 “Priorities and topics”: Fundamentally, the visits by the commissions are oriented towards concrete monitoring topics and priorities that are understood as guidelines rather than rigid rules. The size and composition of the visiting delegations are based on the defined monitoring focal points chosen by the commissions, as well as the number and planned duration of these visits. Preserving the necessary flexibility, for example during general initial visits or in the event of unexpected impressions on-site, is reasonable and appropriate. It must be possible to maintain a free and unobstructed view of occurring tendencies and to react quickly and flexibly to acute situations.  “Harmonised procedures”: The preparation, carrying out and follow-up of visits by the commissions is based on a jointly coordinated methodology. This is helpful for both, the delegation teams assembled from across the commissions and the further development of monitoring processes that can be compared across Austria. The intention is to counteract the obstacles and problems that arise from federal structures in similar types of institutions by way of monitoring procedures and assessment standards that are as uniform as possible Austria-wide, notwithstanding any necessary regional priorities.  “Documentation”: The effectiveness of improvements or elimination of structural problems, which have been identified and detected, depends largely on factors such as specificity, traceability and the reliability of the source(s). The work is guided by the principle of delivering a simple and un-bureaucratic but also a substantive and fact-oriented documentation of the monitoring findings. It should enable an assessment based on human rights and it should comply with the international principles that have been developed for this type of documentation. Additionally, simple impressions and provisional assessments can subsequently have certain relevance, in particular for the definition of follow-up visits or monitoring priorities.  “Communication”: The intensive and ongoing sharing of experience within the individual components of the NPM is of essential importance. Communication that is direct and based on trust promotes the joint work and makes it easier. Likewise, ongoing sharing of ideas and experience between the AOB and the commissions regarding the progress or the obstacles in their day-to-day work and in the political process is important; the AOB endeavours to participate in and to have the opportunity for discussions in all the regional governments. 156