The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, places a heavy emphasis on accountability and transparency, and in doing so, increases the responsibilities of those Inspectors General whose agencies are impacted by the Recovery Act. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Inspector General (OIG) is one of the agencies, and was given $14 million through FY 2012 to monitor Recovery Act funds distributed by ED.

Since passage of the Recovery Act, ED-OIG staff has been meeting with ED leaders and our counterparts in Federal and State agencies to initiate efforts to ensure Recovery Act dollars reach the intended recipients and achieve the intended results. We have provided tools and outreach materials on fraud awareness developed by intergovernmental teams, and outreach and training materials to assist ED and its grantees in identifying risk and fraud, as well as implementing mechanisms for the timely reporting of misuse of Recovery Act-related funds to ED-OIG. We are presently examining the use of funds by States and grantees, and are working closely with the Government Accountability Office, which was given significant responsibilities to review implementation of the Recovery Act, to ensure that we coordinate and conduct all education-related assignments effectively and efficiently, and avoid duplication of effort.

The law also gives ED-OIG an increased role in overseeing all Recovery Act funds, as it assigns the ED Inspector General to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. The Board is tasked with collaborating on audits of covered funds, holding public hearings, and producing quarterly and annual reports on the use of funds for public review. The Board also manages the Recovery.gov website—a means of keeping the general public informed of where Recovery Act funds are going, how the funds are being spent, and if the funds are achieving the intended results.

The Recovery Act expands whistleblower protections to include State and local government employees, grantees, and contractors. As a result, ED-OIG has enhanced its hotline operations to accommodate an increase in calls, conducts outreach efforts with States and localities on how to report waste, fraud, and abuse, and has increased its law enforcement activities to aggressively pursue those who defraud Federal education programs.

Below you will find additional information on ED-OIG Recovery Act efforts. Be sure to check this page regularly for any updates.

Reports and Other Products:

Reports

• Alert Memorandum - Alert Memorandum - State Educational Agencies' Implementation of Federal Cash Management Requirements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ACN:L09J0007 (Date Issued: 10/21/2009) -  PDF (152K), MS Word (1M)
• Alert Memorandum - Corrections Needed to Information About Department of Education Programs Included in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. ACN:L16J0075 (Date Issued: 10/13/2009) -  PDF (98K), MS Word (495K)
• Alert Memorandum - Potential Consequences of the Maintenance of Effort Requirements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. ACN:L03J0011 (Date Issued: 09/30/2009) -  PDF (394K), MS Word (1.06M)

ED OIG ARRA Work Plan:

• Education OIG 2010 Recovery Act Plan (Oct 09, 2009)
  MS Excel (53K)
  
  

Training:

• Scheduled Recovery Act Training
  PDF (168K)
  
  
• Outreach Presentation on Recovery Act Funds-Title IV Programs (April, 2009)
  PDF (1.81M)
  
  
• Outreach Presentation on Recovery Act Funds-State and Local Programs (April, 2009)
  PDF (1.75M)
  
  
• Effect of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on the Single Audit
  PDF (538K)
  
  
• Implications of Recovery Act on Audits of Federal Agencies and their Recipients and Subrecipients
  PDF (172K)
  
  
• Accountability for Recovery Act Funds - NY State Webinar
  PDF (609K)
  
  

Whistleblower Protections under the Recovery Act

Section 1553 of the Recovery Act provides protections for certain individuals who make specified disclosures relating to Recovery Act funds. Any non-Federal employer receiving recovery funds is required to post a notice of the rights and remedies provided under this section of the Act.

Who is protected?
Employees of non-Federal employers receiving recovery funds, including State and local governments, contractors, subcontractors, grantees, professional membership organizations, or any person acting in the interest of recovery fund recipients.

What are whistleblowers protected from?
Covered employees are protected from being discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for making a protected disclosure.

What kinds of disclosures are protected?
To be protected, the disclosure must be made by the employee to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, an Inspector General, the Comptroller General, a member of Congress, a State or Federal regulatory or law enforcement agency, a person with supervisory authority over the employee, a court or grand jury, the head of a Federal agency, or their representatives.

In addition, the disclosure must involve information that the employee reasonably believes is evidence of:

• gross mismanagement of an agency contract or grant relating to recovery funds;
• a gross waste of recovery funds;
• a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety related to the implementation or use of recovery funds;
• an abuse of authority related to the implementation or use of recovery funds; or
• a violation of law, rule, or regulation related to an agency contract or grant relating to recovery funds.

How to report a whistleblower reprisal complaint:
If you have a whistleblower reprisal complaint related to Recovery Act funds provided by the U.S. Department of Education, contact the OIG Fraud Hotline: Phone: 1-800-MISUSED
Email: oig.hotline@ed.gov
Or wirte: Inspector General's Hotline
              Office of Inspector General
              U.S. Department of Education
              400 Maryland Avenue, SW
              Washington, DC 20202-1500