Which office is the principal driver in the implementation of compliance within HHS?

• A. Office of Inspector General
• B. Office for Civil Rights
• C. Office of Evaluation and Inspections
• D. Office of Investigations

Answer: (A)

The Office of Inspector General drives compliance across HHS. It acts as the independent watchdog for the department, focusing on preventing and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse and ensuring programs use funds and resources properly. It does this through audits, evaluations, and investigations, plus issuing guidance and recommendations that shape how policies and controls are implemented. Because of this oversight role, the OIG sets the direction for a department-wide compliance program and helps ensure accountability across all HHS activities.

The Office for Civil Rights concentrates on civil rights protections and HIPAA privacy/security enforcement, not the broad, department-wide compliance program. The Office of Evaluation and Inspections reviews programs to assess effectiveness and efficiency but does not own the overall compliance framework. The Office of Investigations handles individual misconduct and fraud cases rather than implementing the agency-wide compliance program.