Purpose of Oversight Committees
The oversight committee is an investigative body with authority to investigate issues within the committee’s jurisdiction (Committee on Oversight and Reform, n.d). The oversight committee has the mandate to investigate matters within its mandate. Congressional oversight in the U.S. congress provides oversight over the executive arm of government including the various federal agencies. The role of congressional oversight includes monitoring, supervision, and review of the federal programs, agencies, policy implementation, and activities. Congress has the power to oversight. This power is acquired through the committee system of congress (Committee on Oversight and Reform, n.d). Oversight is also present in various other congressional contexts and activities. Oversight duties include investigation, appropriation, authorization, and legislative hearings carried out by standing committees, studies and reviews by the staff and agencies that provide support to congress, and special investigations conducted by select committees.

Oversight authority by congress comes from the implied constitutional powers, senate and house rules, and public laws. The oversight committee offers checks and balances to the government. The responsibilities of the house oversight committee are set out in the house rules. The rules provide that the oversight committee will be charged with the responsibility of studying and reviewing the administration, effectiveness, execution, and application of programs and laws relating to subject matters within the jurisdiction of that committee (Committee on Oversight and Reform, n.d). The oversight committee is also charged with operation and organization of federal entities and agencies that have duty to execute and administer programs and laws within its jurisdiction. The oversight committee also conducts forecasting and research on matters within its jurisdiction.

Rather than go on a fact finding mission it is better to have experts evaluating projects and overseeing their progress (Schultz, 2003). The oversight committee verifies and examines factual information provided by one side with the possible consequences on either party taken into consideration (Schultz, 2003). Oversight committees often employed in politically charged and complex conflicts. The committees comprise of people with expertise in various fields who work to verify the project. The oversight committee will make an attempt at ensuring that he project in question is thorough, complete, and objective. Thoroughness means that the project is solid (Schultz, 2003). Completeness means that all alternatives and considerations are considered, and objective means that conflicting interests and biases are alleviated.

There are several advantages to using the services of oversight committees. Oversight committees are cost effective as compared to fact finding committees. An oversight committee actively prevents mismanagement, misuse,...…can prompt the oversight committee to launch special investigations. These allegations may include government enforcement issues, allegations and suspicions of misconduct by directors and senior management, and financial impropriety and irregularities (ACLN, 2018). Allegations that threaten the integrity of the company may prompt the audit committee to institute special investigations.

Factors That Influence Oversight

Some of the factors influencing oversight include availability of financial resources, political atmosphere, support or lack of it from investigative agencies and other arms of government, jurisdictional authority to access information, ability to sermon private players etc. The output of an oversight committee can be affected by the willingness of government agencies to cooperate. If the political environment is hostile and the work of the oversight committee is politicized, the effectiveness of the oversight committee is likely to be greatly affected. On the other hand, if the oversight committee is motivated by political interests then the authenticity of the oversight responsibilities may be questionable.

IF government agencies deny the oversight body’s access to information in an attempt to use delay tactics to defeat justice, then the effectiveness of the oversight body will be greatly affected. Legal technicalities can be used as a way to derail the effectiveness of the oversight committee as well.

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