Department Defense Inspector General Office U.S Defense

Department Defense Inspector General Office

U.S Defense Inspector general

The United States office of Department of Defense Inspector General has been inexistence since 1982 as a result of the amendment of the inspector general act of 1978 (John, 2011). It is responsible for conducting, monitoring, supervising and initiating evaluation and audits the programs and operations related to the department of defense. It also has the duty to provide leadership and coordinate and recommend policies for the processes that are designed to support and grow the economy and the administration effectiveness. Also, it helps detect and prevent abuse and fraud in the programs initiated. The inspector general is the chief advisor of the congress and secretary of defense.

The Agency and Unions

The act providing for the establishment of the office of inspector general cuts across all the departmental operations and the programs thereof. The key responsibilities of the office of the inspector general are to carry out audits and investigations regarding the activities undertaken by the union or office (United States, 2006). In executing this duty, the inspector general includes the management of the union and employees of the same so as to ensure a thorough audit is done to detect and prevent fraud or abuse of office. There are laws and procedures provided for by the constitution that govern the involvement of the inspector general in the unions.

Such procedures include that the employee of the union being audited should fully cooperate with the investigation. This is as outlined by the department administrative order 207-10 section 6. This act is established to make sure that the inspector general is accorded due space to carry out his or her duties. The employees or personnel who do not cooperate are deemed to be liable to the law. The second law that governs the execution of duties of the inspector general office agency and other unions is the department administrative order of 207-10, section 2 (John, 2011). This section of the act requires that, during the process of audit and investigation, all the records, reviews, previous audits, documents, reports and other paper recommendations should be availed. The inspector general act also prescribes that the inspector, upon receiving information from a whistleblower, shall not disclose the identity of the person. This is the DAO 207-10 section 4 that protects the witnesses in the union.

The Agency and Privatization

There is increasing privatization of various governmental organizations. This is an area that the office of inspector general has the responsibility to be particularly vigilant in evaluating. Therefore, the department has put in place rules that govern the process of privatization. This privatization of these utilities must follow the regulations put in place for the process. The agency hence conducts audits on the utility that is to be privatized and submits the report before the utility is privatized. The office conducts audits on the reasons or developments leading to privatization. This is meant to bar the agency or utility being privatized from benefiting only a few of the individuals involved. The law creates the procedures for the office of inspector general to oversee the privatization process of the agency.

Employee Pension Plans

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 sets the minimum requirements for the pension plans in both public and private industries (United States, 2006). It requires that these minimum standards must be met. However, the law is not categorical on the amount that the individual is to be paid. The act has provisions that require the people involved being given information regarding the plan and funding, benefit accrual and vesting prospects. Moreover, it allows the people the right to sue if they do not get benefits.

The office of the inspector general is thus responsible for ensuring that this act is fully enforced. However, with repeated incidences of legal challenges, there are some recommendations that aim to regulate the issue. Such include that the department of the inspector general should have access to the administration records on wages and hiring information. It also requires that there be direct reporting of the inconsistency cases to the agency of the department of defense inspector general. This will ensure that the rights of people are not violated. The office inspector general, therefore, carries out the audits on these pension plan programs. It has an external program that executes criminal investigations on the employee benefit plans, the labor management relations and employee union affairs. The inspector general conducts all criminal, administrative and civic investigations in relation to the violation of the federal rules and laws. The agency audits the contractors and guarantors for the allegations of misconduct on their part.

Productivity and Performance Evaluation

The responsibility of the office of inspector general is to carry out the audits, detect and prevent abuse and fraud, promote efficiency and economy of the administrative and management programs (United States, 2006). This process is extremely critical and requires due diligence in execution. In evaluating the performance and productivity of the programs and individuals within the department, the inspector general office is charged with mandate to view all the reports of the institution being evaluated. The audit is executed on the legislative responsibilities and financial statements. The audits should adhere to the regulations prescribed by the laws governing them.

To attain productivity and performance valuation that is effective, the office has established a sub-department office called the office of evaluation and inspections. This has widened the practice into a wider issue-based point of approach. It executes its duties in all the programs and operations of the department and workers to ensure thorough scrutiny, hence ensuring productivity. The office of management also helps the office of inspector general in providing administrative skills for the office so as to handle the productivity and performance evaluation fully.

The department is therefore obligated to facilitate the office of the inspector general in its duty to evaluate the performance (John, 2011). The act that allows the inspector to have access to all documents and information of the office, or program being evaluated is useful for ensuring that there is efficiency in reports produced. It identifies the reviews and the weakness areas for the federal programs. The office of inspector general uses highly skilled and well trained personnel to achieve thorough and efficient performance and productivity evaluation.

Recommendations for Improving Productivity and Performance Evaluation

In executing the duties designated to the agency, the office of inspector general encounters various challenges. Such challenges are what contribute to the minor inconsistencies observed in conducting valuation and performance. Therefore, to improve this section, I recommend the following actions to the agency to improve. Much as the mission and objective statements are clearly outlined, the agency needs to put in place practices that promote employee involvement in these objectives. The inspector general agency needs to make the workers to feel that they own the goals of the agency. This will help in improving the motivation to work hence performance is improved.