Fed watchdogs in their own catfight

The federal government’s inspector generals are usually seen as the watchdogs who investigate allegations of mismanagement, waste, fraud and abuse by government agencies and then demand the agencies shape up.

The IG’s also periodically review each other’s work to ensure that everyone’s following appropriate procedures in conducting agency audits.

It seems a most unusual — in fact, downright nasty — catfight erupted last week between two inspector generals when the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reviewed some work of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation IG (PBGC- OIG).

Obviously we’re not going to get involved in the gory details, save to say that the battle is over proper compliance with government accounting standards (GAGAS).

The SIGAR team reviewed two of the PBGC team’s audits and graded them in a report on May 15 with a “pass with deficiencies.”

That sparked what became a bench-clearing brawl, most of which is laid out here.

-Al Kamen, WashingtonPost.com
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Recent GAO Publications

The Government Accountability Office recently released the following publications:

Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of Efforts to Address Transparency and Accountability Issues, by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
GAO-09-1048T, September 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-1048T

Results-Oriented Management: Strengthening Key Practices at FEMA and Interior Could Promote Greater Use of Performance Information.
GAO-09-676, August 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-676
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09676high.pdf

Government Performance: Strategies for Building a Results-Oriented and Collaborative Culture in the Federal Government, by Bernice Steinhardt, director, strategic issues, before the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
GAO-09-1011T, September 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-1011T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d091011thigh.pdf

DCAA Audits: Widespread Problems with Audit Quality Require Significant Reform.
GAO-09-468, September 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-468
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09468high.pdf

DCAA Audits: Widespread Problems with Audit Quality Require Significant Reform, by Gregory D. Kutz, managing director, forensic audits and special investigations, and Gayle L. Fischer, assistant director, financial management and assurance, before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
GAO-09-1009T, September 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-1009T

Recovery Act: Funds Continue to Provide Fiscal Relief to States and Localities, While Accountability and Reporting Challenges Need to Be Fully Addressed.
GAO-09-1016, September 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-1016
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d091016high.pdf

Recovery Act: Funds Continue to Provide Fiscal Relief to States and Localities, While Accountability and Reporting Challenges Need to Be Fully Addressed (State Appendixes).
GAO-09-1017SP, September 23.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-1017SP

Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of Government Assistance Provided to AIG.
GAO-09-975, September 21.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-975
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09975high.pdf

Low-Income and Minority Serving Institutions: Management Attention to Long-standing Concerns Needed to Improve Education's Oversight of Grant Programs.
GAO-09-309, August 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-309
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09309high.pdf

Ryan White CARE Act: Effects of Certain Funding Provisions on Grant Awards.
GAO-09-894, September 18.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-894
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09894high.pdf

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: More Strategic Approach Needed for Processing Complex Plans Prone to Delays and Overpayments.
GAO-09-716, August 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-716
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09716high.pdf

Management Report: Opportunities for Improvements in FDIC's Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures.
GAO-09-943R, September 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-943R

DOD Business Systems Modernization: Navy Implementing a Number of Key Management Controls on Enterprise Resource Planning System, but Improvements Still Needed.
GAO-09-841, September 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-841
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09841high.pdf

Mineral Revenues: MMS Could Do More to Improve the Accuracy of Key Data Used to Collect and Verify Oil and Gas Royalties.
GAO-09-549, July 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-549
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09549high.pdf

Royalty-in-Kind Program: MMS Does Not Provide Reasonable Assurance It Receives Its Share of Gas, Resulting in Millions in Forgone Revenue.
GAO-09-744, August 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-744
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09744high.pdf

Today's GAO Publications

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released the following publications:


Audit of Special Counsel Expenditures for the 6 Months Ended March 31, 2008.
GAO-08-1122R, September 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-1122R


Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: Improvements Needed to Address Financial and Management Challenges, by Barbara D. Bovbjerg, director, education, workforce, and income security, before the Subcommittee on Oversight, House Committee on Ways and Means.
GAO-08-1162T, September 24.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-1162T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d081162thigh.pdf