How Army Inspectors General Conduct Inspections

• U.S. Army Inspectors General routinely inspect systemic issues that have presented a pattern of non-compliance throughout their commands or even the entire Army.

• Inspectors General monitor their commands for trends in problem areas beyond the scope and ability of commanders to solve, which suggests that something may be wrong with a specific problem solving system or systems These types of problems are systemic issues.

• The Inspector General will then inspect, with the commander's written authority, all aspects of that particular issue or system within the command. These inspections are not compliance-oriented but are focused on gathering information to identify the root causes of the problems and to recommend solutions that, when approved and implemented, will result in the smooth functioning of that system. These systems can include logistics, operations, training, maintenance, safety, etc.

• All Inspector General inspections begin by verifying compliance against established standards. These standards serve as the measuring stick against which all inspections occur, findings are made, and solutions implemented.

• Inspectors General use a three-phased, 17-step process to plan, execute, and complete Inspector General inspections of systemic issues. This process limits the scope of the inspection by establishing inspection objectives that drive the gathering of all information.

• The focus of the inspection is always on the system or problem area being inspected and not on the Inspector General's sources of information. Subordinate units are simply data-gathering points for the larger inspection topic and, in compliance with the Inspector General tenet of confidentiality, are not named in the final report.

• Inspector General inspection reports keep all sources of information confidential to maintain the credibility, fairness, and impartial status of the Inspector General system. The report does not name names or identify units but instead focuses on what the Inspectors General found with regard to each inspection objective. These findings can reflect both goods news as well as bad news.

• Inspector General inspections are not investigations. Inspector General investigations are a separate function and focus specifically on an individual who has allegedly violated an established standard. The process is administrative in nature, and the results of a Report of Investigation (ROI) cannot be used to punish the individual. In fact, Army Inspector General records cannot be used to punish, reward, compare, or evaluate anyone without the personal permission of the Army Inspector General or the Secretary of the Army.