Inspectors are individuals who investigate and make determinations about a given issue. Any individual who works in this capacity for a country’s government can be considered a national inspector. As such, the national inspector may work in a number of different capacities, such as vetting a region’s food supply and health standards, or investigating crimes of concern to a national government. In addition, a national inspector may determine and implement standards for government-sponsored building and construction projects.
National inspectors who oversee building and construction determine the safety and quality of a large number of government-funded projects, including roads, bridges, buildings, and public utilities. In most regions, construction projects must meet a number of specified standards, ranging from zoning issues to fulfilling contract details and project ordinances or codes. Therefore, national inspectors must be familiar with the guidelines of the region and type of project. Whether they are inspecting a building's fire resistance, structural integrity, or electrical grid, national building inspectors examine, test, photograph, and report on all phases of the project, from pre-construction to final approval. Common devices used might include measuring and metering devices and computer software.
A similar type of inspector — the quality assurance inspector — ensures the quality of manufactured products. For the national inspector, a primary focus might be the monitoring of food and medical products that will impact a large percentage of the population. A template for inspection standards that is used in many regions is the International Organization for Standardization, so the quality assurance inspector should become well acquainted with these guidelines. More specific duties might encompass the tasting and package testing of food products and machine inspections, laboratory inspections, and clinical trial assurance for health products.
In some regions, a national inspector job might refer to the position of a law enforcement official who investigates crimes for a country’s government. This type of official will typically deal with legal issues that are considered a crime against a nation’s government, like treason, assassination attempts on politicians, or assaults on government buildings. The particular duties of a law enforcement national inspector might include interviewing potential witnesses and suspects, gathering evidence, and writing reports.
Training and experience are perhaps the key requirements for national inspector duties. Higher education degrees might prove helpful for higher level positions. Many regions require that national inspectors be certified as well.