CIGIE Annual Report 2023: Federal Oversight Yields $93.1 Billion in Savings
The CIGIE Annual Report to the President and Congress for Fiscal Year 2023 summarizes the major accomplishments and actions of the federal Offices of Inspector General (OIGs) during the year. These OIGs help to promote efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity in government operations. The study stresses the cumulative impact of OIG operations, stating that nearly 14,000 employees from 74 OIGs performed audits, inspections, assessments, and investigations. These initiatives resulted in significant changes to government programs, with potential savings of almost $93.1 billion. This total includes $82.2 billion in audit recommendations and $10.9 billion in investigative recoveries and receivables. Surprisingly, for every dollar invested on OIGs, there was an estimated $26 return, demonstrating the importance and effectiveness of their job.
In terms of operational impact, the OIG community generated 2,217 audit, inspection, and assessment reports, completed 19,755 investigations, and handled 743,275 hotline complaints. These activities resulted in 4,691 indictments and criminal complaints, 4,318 successful prosecutions, 1,106 successful civil cases, 2,907 suspensions or debarments, and 3,187 personnel actions. This data highlights the OIGs' role in ensuring the integrity and accountability of federal programs.
The report presents CIGIE's strategic goals and accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2023, which are organized around four key objectives. The first purpose is to strengthen and ensure the integrity of federal programs and operations. Each year, federal inspector generals identify and report on the most pressing management and performance issues confronting their respective agencies. CIGIE published a comprehensive view of these challenges in FY 2023, addressing issues such as information technology security and management, human capital management, performance management and accountability, financial management, procurement management, grants management, and a variety of other concerns. CIGIE also created reports to inform federal agencies and the OIG community about the conclusions, findings, and recommendations for natural disaster preparedness and response.
The second strategic goal is to build a well-trained, diversified, and highly talented OIG community. The CIGIE Training Institute was instrumental in this regard, enrolling almost 12,000 students in various programs throughout its three academies that focus on criminal investigations, audits, inspections, evaluations, and leadership skills. The institution increased its offerings to include coaching, mentoring, and professional development programs, ensuring that OIG employees had a diverse range of learning opportunities.
The third purpose highlights CIGIE's function as a hub for collaboration, best practices, outreach, and innovation. CIGIE supported a wide range of activities aimed at improving procedures and encouraging innovation in the OIG community through its ten standing committees and numerous working groups. These organizations addressed key cross-cutting issues and raised public understanding of the OIG community's purpose and duties. Highlights include the creation of a toolkit for incorporating equity into oversight work and the publication of rules for conducting external peer reviews.
The fourth strategic goal is to maintain an efficient, well-managed organization that can serve as a model for other government institutions. In FY 2023, CIGIE made great progress in operational modernization by moving its human resources and payroll services to the Interior Business Center. This shift gave real-time access to essential data and reports, increasing the efficiency of CIGIE operations. CIGIE also planned for the shift of its financial systems to the Interior Business Center, which ensured the integrity of its operations and data.
The report also highlights the accomplishments of the several CIGIE committees. For example, the Audit Committee concentrated on recognizing and meeting the training needs of OIG auditors in the post-pandemic setting. The DEIA Committee updated the CIGIE Roadmap for Advancing DEIA and released the first Toolkit for Considering Equity When Conducting Oversight Work. The Investigations Committee provided updates and guidance on executive orders affecting law enforcement, while the Legislation Committee lobbied for legislative goals that strengthen the IG's independence and oversight capacities. The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) uses advanced analytics to find fraud and issue pandemic response oversight products, emphasizing the importance of data-sharing agreements in detecting and preventing fraud before funds are paid.
However, the report does not specify whether the OIG can assist federal government contractors with issues involving their federal government customers. While OIGs' broader role includes detecting and preventing fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement within federal programs, which can indirectly benefit contractors by ensuring a more transparent and accountable government environment, the report makes no explicit mention of direct assistance to contractors with issues with federal customers. Instead, it highlights the OIGs' investigative and audit efforts, which may discover and correct issues impacting contractors but lack a clear mission to give direct assistance to them.
FedFeather Frank says:
“The OIG offers value to federal government contractors by promoting transparency and accountability within federal programs, ensuring efficient and effective use of funds, and detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse, which can lead to a more reliable and fair contracting environment. Their oversight can indirectly benefit contractors by fostering a more efficient and less problematic government contracting process.”