It seems like inspectors general are all over the news these days, but what exactly is an inspector general, anyway? The Project on Government Oversight breaks it down.

The White House intends to ensure accountability, efficiency, and transparency, as federal agencies implement the bipartisan $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued guidance on December 3 encouraging federal agencies to work together and support their inspector generals (IGs). As Congress works to strengthen independence and authority, OMB's memo sets the tone for cooperation and reflects input from the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).

According to an audit report from the Office of the Inspector General at the United States Postal Service (USPS), cryptocurrency, as used postal inspectors, can be better tracked and accounted for in order to prevent abuse, waste, or fraud. While the audit found the current program to be sufficient, , auditors found over 1,000 cases where the use of cryptocurrency may not have been properly recorded.

In a press release from December 15, 2020, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) announced their new chairperson, Allison C. Lerner. She began her term on January 1, 2021 and has previously served as the vice-chairperson of CIGIE and as co-chair of its Suspension and Debarment and Research Misconduct Working Groups.

House Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) sent letters to the Inspector General (IG) offices of 24 federal agencies requesting they develop assessment plans for reviewing their agencies’ plans for reopening. The letters criticize a lack of cooperation with oversight bodies from the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management.