Title: Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan (SIGIR 09-002T)

Date: March 25, 2009
Audience: House Armed Services Committee

Description: The Inspector General testified on how the use and misuse of reconstruction funding affects counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq. Supporting the testimony with findings from SIGIR's 350-page HARD LESSONS report, SIGIR provided key recommendations that can be considered for current and future contingency reconstruction and stabilization operations.

Full Statement (45 KB PDF)


Title: Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience (SIGIR 09-001T)

Date: February 2, 2009
Audience: Commission on Wartime Contracting In Iraq And Afghanistan

Description: The Inspector General testified before this legislative-branch commission on SIGIR's latest lessons learned report. The research for Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience comprised hundreds of interviews with key participants in the reconstruction effort and the review of thousands of documents.

Full Statement (58 KB PDF)

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Stuart W. Bowen and Commissioner Clark Kent Ervin   Stuart W. Bowen and Commissioner Michael J. Thibault   Stuart W. Bowen and Commissioners Dov S. Zakheim and Linda J. Gustitus   Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan   Stuart W. Bowen and Ginger M. Cruz presenting testimony   Stuart W. Bowen and Ginger M. Cruz before the commission  


Title: The Effectiveness of U.S. Efforts to Combat Corruption, Waste, Fraud and Abuse in Iraq (SIGIR 08-002T)

Date: March 11, 2008
Audience: Senate Committee on Appropriations

Description: The Inspector General presented testimony on the effectiveness of efforts by the U.S. to control corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse in Iraq, summarizing the results of SIGIR's efforts over the years.

Full Statement (392 KB PDF)


Title: Improving Contracting and Government Oversight Of Contractors Performing Work In Contingency Operations (SIGIR 08-001T)

Date: January 24, 2008
Audience: Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security / Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia

Description: The Inspector General provides observations based on SIGIR's work on contingency contracting and recommends improvements to oversight and contract management in an environment fraught with serious vulnerabilities to waste, fraud, and abuse.

Full Statement (287 KB PDF)


Title: Assessing an Effective Diplomatic and Development Program in Iraq: An Examination of the Diplomatic Surge (SIGIR 07-017T)

Date: October 30, 2007
Audience: House Appropriations Committee / Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

Description: SIGIR provides testimony on the effectiveness of reconstruction and development in Iraq as its 15th Quarterly Report is released.

Full Statement (49 KB PDF)


Title: Effectiveness of the Provincial Reconstruction Team Program in Iraq (SIGIR 07-016T)

Date: October 18, 2007
Audience: House Armed Services Committee / Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations

Description: SIGIR testifies on the release of its third audit of the Provincial Reconstruction Team Program, noting that progress has been made in certain geographic areas and in certain policy domains. However, the planning work recommended in prior audit work has not been accomplished, which limits the effectiveness of the program.

Full Statement (542 KB PDF)


Title: Assessing the State of Iraqi Corruption (SIGIR 07-015T)

Date: October 4, 2007
Audience: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Description: The SIGIR provided testimony reviewing U.S. anticorruption assistance in Iraq and assessing the progress the Iraqi government has made fighting corruption -- the "second insurgency" in Iraq.

Full Statement (43 KB PDF)


Title: The Role of the Department of Defense in Provincial Reconstruction Teams (SIGIR 07-014T)

Date: September 5, 2007
Audience: House Armed Services Committee, Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee

Description: SIGIR reports on the development and operation of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) program in Iraq - a $2 billion 800-person effort. Drawing upon the results of two audits completed in October 2006 and July 2007, SIGIR looks at key operational challenges facing PRTs including staffing, civil-military integration, security, and coordination. We also examine the progress of a civilian surge that aimed to double the number of staff at the 25 PRTs around Iraq, and provide insight into future challenges facing the program.

Full Statement (48 KB PDF)
PRT Map (301 KB PDF)


Title: The Costs of Military Operations and Reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan (SIGIR 07-013T)

Date: July 31, 2007
Audience: House Budget Committee

Description: SIGIR provides an overview of the $44.5 billion in U.S. funds dedicated to relief and reconstruction programs in Iraq. In addition, SIGIR provides snapshots of recent audits and inspections that examined issues including asset transfer, provincial reconstruction teams, and sustainment. An overview of SIGIR's first focused financial review of Bechtel National Inc. is also provided.

