Eric Feldman is Tom Fox’s guest on this episode of Looking Back at 9/11. Eric is the Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Affiliated Monitors, a company that deals with monitoring large and small companies in the government contracting, construction, engineering, manufacturing, and financial services. He also conducts assessments of corporate ethics and compliance programs across many countries. Eric joins Tom to talk about the impact the events of 9/11 had on the role of Inspector General.
The Impact of 9/11 on The IG's Role
Eric explains to Tom that 9/11 was the most informative time of his career, and the careers of many other Inspector Generals. It was a refocusing moment for everyone. Eric got to work within the oversight function, but as part of the mission he was overseeing. "That focus on mission was it for me," he tells Tom. Eric expresses that understanding the mission helped make him a better Inspector General. IGs all over the world became more concerned with looking at the broader picture of how funds were being used at their agencies to fight the war on terror, instead of the minutiae of looking at time and attendance reporting.
The Importance of The IG Now
Tom asks Eric to elaborate on how the IG's role rose in prominence post-9/11. Eric explains that government IGs became "part of the team" in different ways. There is more collaboration now across the agencies that IGs oversee. There is also independence: Eric expresses that there must be a balance between collaboration and independence. IGs are especially important as they ensure that the dollars being spent on the war and mission are being spent properly.
A Wake Up Call of Unity
Eric reflects that 9/11 was a wake-up call for the United States. The country came together, and there was a level of unity and patriotism, as well as a sense of duty that overtook politics. Eric hopes that the people can return to that unity without another catastrophe.
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