NEA Office of Inspector General

Welcome to the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), Office of Inspector General (OIG) homepage. The OIG investigates reports of waste, fraud, and mismanagement involving federal funds. As an agent of positive change, the OIG strives to promote improvements in our agency's management and program operations and in our own offices. To promote efficiency and effectiveness, we conduct independent and objective audits, investigations, and other activities. We assess and report on internal controls, financial management, information technology, and other systems that affect the operations of NEA programs and grantees.

Authority

The OIG of the NEA was established in 1989 pursuant to Public Law 100-504, “The Inspector General Act Amendments of 1988,” (IG Act). The legislation established Offices of Inspector General in several departments and thirty-three agencies. The mission of the OIGs, as spelled out in the Act, is to:

  • Conduct and supervise independent and objective audits and investigations relating to agency programs and operations.
  • Promote economy, effectiveness and efficiency within the agency.
  • Prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse in agency programs and operations.
  • Review and make recommendations regarding existing and proposed legislation and regulations relating to agency programs and operations.
  • Keep the agency head and the Congress fully and currently informed of problems in agency programs and operations.

To ensure objectivity, the IG Act empowers IGs with:

  • Independence to determine what reviews to perform.
  • Access to all information necessary for the reviews.
  • Authority to publish findings and recommendations based on the reviews.

Mission

To accomplish our mission, we will:

  • Work with our agency head and the Congress to improve program management.
  • Maximize the positive impact and ensure the independence and objectivity of our audits, investigations and other reviews.
  • Use our investigations and other reviews to increase Government integrity and recommend improved systems to prevent fraud, waste and abuse.
  • Be innovative and question existing procedures and suggest improvements.
  • Build relationships with program managers based on a shared commitment to improving program operations and effectiveness.
  • Strive to continually improve the quality and usefulness of our products.
  • Improve NEA and grantee compliance with agency and federal guidelines and regulations.
  • Work together to address Government-wide issues.