Full Statement (40 KB PDF)


Title: War Profiteering and Other Contractor Crimes Committed Overseas (SIGIR 07-012T)

Date: June 19, 2007
Audience: House Committee on the Judiciary / Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security

Description: SIGIR provides an overview of corruption in Iraq and of U.S. government support for the development of key anti-corruption initiatives in the Government of Iraq.  SIGIR also provides an overview of its ongoing investigative work and discusses proposed Congressional legislation on war profiteering.

Full Statement (29 KB PDF)


Title: Iraq: Is Reconstruction Failing? (SIGIR 07-011T)

Date: May 22, 2007
Audience: House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Description: SIGIR provides an updated assessment from Inspector General Stuart W. Bowen Jr., who recently returned from a 16th visit to Baghdad. In addition to the overview of current reconstruction and oversight efforts in Iraq, SIGIR examines future relief and reconstruction funding and recommendations provided for improved accountability.

Full Statement (53 KB PDF)


Title: Contracting in Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR 07-010T)

Date: May 10, 2007
Audience: House Appropriations Committee / Subcommittee on Defense

Description: SIGIR examines the challenges of contracting in Iraq reconstruction, provides an overview of Lessons Learned and recommendations to improve contracting processes and execution, and presents a series of case studies from SIGIR audits and inspections.

Full Statement (46 KB PDF)


Title: Can Iraq Pay for Its Own Reconstruction? (SIGIR 07-009T)

Date: March 27, 2007
Audience: House Foreign Affairs Committee / Subcommittee on International Relations, Human Rights, and Oversight and Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia

Description: SIGIR reviews the question of whether Iraq can pay for its own reconstruction. The testimony goes through some of the key variables at play including corruption, budget execution, and Iraqi government capacity and concludes that it will take some time before Iraq has the financial and technical resources to undertake a fast–paced reconstruction on its own.

Full Statement (35 KB PDF)


Title: SIGIR Lessons Learned: Program & Project Management (SIGIR 07-008T)

Date: March 22, 2007
Audience: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Description: SIGIR releases its third and final lessons learned report, focusing on Program and Project Management. Key recommendations include Congressional consideration of a "Goldwater Nichols"–like reform measure to better promote integration among DoD, USAID and DoS; clarifying who is in charge of post–conflict reconstruction; and integrating local populations and practices at every level of the planning and execution process. The full report is found under REPORTS/LESSONS LEARNED on this website (Lessons Learned ).

Full Statement (40 KB PDF)


Title: SIGIR Investigations in Iraq (SIGIR 07-007T)

Date: March 20, 2007
Audience: Senate Judiciary Committee

Description: SIGIR provides a high–level overview of its investigative work in Iraq and considers whether enough is being done to combat fraud in Iraq. While SIGIR has found limited examples of outright theft in the U.S. funded portion of the program, waste continues to be a serious issue.

Full Statement (40 KB PDF)


Title: Iraq Security Forces (SIGIR 07-006T)

Date: March 9, 2007
Audience: House Armed Services Committee / Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations

Description: SIGIR discusses the findings of two audits: an audit of Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) Logistics Plans which found shortcomings in capacity at the Iraqi Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Ministry of Interior (MOI); and an audit of ISF weapons which found that DoD had not fully complied with a requirement to register the serial numbers of weapons purchased for Iraq.

Full Statement (77 KB PDF)


Title: U.S. Contracting in Iraq (SIGIR 07-005T)

Date: February 15, 2007
Audience: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Description: SIGIR provides a review of its oversight of the Iraq reconstruction program, including a look at shortcomings in the contract award fee process, the failure to complete construction of 150 planned public health centers, and the problems encountered with the Basrah Children’s Hospital and Baghdad Police College projects.

Full Statement (71 KB PDF)


Title: Review of Iraq Reconstruction Oversight (SIGIR 07-004T)

Date: February 8, 2007
Audience: House Appropriations Committee / Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

Description: SIGIR provides an overview of current and on–going audits, inspections and investigations, lessons learned reports, and discusses its coordination with other oversight organizations in the Iraq Inspectors General Council.

