https://nanotrasen.se/wiki/index.php/Internal_Affairs
The IAA's job includes:
Conduct investigations and write reports
Ensure SOP is followed
Ensure Space Law is upheld
This means:
For them to be able to conduct an investigation, either they have to witness a problem, or someone has to come to them with a complaint
For them to ensure SOP is followed, they have to work with the department heads, who in practice have more authority and knowledge than they do, which makes them largely redundant
For them to ensure Space Law is upheld, they need to work with Security.
Problems:
Few people bring complaints to the IAA, for various reasons.
The IAA rarely work with the heads of department. If there's a problem and the head is willing/able to fix it, no reason for the IAA to be involved. If they're willing but not able, IAA involvement is pointless. If they're able but not willing, that's when the NT Rep gets involved.
The IAA usually don't work with Security effectively. For example, they usually don't check on processing enough to notice when someone is in there longer than they should be.
The IAA is generally considered a joke role. I've lost count of the number of butt faxes I've got from IAAs who don't take their role with even an ounce of seriousness.
Solutions:
IAAs need to take the job more seriously. This really is the fundamental requirement. If they won't take the job seriously, nobody else will take them seriously either. This means I shouldn't be seeing cases of IAAs buttfaxing centcom as much as I do. Every time you buttfax CentCom as the IAA, you make even admins less willing to take IAAs seriously.
IAAs need to remind heads that they exist, and are available to help with investigations. For example, they could adopt a policy of faxing a short note to every head, or sending them it via PDA, at the start of each shift. Simply to remind the heads that they exist, and they're here to serve, by assisting the heads with investigating potential violations of SOP and/or Space Law. For example, the head can contact them to ask about the status of members of their department who have been convicted of crimes. The head can contact them to ask for help in investigating members of their department for doing stupid things. Etc.
IAAs need to actively put in the time to monitor Security. This means paying special attention to them in the hallways and reminding them not to run around with tasers out. This means paying attention to brig timer notices and double-checking that the time given matches space law. This means checking on processing often and making sure nobody sits there forever. And so forth.
Above all else, IAAs need to ensure they aren't sending pointless faxes to CentCom. CentCom doesn't give a flying hoot if a single officer hits a prisoner with a baton once. That is NOT CentCom worthy. That's the sort of thing the HoS is expected to sort out themselves, assuming it wasn't an accidental misclick. Just about the only time the IAA should be sending faxes to CentCom is if there's a serious problem with the Captain, Magistrate, Blueshield, HoS, or similar high-ranked position.
If we want to actually change the game to make the IAA's job easier:
Add a timer in processing which generates an alert over sec radio when someone is held in there with no charges for more than 10 minutes.
Improve the documentation available to IAAs, to make writing GOOD faxes easier, and to discourage bad faxes.
Make it easier for heads to work with IAAs. For example, create a 'private radio kit' which has 5 radio keys all set to the same, random frequency. Have the IAAs start with this kit. The IAAs could then hand out these keys to heads or other informants who want to work with them, giving the IAA eyes and ears throughout the station and a much better chance of detecting problems they can then investigate. Another example would be making it easier for IAAs to be granted access to departments. Usually when I see IAAs in a department now, its because the Captain or HoP gave them the access without even asking the head... which tends to annoy the head and make their co-operation much less likely.
Heck, just move their office right next to prisoner processing (separated by shutters) so they can always see who is being processed.
Make their boss the NT Rep, rather than the magistrate. The NT Rep can manage them and advocate for them better than the Magistrate can, anyway.
Create a new crime "obstructing an investigation", which can be applied to people who completely ignore the IAA while they're trying to ask them about the subject of an investigation.
Allow IAAs access to records that allow them to check that SOP is being upheld. E.g. HoP's records of job transfers, Coroners records of who is in morgue trays, Science's records of R&D levels, Cargo's records of what is being ordered, etc. Basically make them record central - bring the information to them.