The award is presented to someone who demonstrates a strong commitment to integrity, diligence, and transparency on behalf of the City of Philadelphia. The award, previously named the Inspector General Integrity Award, honors Joan Markman, the first Chief Integrity Officer for the City of Philadelphia, who passed away on January 14, 2015 after serving city government since January 7, 2008.

The Inspector General’s Joan Markman Award for Integrity recognizes those who demonstrate excellence in their work with the Inspector General’s Office or the Office of the Chief Integrity Officer, who go above and beyond the call of duty, and who support the Inspector General’s mission of upholding the public trust with the highest standards of ethics and integrity by rooting out fraud, corruption or misconduct.

The eligibility requirements for the Award are as follows:

• Recipients must be City employees, individuals who work with the City of Philadelphia, or members of the public; and
• Recipients must work with the Inspector General’s Office to assist with an investigation of significance to Philadelphia or  with the Office of the Chief Integrity Officer to strengthen the City's ethical culture.
• Cabinet members and Department or Agency Heads are not eligible to receive the award; but they are encouraged to nominate individuals for the award.

The mission of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is to enhance the public confidence in the integrity of the City government by rooting out corruption, fraud, misconduct, waste and mismanagement.