Who should be involved in NPM planning processes?

Developing its strategic and operational plans should be an inclusive process, ideally involving the whole NPM team. An external advisory group or larger group of stakeholders might also be involved at the initial risk and objective identification phase, as well as in consultations on the final draft. Nevertheless the final decisions about what is in both strategic and operational plans should rest with the NPM leadership. This includes when the NPM is part of a larger institution, such as a National Human Rights Institution.

For the majority of NPMs, which are either ombuds institutions or national human rights commissions, or are part of multiple body NPMs, it may be useful to develop the NPM strategic plan in synergy with other departments. For ombuds institutions or national human rights commissions, the NPM strategic plan will ideally be aligned with or form part of an overall institutional plan that is developed at the same time. While the NPM should have autonomy to decide on its objectives and activities, these should nevertheless fit within the overall objectives of the institution and development might usefully include relevant NHRI staff, including from the planning and evaluation department, for example. This might also be a useful time to consider cross-cutting themes on which the institution as a whole would like to focus.

In the case of multiple bodies NPMs, it may be useful – although quite complex – to have a single strategic plan. This could help to maximise resources and ensure cohesion among the different institutions. In this case, it is essential to allow sufficient time so that all the participating institutions have buy in, even if the process is led by one of the institutions.

In some cases, NPMs are assisted throughout the process by external consultants who can help facilitate the process. It is important to underline, however, that strategic plans that are entirely sub-contracted or developed by external consultants (or that do not reflect the agreed objectives of the NPM team itself) are unlikely to be successfully implemented, as they will likely lack sufficient ownership from the team.

Finally, ongoing internal communications are essential to the success of any planning process. NPMs should thus make sure they set aside sufficient time throughout the lifetime of a plan for team meetings and discussions, so that everyone understands what is planned and how it contributes to the NPM’s objectives.