This Annual Plan presents the major initiatives and priorities the U.S. Department of Education (Department) Office of Inspector General (OIG) intends to undertake to assist the Department in fulfilling its responsibilities to America's taxpayers and students. The Department continues to face a significant number of challenges in FY 2014 that impact its ability to effectively achieve its mission of promoting student achievement and preparing for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. In response, the focus of new work within the FY 2014 Annual Plan includes projects to assess high priority areas such as the Department's administrative capacity; oversight and monitoring of grantees, contractors, and Federal student financial assistance programs; information technology development and implementation; data quality and reporting; and emerging areas among the Department's programs. This Annual Plan aligns the OIG's work and resources to achieve their mission, to meet the goals of their Strategic Plan, and to focus attention across challenge areas to the Department. To these ends, OIG's planned and ongoing work involves Department programs and operations at all levels--Federal, State, and local. [For the FY 2013 Annual Plan, see ED621284.]