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Semiannual Report to Congress

October 1, 2001–March 31, 2002
Office of the Inspector General


OTHER OIG ACTIVITIES

CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY

During this reporting period, the IG testified before congressional committees six times.

TOP MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES

During this reporting period, the OIG transmitted to Congress its annual list of "Top Management Challenges" in the Department. The OIG has created such a list since 1997. The challenges are not listed in order of seriousness; however, in a transmittal letter to Congress, the IG noted that the top challenge facing the Department is its response to terrorism, a challenge that the OIG first placed on the list last year. In addition to updating management challenges that were on the list in previous years, the December 2001 list added three new challenges ("Sharing of Intelligence and Law Enforcement Information," "Performance Based Management," and "Department of Justice Organizational Structure"). The OIG combined two challenges from its 2000 list ("INS Border Strategy" and "Removal of Illegal Aliens" have become "The INS's Enforcement of Immigration Laws") and removed two challenges ("Prison Overcrowding" and "Human Capital"). The 2001 Top Management Challenges are:

  1. Counterterrorism
  2. Intelligence Gathering and Information Sharing
  3. Information Systems Planning and Implementation
  4. Computer Systems Security
  5. Financial Statements and Systems
  6. Detention Space and Infrastructure - USMS and INS
  7. The INS's Enforcement of Immigration Laws
  8. Grant Management
  9. Performance-Based Management
  10. Department of Justice Restructuring

Detailed information about this list and an overview of the OIG's efforts to assist the Department in developing strategies to address these management challenges can be found on the OIG's website at www.usdoj.gov/oig/challenges/index.htm.

BRIEFINGS AND TRAINING

OIG personnel regularly provide briefings and training inside and outside the Department. For example, during this reporting period:

TASK FORCES, WORKING GROUPS, AND COMMITTEES

In addition to the work it conducts within the Department, the OIG participates in cooperative endeavors with other entities. Some noteworthy activities during this reporting period are described below.

PCIE ACTIVITIES

The PCIE consists of the 28 Presidentially appointed IGs in the federal government. IG Fine is a member of the PCIE's Investigations Committee and Inspections and Evaluations Committee. In addition, OIG staff participate in a variety of PCIE activities and serve on numerous PCIE committees and subgroups. During this reporting period, Audit staff served as the OIG's representative to the newly revamped PCIE GPRA Coordinating Committee that is addressing the Administration's management agenda, OIG performance measures, and information sharing among PCIE members. In addition, managers from E&I attended PCIE Inspection and Evaluation Roundtable meetings to discuss joint initiatives, including the PCIE's government purchase card evaluation project that is encouraging OIGs to examine their agencies' use of government credit cards to ensure proper internal controls.

LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS

The IG Act directs the OIG to review proposed legislation and regulations relating to the programs and operations of the Department. Although the Department's Office of Legislative Affairs reviews all proposed or enacted legislation that could affect the Department's activities, the OIG independently reviews proposed legislation that affects it or legislation that relates to waste, fraud, or abuse in the Department's programs or operations. During this reporting period, the OIG reviewed a variety of legislation, including (1) a Senate bill that would institute reforms in the FBI, including codifying the Attorney General's July 2001 expansion of the OIG's investigative jurisdiction in the FBI and DEA, (2) House and Senate bills to reauthorize the Department, and (3) a House bill that would require certain executive branch agencies to develop a program to identify errors made in paying contractors and recover any amounts erroneously paid to contractors.