What are the different types of new specialised institutions?

A new specialised institution can take many different forms, although they usually conform to one of two models. Because of the specificities of federal states, new specialized institutions established in such jurisdictions are dealt with in the tool on multiple bodies.

• Single member. Some new specialised institutions are established under the leadership of a single individual (often elected or otherwise appointed by parliament or the executive). This type of new specialized institution will usually also include a professional and multidisciplinary staff, who then conduct visits and carry out the other main tasks of the NPM.
• Collegial. Other new specialized institutions are collegial bodies, under the leadership of a number of members (elected or appointed by parliament or the executive), who usually represent a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. The work of these institutions – including detention visits and making recommendations – is usually carried out by the members themselves, although, depending on their number and availability, they may also be supported in this work by professional staff.
• Implications for staff. Whether single leader or collegial in structure, such institutions usually include a secretariat with responsibility for administration, communications and other related matters.

Beyond the secretariat, the size of the institution and the number of elected members also has an impact on the number of professional staff or experts that will be required. While there is no “one size fits all” rule, it is important that, collectively, the institution fulfils the criteria of multidisciplinary. In addition, coverage and effectiveness must be paramount and the number of staff will need to be adapted to the programme of visits – an institution that cannot conduct sufficient preventive visits because of the unavailability of part-time members, for example, is unlikely to be successful in the fulfilment of its mandate. See the tool on profile and skills for more details.