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First Steps of an Investigation and Documents & Fraud Interviewing

Course Category Audit

August 27, 2024

9:00 a.m.

Change

On-Site

This course will be delivered on-site in Palau.

Registration for this course is invitation-only. Please email us for additional details.

Course Description

This seminar will build on the Basics of Investigations discussion. We will discuss what to do with allegations: the importance of timely responses, how to manage intake, how to analyze and assess fraud complaints, and what steps to take upon receiving fraud complaints. We will then discuss investigative planning: the importance of creating an investigative plan, how to scope your investigation, clarifying objectives and the importance of setting a timeline. We will include table exercises where attendees assess complaints and draft an investigative plan. Building on our investigative plan in the afternoon, we will discuss how to Identify relevant documents and other evidence, how to collect them, how to analyze them and how to use them to build an investigation. We will then discuss how to conduct fraud interviews: the difference between witnesses and subjects, how to organize multiple interviews, how to plan an interview, how to build rapport, and how to go over interview techniques for tricky subject interviews. We will include table exercises in which attendees will review documents, brief their conclusions, and role-play a subject interview.

What You Will Learn

This session will teach you how to handle crime investigations, starting with identifying threats, moving through case intake and vetting, and using interviews to gather evidence effectively.

Who Should Attend

APIPA conference sessions are intended for island government accountability professionals. Audit, budget, finance, accounting, and related management and staff members will find interest and value in this presentation.

Health & Safety Protocols

For all on-site training in the insular areas, the Graduate School USA's Pacific and Virgin Islands Training Initiatives (PITI-VITI) works closely with local training hosts to ensure that participants, instructors, and training support staff enjoy a safe learning experience. Please note the following:

Full details of PITI-VITI's health and safety guidelines are available here.
Local health and safety guidelines for the government of Palau, which will be hosting this training, is available at http://www.palauhealth.org/.
Please contact PITI-VITI Admin at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

NEXT SESSION

DAYS

HOURS

MINS

SECONDS

August 27, 2024

9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Change

CPEs - 8 Credit Hours

On-Site, Palau

Republic of Palau, Palau

This course has been delivered

Panelists

Matt Elliott

Washington, DC

Matthew Elliott is the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations for the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General. Mr. Elliott has been at Interior since 2014 and was previously the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations.

David House

Denver, CO

David House serves as the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) for Infrastructure Coordination for the Department of Interior’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). SAC House has served in a variety of roles with the OIG – he was the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Northern Region in St. Paul, MN; was Deputy Director for the Recovery Oversight Office; was a senior case agent in Hawaii, and was the Special Agent in Charge for the Central Region in Denver, CO. He served for several years as a Special Agent in Charge for the General Services Administration OIG in San Francisco, CA and before that, served as a US Army CID Agent for 12 years.

Katharine Kovacek

Colorado

Katharine began her career with Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General (DOI OIG) in August 2019 as a Special Agent assigned to the Western Region Investigations office in Lakewood, CO, where she has worked grant and procurement fraud cases and was the lead agent on many multi-agency fraud investigations. Prior to working for the DOI, Katharine worked for the U.S. Department of State OIG in Arlington, VA, for approximately 7 years as a Special Agent and Forensic Accountant. Katharine earned her bachelor's degree in accounting from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration from George Mason University. Katharine is a certified forensic examiner and a certified anti money laundering specialist.

Photo Gallery

Photos from recent activities hosted by the Pacific and Virgin Islands Training Initiatives (PITI-VITI) in support of conferences, training and leadership development, are available below.