DOE O 2320.1C, Cooperation with the Office of Inspector General

THIS PAGE MUST BE KEPT WITH DOE 2320.lC. COOPERATION WITH THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. E 2320.lC, COOPERATION WITH THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, HAS REVISED DOE 2320.lB TO REFLECT ORGANIZATIONAL TITLE AND OTHER EDITORIAL REVISIONS TO INCORPORATE CHANGES REWIRED BY SEN-6. NO SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF PAGES AFFECTED BY THE REVISIONS. THE ORDER HAS BEEN ISSUED AS A REVISION. DOE 2320.1C 5-18-92 U.S. Department of Energy ORDER Washington, D.C. DOE 2320.1C 5-18-92 SUBJECT: COOPERATION WITH THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 1. PURPOSE . To establish Department of Energy (DOE) policy for cooperation with the Office of Inspector General (IG). 2. CANCELLATION . DOE 2320.1B, COOPERATION WITH THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, of 10-24-89. 3. REFERENCES. a. The Inspector General Act of 1978, Public Law 95-452, as amended, 5 United States Codes (U.S.C.), App. 3 sets forth authority and functions of the Inspector General. b. Title 10 CFR Part 1010, Conduct of Employees, which prescribes DOE regulations with regard to the integrity and conduct expected of all DOE employees and requires employees to cooperate with the IG. c. DOE 2321.1B, AUDITING OF PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS, of 5-14-92, which defines the audit responsibilities referred to in paragraph 4. d. DOE 3450.1B, INCENTIVE AWARDS, of 6-23-92, Chapter IX, “Monetary Awards for Cost Savings Disclosures to Inspector General,” which provides consideration for a monetary award to a DOE employee referred to in paragraph 4. e. Title 5 U.S.C. section 2302(b)(8) and (b)(9), as amended by P.L. 101-12, which prohibits personnel actions against employees because of cooperation with, or disclosure of information to, the Inspector General. 4. POLICY. a. All DOE and contractor employees shall cooperate fully and promptly with requests by the IG for information and data relating to DOE programs and operations for which the IG has responsibility to audit, investigate, and inspect. Employees shall also comply with duly authorized requests for interviews and briefings, and shall provide affidavits or sworn statements if so requested by an employee of the Office of Inspector General so designated to administer oaths or affirmations or take affidavits. D I S T R I B U T I O N : I N I T I A T E D B Y : All Departmental Elements Office of the Inspector General DOE 2320.1C 5-18-92 b. Employees are responsible for reporting fraud, waste, inefficiency, or other forms of wrongdoing on the part of DOE employees, contractors, subcontractors, grantees, or other recipients of DOE financial assistance, or their employees. Department regulations provide at least three avenues for reporting concerns--supervisors, the Office of General Counsel and the IG. c. Any employee who discloses to the Inspector General fraud, waste and mismanagement and such disclosures result in cost savings for DOE, may be considered for a monetary award not to exceed $10,000. Consideration for this award is solely within the discretion of the Inspector General. d. Normally, the Inspector General shall not, after receipt of a complaint or information from an employee, disclose the identity of the employee without the consent of the employee. Circumstances when the Inspector General will release identifying information include, but are not limited to: referrals to appropriate agencies for law enforcement purposes; disclosures under court order, and to administrative bodies, such as the Merit Systems Protection Board, when due process would require disclosure; responses to requests by congressional committees and subcommittees; and referrals to management for appropriate administrative action.

e. A DOE employee who has authority to take, recommend or approve personnel actions shall not take or threaten to take any such action against any employee because of cooperation with, or disclosure of information to, the IG when the disclosure of information is made with a reasonable belief that it evidences-- (i) a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or (ii) mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety; 5. ADVANCE NOTICE. Inspector General personnel will maintain appropriate security clearances to access classified information. Prior to visiting a secure facility, Inspector General staff will arrange for the submission of DOE F 5631.20, “Request for Visit or Access Approval,” to the Office of Security Affairs, SA-1. The Office of Inspector General is not required to give advance notice or seek the approval of any official in DOE before conducting audits, inspections, and investigations. When possible, supervisors will normally be informed in advance that their areas of responsibility are to be audited or inspected. Since some investigations by the Office of Inspector General may involve allegations of criminal misconduct, circumstances will dictate whether, and what type of, notice will be given. DOE 2320.1C 5-18-92 3 (and 4) 6. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS. Nothing in the Order shall abrogate the employee’s constitutional rights. BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY: DONALD W. PEARMAN, JR. Acting Director Administration and Human Resource Management