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A Brave New World of Accountability and Transparency: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at NSF
Speaker: Allison Lerner
On February 17, 2009, the world of Federal assistance and procurement changed dramatically. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) pumped an extraordinary amount of money into Federal programs and ushered in unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency for both Federal agencies and ARRA award recipients. To ensure exceptional levels of transparency to the American public, the Recovery Act created the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, comprised of several Inspectors General, to ensure increased accountability in the spending of ARRA funds. In addition, ARRA increased funding to Offices of Inspector General, created new recipient reporting requirements, and provided expanded whistleblower protections. Further, ARRA changed the way my office works with the National Science Foundation by prompting us to work more proactively to provide the agency with real-time assessments to help ensure that the $3 billion in ARRA funds NSF received reaches the intended recipients and meets the Act’s twin goals of reinvestment and recovery. My presentation will discuss how the Recovery Act has created a new paradigm for transparency and accountability in Federal funds, my office’s shifting approach to overseeing ARRA funds at NSF, and what the future may hold for all of us as we respond to this changing environment.
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