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Mission

Under the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, the role of federal IGs is to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse relating to their agency’s programs and operations, and to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the agency’s operations and programs.

OIGs are located within their agencies but must conduct their audits, investigations, evaluations, and special reviews independently from their agencies. Approximately half of the 74 federal IGs are appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation, and approximately half are appointed by the agency head. IGs are nonpartisan and are selected without regard to political affiliations.

 

 

  • Communicating Results

    Mission: Communicating Results

    IGs issue a variety of written reports such as:

    • Audit, Investigative, and Inspection/evaluatyion 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.

    IG's 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.
       

  • Contributing to good government

    Mission: Contributing 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 advice as new plans are developed.
    • They can perform independent investigations of allegations.
    • IGs maintain Hotlines for employees and others to report confidential information regarding allegations of fraud and abuse.

     

  • IGs are appointed without regard to their political affiliation.
  • The appointment is based on integrity and ability in:
    • accounting, auditing, financial analysis;
    • law, management analysis, public administration; or
    • investigations.
  • The President nominates IGs at Cabinet-level departments and major agencies with Senate confirmation. These IGs can only be removed by the President. The agency heads appoint and can remove IGs at designated Federal entities. Both houses of Congress must be notified if an IG is removed by the President or an agency head.

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.

  • 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 Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).

  • OIG Directory

    The OIG Directory at this site provides phone numbers, mailing addresses and hotline numbers for each IG.  Links to the homepages of individual Offices of Inspectors General are also provided, as available.

    Visit OIG Directory

  • Inspector General Vacancies

    This is a description of Inspector General Vacancies and what users can expect to find by accessing this page.
     

    View IG Vacancies