Our Mission
We provide independent oversight to promote accountability, integrity, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI).
Our Vision
Promote positive change in the DOI through objective oversight conducted by a world-class OIG workforce.
Our Values
Our values—integrity, objectivity, and impact—guide employee behavior and decisions at all levels.
Who We Are
We are dedicated public servants committed to good Government. Through our oversight work, we help to safeguard taxpayer dollars from fraud and mismanagement and promote public trust in Government by identifying and preventing misconduct. We also identify ways to improve the DOI’s programs and operations by offering specific, actionable recommendations that lead to positive change.
The DOI has a remarkably broad portfolio: its more than 60,000 employees are responsible for millions of acres of public lands throughout the country, billions of dollars in acquisitions and royalty collection, and energy production. The DOI also has far-reaching and profoundly important obligations to American Indians and Alaska Natives. This portfolio carries significant stakes for the public, as the DOI must ensure that it is appropriately addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, conserving land and water, collecting revenue owed for the use of Government resources, and ensuring access to and safety on public lands. Our oversight responsibilities are, as a result, equally broad and of great public significance.
We assess risk in departmental programs and conduct our work in areas that can have a significant impact. At the same time, we strive to make sure our own operations are efficient and effective and to promote a culture in which all of our employees are valued and can contribute in a meaningful way.
What We Do
We achieve our mission by conducting independent investigations, audits, inspections, and evaluations and by reporting our findings of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement along with recommendations for improvement.
Depending on the nature of the information, we share it with Department officials, Congress, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and other law enforcement entities, and the public. We use our findings to prompt corrective action when we find shortcomings and deficiencies and to prevent wrongdoing and mismanagement. We conduct outreach to those responsible for the expenditure of DOI funds, including employees, contractors, grantees, and tribes. These outreach efforts help inform these audiences of the consequences of wrongdoing, red flags that they can identify, and how to report problems or concerns to us. We also provide the DOI with information on recipients of DOI funding that should be considered for suspension and debarment actions, which can protect taxpayer resources by preventing wrongdoers from receiving additional Federal funds.
You can read more about Federal Inspectors General, including information about their role and jurisdiction, in this book chapter authored by Inspector General Mark Lee Greenblatt, reproduced from the ABA's Ethical Standards in the Public Sector: A Guide for Government Lawyers, Clients, and Public Officials, Third Edition. Reproduction of this chapter does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Insular Area Audit Responsibilities
Under the Insular Areas Act of 1982 (48 U.S.C. § 1422), the Inspector General performs the functions of “government comptroller” in the United States insular areas of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands by conducting audits of all property, receipts, revenues, and expenditures. The OIG also has audit responsibilities in the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau pursuant to the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985 (48 U.S.C. § 1681 note).