Statement on Washington Post reporting on the handling of audit findings and recommendations

Agency for International Development (USAID) takes its responsibility to issue reports that reflect independence and integrity very seriously. Audit reporting is a central function of offices of inspector general in the federal government, and OIG undergoes an extensive internal quality control and review process before publishing its audits. This review process helps ensure that OIG findings are properly supported by evidence, legally sufficient, and represent facts in a clear manner. The OIG's internal review process involves submitting draft reports to a thorough internal review before requesting agency comments. This process helps ensure that draft reports represent the best of OIG's knowledge and analysis. In some cases, management letters may be used to convey information to management officials, such as alerting agency officials of matters outside of the context of an audit report or matters that are especially urgent or time sensitive. OIG's current policy is to post all management letters on its public Web site, a policy that has been applied to management letters issued from April 2014 forward. OIG has an extensive track record of providing independent, robust oversight. In recent years, OIG auditors have issued hundreds of hard-hitting performance audit reports with findings and recommendations that have prompted changes in agency programs and operations around the world. OIG routinely highlights concerns with and recommends corrective actions relating to agency management, information technology, and financial systems and processes. OIG audits have also resulted in the return of millions of dollars to the federal government through questioned costs and funds put to better use. The OIG's work has also yielded investigative savings and recoveries and resulted in agency determinations to suspend or debar implementers from government awards. OIG reports these results semiannually to Congress and makes these reports available on its public Web site. The OIG is firmly committed to providing independent oversight that promotes the efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity of foreign assistance programs and operations. The office has confidence in the integrity of its work and in the OIG staff and managers responsible for undertaking it.