Office of Acquisition & Procurement Audits

As Assistant Inspector General for Acquisition and Procurement Audits, Carolyn Hicks oversees DOT OIG audits of departmental acquisitions via Federal contracts, as well as grant award and oversight activities. Ms. Hicks joined DOT OIG in January 2023, following over 30 years of acquisition auditing experience at the Department of the Navy, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

 

In May 2016, she became the Director of Acquisitions in the DHS OIG Office of Audit’s Financial, Audit Management Services, Acquisitions, Excellence, and Training Division. Ms. Hicks was responsible for establishing DHS OIG’s Acquisition Division. Her teams conducted performance audits of DHS acquisition, contract, and grant programs. In March 2008, she joined EPA OIG as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Inspector General. While there, she helped establish EPA OIG’s system of quality control for both the Office of Audits and the Office of Program Evaluation. She conducted independent referencing reviews of draft and final reports, ensuring compliance with generally accepted Government auditing standards and internal policies, procedures, and guidance.

 

Ms. Hicks spent her formative years learning the fundamentals of systems acquisition at the Naval Audit Service—the Department of the Navy’s internal audit function. She joined the Naval Audit Service in November 1987, rising from an entry-level auditor to Audit Director of the Classified Audits Division. She also attended the Defense Systems Management College Program Managers Course, using what she learned to perform and conduct audits of Navy and Marine Corps acquisition programs.

 

She graduated from Virginia Union University with a bachelor of science in business administration.