(a) OIG has a headquarters office in Washington, DC, and regional offices throughout the United States. The headquarters office consists of the immediate office of the IG, which includes three component offices, and four operational units.

(b) Immediate Office Components.

(1) The Director of the Office of Compliance and Integrity (OCI) performs independent quality assurance and internal control reviews of OIG operations. OCI also investigates allegations of criminal and/or serious administrative misconduct by OIG employees.

(2) Section 3(g) of the IG Act mandates that each IG shall obtain legal advice from a counsel either reporting directly to the IG or to another IG. Within USDA-OIG, such legal advice is provided by the Counsel to the Inspector General. The Office of Counsel (OC) provides legal advice and representation on issues arising during the course of audit, investigative, and Office of Data Sciences (ODS) activities or on internal administrative and management issues. OC also manages OIG's congressional, media relations, ethics, Freedom of Information Act, and Privacy Act programs; and reviews proposed legislation, regulations, and procedures.

(3) The Director of the Office of Diversity and Conflict Resolution advises OIG leadership on applying the principles of civil rights, equal employment opportunity, dispute resolution, diversity, and inclusion, on matters affecting the OIG workforce, program activities, and development of policy. This office also guides all OIG personnel through the use of the Federal sector employment discrimination complaints and dispute resolution processes, as needed.

(c) Operational units.

(1) The AIG/A carries out the OIG's domestic and foreign audit operations through a headquarters office and three regional offices shown in §2610.3(a). The staff provides for audit review of information technology (IT) security throughout USDA. Auditing officials conduct operational liaison on audit matters; schedule and conduct audits; release audit reports to management; monitor agency action to assure that audit reports have been properly acted upon through review of Department management follow up systems; monitor the quality of OIG audit reports; and coordinate activities with the AIG/I. The staff also provides an integrated approach to fraud prevention and detection and management improvement in USDA programs and operations; coordinates analyses and reports on vulnerability assessments; and recommends policies and provides technical assistance for audit operations. The Auditing headquarters office consists of the immediate office of the AIG/A and five staff divisions.

(2) The Assistant Inspector General for Data Sciences carries out OIG's data sciences operations through a headquarters office. OIG officials within ODS perform predictive data analysis, statistical sampling, modeling, computer matching, data mining, and data warehousing of USDA programs and operations in support of OIG audits, investigations, and other activities.

(3) The AIG/I carries out OIG's domestic and foreign investigative operations through a headquarters office and the five regional offices shown in §2610.3(b). Investigations officials conduct operational and intelligence liaison on investigative matters with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service, Interpol, and other Federal, State, and local law enforcement organizations; determine the need for investigative action; conduct investigations; prepare factual reports of investigative findings; refer reports for appropriate administrative or legal action; follow up on agency actions to assure that OIG investigative reports have been properly acted upon; monitor the quality of investigative reports; and coordinate activities with the AIG/A. The staff also conducts special investigations of major programs, operations, and high level officials; can assist the Secretary's security office in providing for the protection of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary; and receives and processes employee complaints concerning possible violations of laws, rules, regulations or mismanagement. The OIG Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman described in §2610.1(c)(17) is located within the Office of Investigations.

(4) The Assistant Inspector General for Management (AIG/M) manages formulation of OIG policies and procedures; develops, administers and directs comprehensive programs for the management, budget, financial, personnel, systems improvement, and information activities and operations of OIG; and is responsible for OIG IT and information management systems. The staff maintains OIG's directives system, and Departmental Regulations and Federal Register issuances. The immediate office of the AIG/M and four divisions carry out these functions.