NASA's Budget: Inspector General Directorate

Fiscal Year 2012 Budgeted money in USD Millions.

* = Actual     ** = Enacted

Historic Budgeted Money in Millions

Overview

For FY 2012, the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) requests $37.5 million. This request will support the work of 206 auditors, investigators, analysts, specialists, and support staff located at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and 12 other locations throughout the United States.

The OIG conducts audits, reviews, and investigations of NASA programs to prevent and detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement and to assist NASA management in promoting economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. The OIG's Office of Audits (OA) conducts independent and objective audits of NASA programs, projects, operations, and contractor activities. In addition, OA oversees the work of the independent public accounting firm that conducts the annual audit of NASA’s financial statements. In its work, OA targets high-risk areas and management challenges, responds to NASA’s changing needs and priorities, and provides measurable results that contribute to NASA’s success in achieving its mission of pioneering the future of space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research.

Going forward, OA intends to focus its work in the areas identified by the OIG in November 2010 as the Agency's top management and performance challenges:
     -     Future of U.S. Space Flight
     -     Acquisition and Project Management
     -     Infrastructure and Facilities Management
     -     Human Capital
     -     Information Technology Security
     -     Financial Management

In this regard, ongoing audits are examining the status of NASA’s safety and human rating efforts for the commercial space flight industry, whether NASA's grant funds are being used for intended purposes, NASA’s tuition reimbursement program, and whether NASA is effectively managing its Mars Science Laboratory Project to accomplish its exploration objectives while meeting revised milestones and controlling costs.

The Office of Investigations (OI) investigates allegations of cybercrime, fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct that may affect NASA programs, projects, operations, and resources. OI refers its findings to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution and civil litigation or to NASA management for administrative action. Through its investigations, OI develops recommendations for NASA management to reduce the Agency's vulnerability to criminal activity.

Given the inherent risk associated with space operations and aeronautics and that NASA spends approximately 85 percent of its budget on contracts and grants, OI targets its resources to maintain the integrity of NASA’s procurement process and on issues relating to the safety of NASA’s missions and information systems. In the procurement area, OI's caseload includes investigations of allegations of false claims submitted by NASA contractors, conflict of interest cases involving NASA employees who place private gain before public service, and Procurement Integrity Act violations.

Finally, through its investigations, the Office of Investigations seeks to prevent and deter misconduct at NASA through an aggressive "lessons learned" approach with NASA management. To this end, the OIG works with NASA officials to shore up vulnerabilities that may have allowed crimes or misconduct to occur within their programs and operations.

Plans for FY 2012

Inspector General
     ?     Major Changes: None
     
Major Highlights for FY 2012

OIG's FY 2012 request is broken out as follows:
     ?     $31.4 million (83.8 percent) of the proposed budget is dedicated to personnel and related costs. Salaries include the required additional 25 percent law enforcement availability pay for criminal investigators.
     ?     $1.2 million (3.2 percent) of the proposed budget is dedicated to travel, per diem at current rates, and related expenses.
     ?     $1.75 million (4.5 percent) of the proposed budget is dedicated to operational expenses and includes funding for training, government vehicles, special equipment for criminal investigators, employee transportation subsidies, and information technology equipment unique to the OIG.
     ?     $3.2 million (8.5 percent) of the proposed budget funds the Agency's annual financial audit.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-117) funded NASA OIG at the President's Budget level, but changed funding availability from 2 years to 1 year. In FY 2012, the OIG requests a return to 2-year funding to more efficiently plan for, execute, and control its budget.
The FY 2012 budget estimate for the OIG totals $37.5 million:
     ?     Personnel and related costs
     ?     Travel
     ?     Operations and Equipment
$31.4 million $1.2 million $4.9 million

Theme(s) in Directorate