Inspection and oversight is essential to success in all organizations including federal, state and local agencies, as well as independent, and private sector entities including corporations. It takes place in four modes - investigation and inspection, assessment and evaluation, financial and programmatic auditing, and regulation enforcement and compliance assessment.
Many inspection and oversight agencies are headed by an official with the title "Inspector General," but the broad functions are also carried out by comptrollers, legislative analysts, independent public interest organizations, accounting and auditing firms, investigative journalists, and court-appointed compliance monitors.
Because the functions and activities of inspection and oversight organizations are diverse, the experience and qualifications of professionals in the field are also diverse. Organizations employ investigators, auditors, forensic accountants, program analysts with writing and research skills, lawyers, field inspectors, as well as professionals in supporting fields to manage information systems, present public information, and analyze and manage evidence.
For more than 20 years, the MPA Inspection and Oversight program at John Jay College has been the only public policy and administration degree program expressly designed to support this important field.