Purpose

The United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 enacted the Inspector General Act of 1978 to ensure integrity and efficiency in government. The Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended, established an Office of Inspector General (OIG) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Inspector General is appointed by the President and subject to Senate confirmation.

The Inspector General is responsible for conducting and supervising audits, investigations, and inspections relating to the programs and operations of the DHS. The OIG is to examine, evaluate and, where necessary, critique these operations and activities, recommending ways for the Department to carry out its responsibilities in the most effective, efficient, and economical manner possible.

Mission statement

To serve as an independent and objective inspection, audit, and investigative body to promote effectiveness, efficiency, and economy in the Department of Homeland Security's programs and operations, and to prevent and detect fraud, abuse, mismanagement, and waste in such programs and operations.

The Inspector General

The Acting Inspector General and the Deputy Inspector General is Charles K. Edwards who assumed his position on February 27, 2011. Mr. Edwards, in fact, had transferred from previous post of Deputy IG of the DHS to that of Acting IG.

Mr. Edwards has held more 20 years of responsibility in various federal positions that include Transportation Security Administration, the United States Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Service.

His competence is indicated by the fact that he has received numerous awards for his contributions including awards for excellence from individual Offices of Inspector General as well as from the Inspector General community as a whole.

A graduate of Loyola College in Maryland with a double Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, Mr. Edwards is a certified Project Management Professional and possesses a Federal Chief Information Officer Certificate and Master’s Certificate in IT Project Management from Carnegie Mellon University Official DHS / IG

DHS History of The Inspector Generals

The Department of Homeland Security’s first Senate confirmed Inspector General was Richard L. Skinner. Mr. Skinner retired on January 12, 2011.

Mr. Skinner had devoted forty-two years in his federal career to fulfilling the mission of the Inspectors General community. He began his career in 1969 with the Department of Agriculture, and held a variety of OIG management positions with the Departments of Justice, Commerce, State, and the Arms Controls and Disarmament Agency. He also served as the Acting Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, and Assistant Inspector General for Audits at FEMA where he was awarded the President’s Meritorious Executive Rank Award for sustained superior accomplishment in management of programs of the United States Government. Prior to his July 28, 2005 confirmation, he held the position of Deputy Inspector General since March 1, 2003, the date that the Department of Homeland Security was created.

Mr. Skinner was a well-liked and well-respected agent of change. His office was recently ranked as one of the 2010 best places to work in federal government and the #1 place to work within the Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Skinner also contributed to improved government services as the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board Vice Chairman and Chair of the Board’s Accountability Committee. He was very active in the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency where he chaired the Homeland Security Roundtable, and was Co-chairman of the National Procurement Fraud Task Force Legislative Committee. He was also a member of the CIGIE Integrity; Investigations; and Human Resources committees as well as the Interagency Coordination Group of Inspectors General for Guam Realignment and the Domestic Working Group. Official DHS / IG