Today, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) honored three teams and one individual from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the 25th Annual CIGIE Awards Ceremony. Featuring Interior Secretary Deb Haaland as this year’s keynote speaker, the annual awards ceremony honors exceptional work across the Federal inspector general community from the prior year.
“I am immensely proud of our teams for the honor and recognition that they are receiving today,” said Inspector General Mark Lee Greenblatt. “These prestigious awards highlight the fair, independent, and objective oversight that DOI OIG employees conduct on behalf of the American public and the positive changes that we are promoting in the Department of the Interior across a wide-ranging array of programs. Today’s awards honor teams in different disciplines and in different field offices, which reflects the high-quality work and talented professionals throughout our team.”
This year’s DOI OIG award winners are:
Office of National Resources Revenue Royalty Reporting and Adjustments Audit Team (Award for Excellence – Audits)
DOI collects billions of dollars annually from Federal oil and gas royalty revenue, one of the most significant nontax revenue generators for the U.S. Treasury. Oil and gas companies may reduce the amount owed by submitting royalty reporting “adjustments.” In its January 2022 audit, Better Internal Controls Could Ensure Accuracy of the Office of Natural Resources Revenue’s Royalty Reporting and Adjustments, the DOI OIG team identified improvements needed to strengthen internal controls over the adjustment process. Once implemented, the improved internal controls will, in turn, lower the risk of lost Federal revenue.
Office of Hopi and Navajo Indian Relocation Evaluation Team (Award for Excellence – Evaluations)
The DOI OIG team is being recognized for its substantive and meaningful achievements in assisting Congressional, Office of Management and Budget, and DOI decision makers plan for the future of the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation (ONHIR). ONHIR is an independent Federal agency responsible for implementing the relocation of Navajo people and Hopi people living within each other’s boundaries as a result of U.S. Government partitioning of Office of Inspector General | Washington, DC tribal land, pursuant to the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974. Nine reports produced by this team provided critical information regarding an agency that has no inspector general of its Own, and thereby significantly enhanced Congress’ ability to enact legislation and perform oversight.
Lafayette Park Review Team (Award for Excellence – Investigations)
This special investigative review, Review of U.S. Park Police Actions at Lafayette Park, comprehensively examined the actions of the U.S. Park Police (USPP) in response to the protests in Lafayette Park in June 2020. The DOI OIG team provided a thorough, objective record of USPP’s decision making and operations, including a detailed timeline of relevant actions and an analysis of whether the USPP’s actions complied with governing policies.
Jeremy Spears, CIGIE Data Act Working Group Member (Award for Excellence – Audit)
DOI OIG auditor Jeremy Spears was a member of the CIGIE Data Act Working Group’s Common Methodology Subgroup that is being recognized with an Audit Award for Excellence. This multi-agency team’s pioneering efforts improved the quality, accuracy, and visibility of Government spending data, and identified efficiencies for pandemic-related spending and other Government-wide initiatives.
For more information about CIGIE and the role of Inspectors General in promoting efficiency and effectiveness and addressing fraud, waste, and abuse, visit the CIGIE website at www.ignet.gov.
For more information about DOI OIG, visit www.doioig.gov.
Original source can be found here.
