Brief Histories of U.S. Government Agencies Volume Five by Michael Erbschloe - HTML preview

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

The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) was statutorily established as an independent entity within the executive branch by the "The Inspector General Reform Act of 2008," P.L. 110-409 to:

• address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues that transcend individual Government agencies; and
• increase the professionalism and effectiveness of personnel by developing policies, standards, and approaches to aid in the establishment of a well-trained and highly skilled workforce in the offices of the Inspectors General.

To accomplish its mission, the CIGIE:

• continually identify, review, and discuss areas of weakness and vulnerability in Federal programs and operations with respect to fraud, waste, and abuse;
• develop plans for coordinated, Government-wide activities that address these problems and promote economy and efficiency in Federal programs and operations, including interagency and interentity audit, investigation, inspection, and evaluation programs and projects to deal efficiently and effectively with those problems concerning fraud and waste that exceed the capability or jurisdiction of an individual agency or entity;
• develop policies that will aid in the maintenance of a corps of well-trained and highly skilled Office of Inspector General personnel;
• maintain an Internet website and other electronic systems for the benefit of all Inspectors General;
• maintain 1 or more academies as the Council considers desirable for the professional training of auditors, investigators, inspectors, evaluators, and other personnel of the various offices of Inspector General;
• submit recommendations of individuals to the appropriate appointing authority for any appointment to an office of Inspector General described under subsection (b)(1)(A) or (B);
• make such reports to Congress as the Chairperson determines are necessary or appropriate; and
• perform other duties within the authority and jurisdiction of the Council, as appropriate.
• The CIGIE is comprised of all Inspectors General whose offices are established under section 2 or section 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), those that are Presidentially-appointed/Senate Confirmed and those that are appointed by agency heads (designated federal entities). The Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget is the Executive Chair of the Council. The Chair of the Council is elected by the Council members to serve a 2 year term. The Chair appoints a Vice Chair from other than the category from which the Chair was elected. Other statutory members of the CIGIE include: the Inspectors General of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency, the Controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management, a senior level official of the Federal Bureau of Investigation designated by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Director of the Office of Government Ethics, Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel, the Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management, the Inspectors General of the Library of Congress, Capitol Police, Government Publishing Office, Government Accountability Office, and the Architect of the Capitol. Prior to the establishment of the CIGIE, the Federal Inspectors General operated under the auspices of two councils, The President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) and the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency (ECIE) from the time they were established by Executive Order 12805, May 11, 1992 until the signing of P.L. 110-409.

Membership:

• All Inspectors General (IGs) whose offices are established under either section 2 or section 8G of the IG Act, or pursuant to other statutory authority (e.g., the Special IGs for Iraq Reconstruction, Afghanistan Reconstruction, and Troubled Asset Relief Program)..
• The IGs of the Intelligence Community and the Central Intelligence Agency.
• The IGs of the Government Printing Office, the Library of Congress, the Capitol Police, the Government Accountability Office, and the Architect of the Capitol.
• The Controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management.
• A senior level official of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) designated by the Director of the FBI.
• The Director of the Office of Government Ethics.
• The Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel.
• The Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
• The Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

At the option of the Chairperson, after considering advice from the Executive Council, representatives of other Government organizations may be invited to attend, observe, or contribute to Council meetings and activities.

IG Act History

October 12, 1978

The IG Act of 1978 is enacted by President Jimmy Carter, who signed the Act and described the new statutory IGs as “perhaps the most important new tools in the fight against fraud.”  President Carter charges the IGs to always remember that their ultimate responsibility is not to any individual but to the public interest.

March 26, 1981

President Ronald Reagan established the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) through Executive Order 12301.  PCIE was charged with developing plans for coordinated Government-wide activities which attack fraud and waste in Government programs and operations, among other responsibilities.

October 18, 1988

The IG Act was amended, creating 30 additional OIGs at designated agencies, providing essentially the same powers and duties as those appointed by the President; however, these IGs are appointed by, and can be removed by, the agency head.

May 11, 1992

President George H.W. Bush established the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency (ECIE) for agency appointed IGs, and reconstituted the PCIE, through Executive Order 12805.  ECIE and PCIE were charged with the responsibility to continually identify, review, and discuss areas of weakness and vulnerability in Federal programs and operations to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse, and develop plans for coordinated, Governmentwide activities that address these problems and promote economy and efficiency in Federal programs and operations, among other responsibilities.

March 21, 1996

President William J. Clinton established an Integrity Committee responsible for administering the procedures for investigating allegations of wrongdoing by individual IGs.

November 25, 2002

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is enacted by President George W. Bush, transferring the Federal Emergency Management Agency functions to the Department of Homeland Security.  Further, the Act amended the IG Act of 1978 authorizing the exercise of law enforcement authority, including carrying firearms, making arrests, and executing warrants, to special agents of 24 Presidentially-appointed OIGs.  Additionally, the Act included provisions to enable other OIGs to qualify for law enforcement authority.  Prior to this Act, four other OIGs possessed law enforcement authority pursuant to separate legislation.

October 14, 2008

The IG Reform Act of 2008 is enacted by President George W. Bush, establishing the CIGIE as the unified council of all statutory IGs with the mission to address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues that transcend individual Government agencies; and increase the professionalism and effectiveness of personnel by developing policies, standards, and approaches to aid in the establishment of a well-trained and highly skilled workforce in the offices of the Inspectors General.

February 17, 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is enacted by President Barack Obama, establishing appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009.  Additionally, the Act established the Recovery Act Accountability and Transparency Board consisting of the Chairperson and 10 IGs, and any other IGs designated by the President. 

July 21, 2010

The Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 is enacted by President Barack Obama, establishing, among other things, that designated Federal entities consisting of a board or commission, are considered heads of their agencies with respect to the appointment of those entities’ IGs.  Further, that for removal of such an IG requires a written concurrence of two-thirds of the board or commission.

October 7, 2010

The Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2010 is enacted by President Barack Obama, establishing the Intelligence Community Inspector General and establishing the four Defense Intelligence components as designated Federal entities under the IG Act of 2008.  Through enactment, all five of these IGs became members of the CIGIE.

November 27, 2012

The Whistleblower Protection and Enhancement Act of 2012 is enacted by President Barack Obama, establishing that each Presidentially-appointed Senate-confirmed IG shall designate a Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman responsible for educating agency employees about prohibitions on retaliation for protected disclosures and the rights and remedies against retaliation for protected disclosures.

• 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.

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.

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
• 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

(Link: https://www.ignet.gov/content/charter)