The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, establishes the responsibilities and duties of an IG. The IG Act was amended throughout the 1980s to increase the number of agencies with statutory IGs, culminating in 1988 with the establishment of IGs in smaller, independent agencies. There are now 64 statutory IGs.

There are two IG councils. The President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) and the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency (ECIE). The PCIE has 7 committees, Audit, Human Resources, Information Technology, Inspection and Evaluation, Investigations, Integrity, and Legislation as well as several related organizations. The ECIE is represented on each of the committees. The PCIE and ECIE also provide specialized training to the IG community.