Full Statement (66 KB PDF)


Title: United States’ Involvement in Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR 07-003T)

Date: February 6, 2007
Audience: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Description: SIGIR presents a summary of a 2005 audit of the Coalition Provisional Authority’s (CPA’s) controls over Iraqi funds maintained in the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI). The audit found that the CPA’s internal controls for approximately $8.8 billion in Iraqi money disbursed to Iraqi ministries through the national budget process failed to provide sufficient accountability for the use of those funds.

Full Statement (69 KB PDF)


Title: Review of Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR 07-001T)

Date: January 18, 2007
Audience: House Armed Services Committee

Description: SIGIR provides an update on ongoing and recently completed audits, inspections and investigations of the Iraq reconstruction program.

Full Statement (66 KB PDF)


Title: Oversight Hearing on Reconstruction Contracting in Iraq (SIGIR 06-005T)

Date: September 28, 2006
Audience: House Government Reform Committee

Description: SIGIR provides details of recently released audits, inspections and investigations with an emphasis on an audit of a contract to provide 150 Primary Healthcare Clinics; an audit of the Basrah Children’s Hospital, and summarized the findings of the Contracting Lessons Learned Report.

Full Statement (161 KB PDF)


Title: Iraq Reconstruction: Lessons Learned in Contracting and Procurement (SIGIR-06-004T)

Date: August 2, 2006
Audience: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Description: SIGIR releases its second lessons learned report, focusing on Contracting and Procurement. Key recommendations include exploring the creation of an enhanced Contingency Federal Acquisition Regulation (CFAR), creation of a deployable reserve corps of contingency contracting personnel, and pre–competing and pre–qualifying a diverse pool of contractors with expertise in reconstruction. The full report is found under REPORTS/LESSONS LEARNED on this website (Lessons Learned ).

Full Statement (157 KB PDF)


Title: Review of Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR-06-003T)

Date: June 8, 2006
Audience: House International Relations Committee

Description: SIGIR reviews significant issues in Iraq reconstruction including the need to improve infrastructure security, close the Reconstruction Gap, and fight corruption.

Full Statement (35 KB PDF)


Title: Hearing to Examine Iraq Stabilization and Reconstruction (SIGIR-06-002T)

Date: February 8, 2006
Audience: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Description: SIGIR provides updates on key issues including transition, sustainability, cost–to–complete, anti–corruption efforts, and information systems management.

Full Statement (86 KB PDF)
Reconstruction Fact Sheet (576 KB PDF)


Title: Hearing on Contracting Issues in Iraq (SIGIR-06-001T)

Date: February 7, 2006
Audience: Senate Armed Services Committee / Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support

Description: SIGIR provides details on its audits of the award of sector design–build construction contracts, the Logistics Civilian Augmentation Program (LOGCAP), the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP) for 2004–5, and contracting processes in South–Central Iraq. Also provided were details of an attestation engagement that examined the award of non–competitive contracts to contractor Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR).

Full Statement (75KB PDF)
Reconstruction Fact Sheet (576 KB PDF)


Title: Hearing on Iraq: Perceptions, Realities and Cost-to-Complete (SIGIR-05-003T)

Date: October 18, 2005
Audience: House Government Reform Committee / Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations

Description: SIGIR takes a deeper look at the Reconstruction Gap –the difference between the number of projects that the U.S. proposed to build when it first began committing money to reconstruction programs and the number of projects that the U.S. will ultimately complete.

Full Statement (135KB PDF)


Title: Oversight Hearing on Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR-05-002T)

Date: September 7, 2005
Audience: House Appropriations Committee / Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs

Description: SIGIR provides an overview of its work to date and presents insight into key issues including cost–to–complete and sustainability.

Full Statement (143KB PDF)


Title: The Development Fund for Iraq: U.S. Management of Iraq Oil Proceeds and compliance with UNSCR 1483 (SIGIR-05-001T)

Date: June 21, 2005
Audience: House Government Reform Committee / Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations

Description: SIGIR provides a review of its work in Iraq reconstruction with a focus on the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI), its management by the United States, and the four audits done by SIGIR of the management of the DFI.

Full Statement (150KB PDF)