Inspectors General

and the Press

presentation to

National Press Foundations

Paul Miller Washington Reporting
Fellowship
Kathy Buller, Peace Corps Inspector General
Paul Martin, NASA Inspector General

IG Mission
To promote
economy,
efficiency,
effectiveness, and
integrity in the
delivery of agency
programs.

Appointment of Federal IGs

Appointment and Removal

President appoints IGs at cabinet-level departments and

major agencies (36 IGs)

Senate confirmation required of presidentially appointed IGs.

Presidentially appointed IGs can only be removed by the President.

Remaining 36 IGs are appointed and removed by their

respective agency heads.

The Senate and House of Representatives must be notified

30 days in advance if an IG is to be removed.

Key OIG Activities

AUDIT, INSPECT, and EVALUATE agency programs and

activities

INVESTIGATE allegations of wrongdoing

REVIEW proposed legislation and regulations as to their

likely effect on the economy and efficiency of the host
department/agency

INFORM agency head and Congress

Operate a HOTLINE to receive information

What IGs Do Not Do

Operate Programs

Create or Amend Program Policy

Enforce Implementation of OIG

Recommendations

Suspend or Debar Contractors

Participate in Employment Decisions Regarding

Agency Personnel

Hallmarks of an Effective IG

Roles

Provide Oversight
Maintain Independence
Maintain Objectivity

Responsibilities

Identify Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Mismanagement

Report to both Department/Agency Head and
Congress
Be Transparent to the Media and Public

Oversight of the IGs

External Peer Reviews

Integrity Committee

Audit
Investigations
Inspections and Evaluations (Piloting)
FBI Senior Official chairs committee (objective/independent)
Review allegations of wrongdoing of an IG
Investigative mechanism of alleged wrongdoing

Transparency Work of the IGs is open to public

scrutiny

Media & Public Interface

Hotlines

IG Websites

List Serves, RSS Feeds

Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube)

Semi-Annual Reports to Congress

Freedom of Information Act