The office of inspector general is responsible for rooting out corruption, fraud and waste in government.  An office of inspector general can be established at any level of government — local, county, state or federal.

 

The effectiveness of an inspector general depends on a number of factors: the nature of the appointment process, the extent of the IG’s authority and powers, the independence of the office from the political process, the ability to make findings public, the organizational reporting lines, provisions for accountability, etc.

 

BPI analyzed the structure and effectiveness of inspector general offices in the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois, and examined best practices in other states and jurisdictions.

 

In May 2011, we published a comprehensive report on these Illinois IG offices, including a series of recommendations designed to strengthen and increase their effectiveness.

 

These recommendations will form the basis for advancing specific policy and legislative initiatives in BPI's future work to strengthen IG offices in Illinois. 

Click here to view the report.