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Office of the Inspector General The FMC's Office of Inspector General (OIG) was established in 1989 as required by the Inspector General Act Amendments of 1988 (5 U.S.C. app. § 2). Under the Inspector General Act, the OIG is responsible for conducting audits and investigations relating to the programs and operations of the FMC. Audits are conducted for the purpose of finding and preventing fraud, waste and abuse and to promote economy, efficiency and effectiveness within the agency. OIG investigations seek out facts related to allegations of wrongdoing on the part of FMC employees and individuals or entities having contracts with or obtaining benefits from the agency. Complaints to the OIG from the public or from an FMC employee can be made anonymously. The identity of an FMC employee who reports waste or wrongdoing to the OIG will be protected from disclosure consistent with provisions of the Inspector General Act. In addition, the Inspector General Act and the Whistleblower Protection Act (5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8)) prohibit reprisals against employees for complaining to or cooperating with the OIG. The OIG is required by law to prepare a semiannual report summarizing its audits and investigations during the immediately preceding six-month period. The report is sent to the FMC Chairman, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and FMC's appropriating and authorizing committees. This dual reporting requirement facilitates and ensures the independence of the Office. - Reporting Misconduct or Fraud - Reporting Waste, Abuse, or Mismanagement - Protection From Retaliation
The OIG conducts investigations to establish the facts relating to an allegation of wrongdoing. OIG investigations address administrative, civil and criminal violations of laws and regulations. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) employees (including supervisors and managers) shall promptly report to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) any: · conduct on the part of an agency employee that may be a violation of law or regulation; or · fraudulent or other illicit activity on the part of any individual or entity contracting with or obtaining a benefit from the agency. Reporting Waste, Abuse or Mismanagement The OIG does not exercise program operating responsibility, and day-to-day operational issues arising in FMC programs are normally addressed by agency management without OIG involvement. However, an employee should report evidence of significant waste, abuse or mismanagement to the OIG. An employee should advise his or her supervisor that waste, abuse or mismanagement has been reported to the OIG unless the employee believes that: · the allegation involves possible wrongdoing on the part of his or her supervisor(s); or · reporting to a supervisor may result in reprisal or retaliation.
Duty to Cooperate with the OIG FMC employees have a duty to cooperate in audits and investigations conducted by the OIG and to respond to questions posed by an OIG investigator upon being informed that their responses will not be used to incriminate them in a criminal proceeding. When reporting waste, fraud, abuse, mismanagement or misconduct to the OIG, an FMC employee may request that his or her identity remain confidential. The OIG has authority to reveal the identity of a complainant if it is deemed unavoidable in the course of an investigation. However, where an employee has requested confidentiality, the OIG will honor that request to the extent possible. Protection from Reprisal or Retaliation Pursuant to the Inspector General Act and the Whistleblower Protection Act, a supervisor may not retaliate against an employee or engage in any act of reprisal based upon the employee complaining to or cooperating with the OIG.
The Office of Inspector General is required by the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, to conduct audits, evaluations and reviews of agency programs and activities. In general, these activities involve an examination and analysis of FMC bureaus or offices, programs or operations. The auditor may analyze, and verify agency records and obtain information by interviews, questionnaires, and physical inspections. Audits are selected based on a number of factors, including (i) statutory requirements, (ii) materiality of the activity, (iii) agency staff comments regarding perceived vulnerabilities or inefficiencies, and (iv) complaints from individuals outside the agency, including Congress, the media and the public.
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