OGE Support

As the supervising ethics office for the executive branch, OGE provides expert guidance and support to agency ethics officials to promote consistent interpretation and application of ethics laws and regulations across the executive branch.

OGE's Role

OGE support takes many forms, including the following:

• OGE provides expert interpretive guidance on legal and program requirements through written advisories and on-demand, real-time support from a dedicated desk officer assigned to the agency
• OGE shares data and reports that allow agencies to benchmark and improve their programs
• OGE supports the agencies in the presidential appointments process by working closely with the White House, the Senate, agency ethics officials, nominees, and nominees’ representatives on the ethics review of Presidential nominees for Senate-confirmed positions
• OGE supports agencies and the financial disclosure filers that use OGE’s electronic financial disclosure system, Integrity, through orientations, training, and help desk services

In addition, as the supervising ethics office, OGE has insight into the methods, procedures, and practices of over 140 agency ethics programs and seeks to highlight these practices as a resource for improving ethics programs across the executive branch. Finally, through its listserv and quarterly meetings with DAEOs, OGE apprises DAEOs on a variety of topics, such as changes to the ethics laws and regulations, recently published OGE legal and programmatic guidance, and upcoming training.

Responsibilities of the Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO)

The DAEO must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to manage a significant agency program, understand and apply complex legal requirements, and serve as an effective liaison with OGE. The DAEO and other ethics officials can draw on OGE support to fulfill this responsibility.

Key Legal Authorities

• 5 C.F.R. § 2638.108– Government ethics responsibilities of OGE

Key Advisories

OGE Listserv

OGE uses its electronic mailing list to provide timely and relevant information to the ethics community. If you are a government employee who performs ethics program duties, you may sign up for OGE’s listserv. To sign up, send your name and email address to Ethics_mailinglist@oge.gov

Oversight Summary Reports

OGE makes a variety of reports and data available to increase transparency and so that agencies can benchmark their programs against other agencies. The documents available include OGE single-issue reviews, benchmarking reports, and summaries of the annual agency ethics program results.