28 4.3. Special NPM unit and its functional autonomy By the end of 2015, the National Assembly of the RS adopted the Decision on the approval of the Rulebook on the Internal Organization and Job Classification within the Secretariat of the Protector of the Citizens no. 48-709/14 of 22 October 2014, which envisages forming a special unit that shall perform NPM activities - the NPM Secretariat. Subject to the provisions of this Rulebook, NPM Secretariat does not operate under the Secretariat of the Protector of the Citizens and it is directly responsible for its work to the Protector of the Citizens, i.e., Deputy Protector of the Citizens in charge of the NPM affairs. In 2016, the Protector of Citizens hired one more bachelor of law, to perform the job of an independent advisor in the NPM Secretariat, meaning that the NPM activities are now being discharged by four employees. The projected number of the staff is not sufficient for the improvement of the work of the NPM. The envisaged number of officers working in the NPM Secretariat (one senior advisor, one independent advisor and two advisors) is not sufficient, taking into account its mandate and the requirement of being efficient with the entrusted tasks. It is therefore necessary to form a special department within the Protector of Citizens institution that would be managed by the NPM Secretary, whose position would be at the same level as that held by the Secretary General of the Protector of Citizens Secretariat. The NPM Secretary would be supported by two assistants (one for monitoring and the other for cooperation, reporting and legislation improvement). It is also necessary that, considering the nature of their work, the assistant and the employee tasked with monitoring, have all the powers of inspection employees, police officers and the employees of the Administration for enforcement of criminal sanctions having direct contacts with prisoners. For the NPM mandate operations it is necessary to form a separate budget line within the budget of the Protector of Citizens. The efficient work of NPM requires the adoption of the Law on NPM without delay, or amendments to the Law on Protector of Citizens, so as to regulate the organization and the NPM mandate implementation scheme. 4.4. Participation of the Provincial Protector of Citizens in the NPM activities Representatives of the Provincial Protector of Citizens took part in 14 conducted visits in the course of the year of 2015. In the course of 2016, the Protector of Citizens continued his cooperation with the Provincial Protector of Citizens of AP Vojvodina (the Provincial Protector of Citizens) with the concluded Memorandum of Cooperation, on visiting the detention places located within the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.