AGA and Kearney & Company Release 2022 Inspectors General Survey

AGA and Kearney & Company Release 2022 Inspectors General Survey
Survey Focuses on Pivotal Year and the Future of Independent Oversight

Alexandria, Va. – October 19, 2022 – AGA, in partnership with Kearney & Company, today unveiled its latest survey report of the oversight community – 2022 Inspector General Survey: Sustaining Change. The survey highlights difficulties brought about by the pandemic and includes interviews with oversight officials in state government who were, in many cases, the first line of defense against fraud, waste and abuse in these federal pandemic relief programs.

Ann Ebberts, AGA CEO, noted that one of the biggest challenges to emerge from the survey concerns data sharing across various organizations. She said research shows that federal, state and local auditors could work faster and smarter if agencies and Congress removed some of the major roadblocks to sharing data.

“Another significant hurdle to overcome is integrating analytical capabilities and tools while working with non-standard data. I believe that an agile oversight approach, coupled with the newly formed communications channels with state and local auditors, can help IGs accelerate and improve the conduct of oversight efforts well into the future.”

The survey highlights difficulties brought about by the pandemic and includes interviews with oversight officials in state government who were, in many cases, the first line of defense against fraud, waste and abuse in these federal pandemic relief programs.

“One of the biggest challenges we heard was the lack of access to data among different federal agencies and state and local governments, as well as the lack of standardization of that data to conduct analysis,” said Kearney Senior Partner and Survey Director David Zavada. “As we saw with many of the challenges that emerged this past year, the PRAC’s involvement led to progress on this and other issues related to oversight of pandemic relief programs. Many of the respondents to our survey believe that sustaining the PRAC and its data analytic capabilities is important on an ongoing basis and to be prepared for future unanticipated events.”

The survey involved three months of interviews ending in July 2022 with a cross-section of IGs from large and small federal agencies. It assessed the current oversight environment as well as evolving issues that may cause lasting impact.

About AGA

AGA is the association that connects and empowers professionals who support government, from financial management to IT, human resources, cybersecurity and more, to advance good government initiatives, grow their expertise and accelerate their careers. For more information, visit www.agacgfm.org/.

About Kearney & Company

Established in 1985, Kearney & Company is a CPA firm specializing in providing audit, consulting and technology services to the government. Narrowing our market focus allows us to deepen our understanding of government agencies and provide industry-leading insight to our customers. Our staff of more than 700 employees — operating from our Alexandria, Va., headquarters and satellite offices across the U.S. — have provided services to every Cabinet-level department and most other agencies and commissions. The support we provide helps make government better. To learn more, visit our website at www.kearneyco.com.

Media Contact:

Laura Duhan, AGA Digital Marketing Manager

800.AGA.7211, ext. 308

[email protected]