to the operations of OIGs. In addition, officials within OIGs may be subject to the jurisdiction of the Office of Government Ethics and the Office of Special Counsel in some circumstances. Potential violations of federal criminal law may be reviewed by the Department of Justice. The President One of Congress's principal design decisions in the creation of OIGs has been to provide a relatively high degree of independence from the President and agency leaders. When Presidents have been perceived to act against that expectation of independence, even when they are acting in a manner allowed under the IG Act, they have typically been met with bipartisan criticism in Congress. For more

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most