State Jobs in Providence, RI

Inspector General

Pursuant to RIGL 42-9.1-5:

(1) Investigate the management and operation of agencies to determine if there has been evidence of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, or any other abuse of governmental resources that harms the public interest, whether through acts or omissions;

(2) Investigate retaliation claims regarding whistleblowers;

(3) Report suspected acts of fraud, waste, abuse or mismanagement against or within an agency to the governor and, as appropriate to other state entities with jurisdiction over the matter;

(4) Conduct special investigations and management reviews of agencies at the request of the governor;

(5) Establish procedures to receive, investigate, and resolve complaints, including recommending whether disciplinary action or further investigation by appropriate local, state, or federal agencies is warranted and taking further action as appropriate;

(6) Instruct and educate agencies on the detection and prevention of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement; conduct evaluations of relevant agency policies and procedures implicated by any investigation and create a remedial action plan to prevent recurrences of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement that harm the public interest; and close an investigation when the inspector general concludes there is insufficient evidence that a violation has occurred. Closure of any investigation by the inspector general shall not bar the reopening of the investigation should circumstances warrant;

(7) Act as a liaison to agencies to promote accountability, integrity, and efficiency in state government;

(8) Maintain a statewide-toll-free telephone number, website, email address, and physical mailing address for the receipt of complaints and inquiries;

(9) Work collaboratively, including through any memoranda of understanding, for the purposes of efficiency, coordination, and avoidance of duplicative work with the attorney general, local, state or federal law enforcement, the ethics commission, and the auditor general;

(10) Enter into contracts for audits or specialists needed to perform the duties outlined herein. Provided, further, the inspector general shall coordinate with the auditor general to ensure efficient utilization of available audit resources; and

(11) When formally requested by a municipal government through a city or town council resolution, the inspector general may accept a request from a municipality to investigate concerns regarding fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of state or municipal government funds. All the powers, duties and procedures of the inspector general set forth in this chapter for investigation of agencies shall apply to any investigation related to a municipality.

• Follow investigative procedures pursuant to RIGL 42-9.4-6, conclude investigations pursuant to RIGL 42-9.4-7, access agencies and records pursuant to RIGL 42-9.4-8, issue oaths and subpoenas pursuant to RIGL 42-9.4-9, promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to RIGL 42-9.4-10, file reports pursuant to RIGL 42-9.4-11, submit a budget for the Office of the Inspector General pursuant to RIGL 42-9.4-12, and prevent retaliation and protect whistleblowers pursuant to RIGL 42-9.4-13.

Required Qualifications for Appointment

Knowledge, Skills, and Capacities

• Demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding the mission of public service. Candidates must provide prior professional opinions, positions, or actions that may influence the candidate's approach to the role, which will be subject to public disclosure to the extent permitted under law (RIGL 42-9.4-3).

Education and Experience

• Hold a bachelor's degree or higher in criminal justice, public administration, law enforcement, accounting, or related areas;
• Have 10 years of professional experience in auditing, investigations, law enforcement, accounting, or related areas; and
• Hold any professional certificate from the Association of Inspectors General, including Certified Inspector General or Certified Inspector General Investigator at the time of the application (RIGL 42-9.4-3).

Special Requirements

• The Inspector General Independent Advisory Commission will select three qualified candidates to send to the Governor, who will appoint one individual from the list.
• All applications for this position will be made public.
• Interviews of candidates by the Inspector General Independent Advisory Commission will take place in an Open Meeting pursuant to the Rhode Island Open Meetings Act (RIGL 42-46) and may be held in either Open Session or Executive Session.
• Interviews may be held in person or via video conference. Candidates who travel to attend an in-person interview may be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses.
• The individual appointed by the Governor will be subject to advice and consent of the Senate.
• Once confirmed, the Inspector General will have an initial term of five years, with the opportunity to be reappointed to a second five-year term.
• The Inspector General is subject to the Rhode Island Code of Ethics (RIGL 36-14).
• The Inspector General may not hold or be a candidate for any other elected or appointed public office, hold a position in any political party, or participate in a political campaign of any candidate for public office while serving as Inspector General.
• "The following individuals shall not be nominated for inspector general until one year after the last day of the individual's holding of any of the following disqualifying positions:
• A member of the general assembly;
• Any other [elected] public office holder; or
• A cabinet secretary, a department director in the executive branch, or an individual of equivalent standing within the executive branch" (RIGL 42-9.4-4(h)).

Supplemental Information

By submitting an application, the candidate understands that their application will be made public, consents to the Association of Inspectors General releasing their record of certification, and attests that everything in their application is true and factual.