Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction The Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction ( SIGIR ) was created in October 2004 as the successor to the Coalition Provisional Authority Office of Inspector General ( CPA - IG ) . SIGIR is an independent government agency created by the Congress to provide oversight of the use – and potential misuse – of the $ 52 billion U . S . reconstruction program in Iraq . Stuart W . Bowen , Jr . was appointed to the position of CPA - IG on January 20 , 2004 and continues to serve as SIGIR ’ s Inspector General to this day . SIGIR reports directly to Congress , the Secretary of State , and the Secretary of Defense . SIGIR ’ s mission is to provide independent and objective oversight of U . S . - funded Iraq reconstruction policies , programs , and operations through comprehensive audits , inspections , and investigations . As of July 2009 , SIGIR has issued 22 Quarterly Reports to Congress , 303 audits and inspections , 386 recommendations , and four Lessons Learned reports . SIGIR representatives have also testified before Congress on 27 separate occasions . Moreover , SIGIR ’ s investigative and oversight work has resulted in 29 criminal indictments , more than $ 81 million in U . S . taxpayer funds saved or recovered , and $ 224 million being put to better use . In February 2009 , SIGIR issued its fourth Lessons Learned report , " Hard Lessons : The Iraq Reconstruction Experience " . " Hard Lessons " provides the first comprehensive account of the U . S . reconstruction effort in Iraq , chronicling the myriad challenges that confronted the rebuilding program , and concludes with 13 lessons drawn from the reconstruction experience . Influence on Law and Policy . SIGIR reports have led to several important changes in U . S . reconstruction policy . These changes to the law and to key agencies ’ policies and procedures have increased management efficiencies and influenced the development of more effective approaches to overseas contingency operations . Some examples of how SIGIR ’ s oversight work has affected U . S . policy include : ( 1 ) the reorganization of the Department of State ’ s anticorruption programs in Iraq ; ( 2 ) the imposition by Congress of stricter limitations on the amount of Commander ' s Emergency Response Program funds that can be used on any one project ; ( 3 ) the establishment of improved processes for transferring U . S . - funded assets to the government of Iraq ; ( 4 ) the issuance by the Office of Management and Budget of updated procurement guidance , including a number of management and operational best practices that should be considered in planning contingency operations and responding to national emergencies ; and ( 5 ) the establishment by the Congress of two new special inspectors general modeled on SIGIR – SIGAR , to oversee U . S . - funded reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan , and SIGTARP , to oversee the Department of Treasury ’ s $ 700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program ( TARP ) . SIGIR has provided resources and expertise to both SIGAR and SIGTARP during their establishment and development . Recognition . SIGIR ’ s work has been recognized in three awards from the President ’ s Council on Integrity and Efficiency . SIGIR ’ s findings and analyses have also contributed to key policy papers produced by Congressional Committees , think tanks , and policy review bodies , such as the U . S . Army Gansler Commission on Contracting , the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan , and the Iraq Study Group .