The Inspector General Act of 1978 created twelve Offices of Inspector General and by 2019, this number grew to “74 statutory Inspector General’s operating in the federal government.” (Congressional Research Service. Statutory Inspectors General in the Federal Government: A Primer. 1/3/2019.) Congress passed the IG Act to assign duties to each OIG to investigate and audit programmatic activities, foster efficiency and prevent “fraud and abuse in the programs administered by each agency.” (H.R.8588 - Inspector General Act of 1978.)
OIG conducts investigations and reviews to oversee the efficiency, effectiveness, financial health and safety of the agencies they serve. FISMA requires each agency’s Inspector General (IG) to conduct a yearly independent review of informational security practices. The CIO Council in collaboration with OMB, DHS and the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) develops metrics for these evaluations which are updated annually.