Washington, DC— Today, the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) was recognized in three categories at the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s (CIGIE) 20th Annual Awards Ceremony.
USAID OIG’s Afghanistan investigation team received the Award for Excellence, Investigations, in recognition of extreme bravery working in an area of active conflict. They are also recognized for their dedication to duty, which has helped ensure that U.S. investments in development abroad do not inadvertently increase risks of terrorism to Americans around the globe.
The leadership team of USAID OIG’s investigation of the Global Health Supply Chain received the Award for Excellence, Special Act, in recognition of superior leadership of multiple complicated and significant investigations. Through their dedication to the development of their staff, the leadership has helped their teams ensure that life-saving medical commodities reach the end user and reduce the spread of disease.
USAID OIG’s team investigating Syria humanitarian aid received the Gaston L. Gianni Better Government Award in recognition of extreme courage and investigative determination in furtherance of foreign assistance oversight in a war-torn region. The agents and auditors across multiple OIG locations investigated fraud schemes by those implementing cross-border programs to provide humanitarian assistance to Syrian internally displaced persons. The results of the investigations have helped USAID make changes to systemic weaknesses to guard against future fraud schemes in the region.
USAID Inspector General Calvaresi Barr said “I couldn’t be prouder of our award recipients, and all our employees, for their hard work and dedication to ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches those who need it most. We continue to strive for excellence in all our audit and investigative work to protect U.S. foreign assistance from
fraud and abuse by those who aim to take advantage of vulnerable populations.”
OIG conducts independent investigations and audits to make U.S. foreign assistance programs more efficient, effective, and accountable. As part of its mandate, OIG investigates allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse and operates a complaint hotline. Protecting humanitarian operations from organized crime is a top priority for USAID OIG’s Office of Investigations.
The CIGIE Annual Awards is held to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the inspector general workforce. Individuals and teams from among CIGIE’s 73 member agencies were eligible to receive awards. CIGIE is a council of Inspectors Generals within the executive branch that aims to improve the effectiveness and maintain the integrity of the IG community, promote best practices among OIGs, and address issues that impact agencies across the U.S. government.