Our Mission

The mission of the OIG is to provide independent oversight and promote excellence, integrity, and accountability within the programs, operations, and management of the Department of the Interior.

Who We Are

Regulating energy development…Conserving land and water resources…Protecting wildlife…Conducting science research...Preserving national parks, monuments, and heritage areas…Addressing American Indian concerns.

These diverse activities and more are the responsibility of the Department of the Interior, and the Office of Inspector General follows the guiding principles of its mission to root out and prevent fraud, waste, and mismanagement within DOI.  The Department manages about one-fifth of the land area of the United States, and DOI’s eight primary bureaus – such as the National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey -- assist in protecting America’s great outdoors, preserving cultural resources, and powering our nation’s future.

We are a highly motivated organization of 300 employees conducting independent oversight and responding in the best interest of American taxpayers to ensure that DOI earns the public’s trust. We are alert to waste, fraud, and mismanagement, whether expressed as administrative waste or criminal activity, and we use a range of audit and investigative tools to ensure that the Secretary, the Congress, and the public are informed when changes to DOI programs become necessary to achieve this goal.

What We Do

The OIG accomplishes its mission by performing audits, investigations, evaluations, inspections, and other reviews of the Department’s programs and operations. We independently and objectively identify risks and vulnerabilities that directly affect, or could impact, DOI’s mission and the vast responsibilities of its bureaus and entities. We target our resources by identifying and developing solutions for the Department’s most serious management and program challenges.

Our strategies are aimed at ensuring the OIG is relevant and respected for its independent expertise and objective products. We continuously evaluate our efforts to improve the accountability of DOI and our responsiveness to Congress, the Department, and the public. We seek continuous improvement within, and we believe in the limitless potential of our employees to maintain OIG as a leading organization in the Federal 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).