For federal agencies, close collaboration with Congress can be an effective way to disseminate information and advance policies critical to achieving agency goals. For Congress, working with agencies allows members to utilize agency expertise to address public needs.

 

With the support of the Democracy Fund, the Partnership for Public Service has been working to find and highlight excellent examples of productive congressional oversight. In this case study, we look at the process that led to the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016—how the IG community came together and worked with Congress to advance legislation that reinforced the intent of the original law and added crucial new powers for IGs.