What an inspector-general oversees
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An inspector-general provides independent oversight of a specific agency or sector, often one with unusually sensitive powers such as intelligence, law enforcement or the military, where ordinary public scrutiny is limited by legitimate secrecy. The role exists precisely because heightened secrecy also raises the risk of unchecked misconduct.
Typical functions include reviewing complaints, auditing how special powers were actually used, and reporting findings to a minister or parliamentary committee, sometimes in a classified form when the underlying material cannot be made public. Even a classified report still creates a paper trail that someone in authority is expected to act on.
Because much of an inspector-general's work happens outside public view, trust in the office depends heavily on the credibility of its appointment process and its genuine independence from the agency it oversees. An inspector-general seen as too close to the people being reviewed loses much of the value the role is meant to provide.