Who is our Inspector General?
The Inspector
General Act of 1978, as amended, establishes the responsibilities and
duties of an Inspector General (IG). The President nominates IGs at
Cabinet-level departments and major agencies with Senate confirmation. Inspector
General Earl E. Devaney was nominated by President Clinton on July 1, 1999
to be the seventh IG for the Department of the Interior (DOI). Mr.
Devaney was confirmed by the full Senate on August 3, 1999.
What is our mission?
The mission of the U.S. Department of the Interior is to protect America's
natural resources for future generations, provide access to our nation's natural
and cultural heritage, offer recreation opportunities, honor its trust responsibilities
to American Indians and Alaska Natives, conduct scientific research, provide
wise stewardship of energy and mineral resources, and conserve and protect
fish and wildlife. The DOI Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent
office within the DOI whose mission is to promote excellence, integrity, and
accountability throughout the Department of the Interior.
How do we accomplish the mission?
The OIG conducts investigations, evaluations, and audits in order to enhance
effectiveness and efficiency and to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and mismanagement
in DOI programs and operations. Our focus in assisting the Secretary
and the Congress is to target our resources toward developing solutions for
the Department’s most serious management and program challenges – most
notably, cross-cutting or Department-wide issues – and toward high-risk
areas vulnerable to fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement.
Does the OIG have any law enforcement positions?
There are two primary law enforcement positions assigned to the OIG Office
of Investigations: Investigator (1810) and Special Agent (1811).