CLASS SPECIFICATION

ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL III

DEFINITION OF CLASS:
This is full performance professional staff work reviewing the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and operations of County Government and independent County-funded agencies, preventing and detecting fraud, waste and abuse in government activities, and proposing ways to increase the legal, fiscal and ethical accountability of County Government and County-funded agencies. Personal contacts are with department/agency heads, division chiefs and key staff, the General Counsel and deputies, County Council staff members, prosecutors, County contractors and the public. Contacts involve gathering data, facilitating or performing inspections, investigations and audits, providing advice and recommendations on improvement of programmatic controls and operations, determining if civil or criminal statutes may have been violated, providing feedback to the County Council and supporting further actions including consensus building), at times in areas of program-wide or County-wide importance. Limited one-to-one assistance is provided directly to the public.
An employee in this class is assigned financial audits or performance reviews of major programs or organizational units, or wide ranging investigations of alleged or possible fraud, waste and abuse. May lead a team in large assignments. Work includes the review and analysis of programs, offices, projects and activities funded by the County Council, typically based on a comprehensive risk assessment, and the prevention and detection of fraud, waste and abuse, typically in response to allegations of corruption, malfeasance or nonfeasance, or as indicated by prior work revealing policy or procedural deficiencies or management challenges. Work involves identifying issues and responsibilities (including program responsibilities, roles and relationships); reviewing activities; detecting programmatic, operational, financial or ethical problems or legal/regulatory violations as well as opportunities for improvement; identifying and recommending solutions; writing reports; making oral presentations; monitoring follow-up actions; and writing correspondence. Assignments require skill in conducting independent research and analysis; collecting and analyzing data from regulatory, financial, programmatic, managerial, ethical and public policy perspectives; written communication; and oral communication, to include presenting and defending analyses and conclusions in a high stakes environment. The supervisor provides general administrative direction and reviews work for effectiveness in meeting broad program goals. The employee independently plans and carries out work, determining the work methods and practices to be used. Finished work products are expected to be technically authoritative. Findings and recommendations are evaluated in terms of impact on programs and entities examined as well as public accountability, transparency in government, ethics and the like. Guidelines include the Montgomery County Code, the Code of Maryland, Principles and Standards for Offices of the Inspector General of the Association of Inspectors General, the Code of Professional Standards of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, generally-accepted accounting and auditing principles and standards, and broadly stated or specific legal authorities, regulations, policies and objectives for County and County-funded programs, as well as 'best practices', which may require extensive interpretation as to coverage and intent relative to the issues, policies or practices being reviewed and analyzed. Employees in this class effectively develop some guidelines through policy recommendations to the County Council. The work is made complex by the number, diversity, breadth and importance of programs and activities that are examined; the wide range of issues, elements, factors and perspectives that must be considered; the sensitive and controversial nature of the programs, issues or allegations being reviewed; and the need to identify violations or critical vulnerabilities and develop sound solutions, including internal controls and policy or management improvement recommendations to wide ranging, multi-agency or high-stakes programs and problems. Critical trends may also be identified. Work affects the effectiveness and efficiency in delivery of public services, the safeguarding of assets, transparency of operations, and integrity and ethics in County Government and County-funded agencies. Work is mainly sedentary, presents no significant hazards to the employee, and is performed primarily in an office environment. However, there is some field work involving interviews and surveillance activities where there is occasional exposure to adverse weather, dirt, grease and other mildly adverse environmental conditions.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative Only)
Investigates allegations of fraud, waste, abuse and ethical breaches in County government and other County-funded agencies; investigations may result from specific complaints to the Office of the Inspector General by whistleblowers, taxpayers or others, or result from other sources, such as financial audits and performance reviews.
Identifies and reports on any regulatory, policy, procedural or managerial deficiencies underlying or contributing to fraud, waste, abuse, ineffectiveness, inefficiency or impropriety, and recommends ways and means to remedy, prevent or minimize such problems.
Monitors the effectiveness of the fraud-referral system of the Office of the Inspector General, and recommends improvements.
Conducts performance audits, inspections, reviews and other formal assessments of selected programs, offices, projects and activities funded by the County Council; identifies opportunities for improvement in operations or financial or management controls; and makes recommendations, including adoption of 'best practices'.
Provides input to the Inspector General on risk factors, priorities and resources needed to propose ways to increase legal, fiscal and ethical accountability in County government and County-funded agencies.
Works jointly with other agencies to determine if criminal or civil statute violations have occurred.
Reviews operating budgets, capital improvement program budgets, payroll records, other financial documents, land use regulations, site plans, record plats, other land use and building documents, and a variety of program documents.
Writes memoranda and reports, and may make presentations to key officials, committees, task forces and others
Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with officials and staff of Executive branch departments and County-funded agencies.
Responds to oral or written inquiries from the employees, whistleblowers and the general public.
Leads, mentors or assists lower-level employees to ensure effective support in major projects or help build their skills.
May work with, or monitor the work of, contract auditors and investigators regarding annual financial statement audits and special investigations.
May work with a citizens' advisory group to ensure public input on accountability issues.
Uses a computer and automated databases, and may create databases and templates.
Performs other related duties.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience: Four (4) years of professional-level experience in a subject area relevant to the Office of the Inspector General, including at least two (2) years of professional experience in auditing, accounting, public administration, management analysis, criminal or fraud investigation.
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree.
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Considerable knowledge of the principles, standards, methods and practices within the areas of assignment. This includes but is not limited to accounting, auditing, public administration, management analysis or fraud investigation.
Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of local government financing, operations and administration, to include specific laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures which govern and control County Government functions within assigned work program area(s).
Knowledge of the organization structure, functions and operations of the County Government and of bi-County, State, and Federal agencies which deal with the County, within assigned work program area(s).
Skill in problem solving to identify and define issues (including hidden problems and subtle aspects of problems), collect, analyze and evaluate legal, fiscal, policy, programmatic and operational data to identify problems, reach conclusions, identify options and make recommendations. This includes skill in quantitative analysis.
Well-developed skills in oral communication to exchange factual, conceptual and policy information, which is highly sensitive at times, with diverse personal contacts. This includes skill in preparing and making formal presentations to key officials and in defending findings, including authoritative advice and recommendations.
Good skills in written communication to read and understand factual, conceptual and policy information, which is highly sensitive at times, and to express such information in writing so that others will understand and, at times, be convinced or persuaded concerning authoritative advice and recommendations. This includes skill in preparing reports and correspondence and reviewing the written work of others.
Good interpersonal skills to develop and maintain effective working relationships with personal contacts.
Skill in the use of a computer and modern office software, including email, planning/scheduling, word processing, spreadsheet and database applications.
Ability and willingness to work in a context of multiple projects, changing priorities and tight deadlines, and to attend meetings or perform other assignments at locations outside the office, when necessary. This includes conducting some work in the field, including interviewing persons, collecting evidence and conducting surveillance.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:
Individuals appointed to a position in this class will be required to serve a probationary period of twelve months and, if promoted to a position in this class, will be required to serve a probationary period of six months. Performance will be carefully evaluated during the probationary period. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.

MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Medical History Review

Class Established: November, 2007
Revised: January, 2013