2. INITIAL SIX MONTHS: GETTING READY TO START WORK OF NPM 2.1. Proceeding point - Plan of activities for the initial 6 months: preparation After designation of the NPM in Serbia in mid-2011, the Protector of Citizens did not start right away visiting the institutions at which PDLs are kept but made use of the first six months exclusively to get the adopted complex model of the NPM organized and complete the necessary preparatory steps as a pre-requisite for efficient implementation of monitoring visits. 2.2. Re-organization - setting up a separate organizational unit Following the Subcommittee’s guidelines the Protector of Citizens set up a separate organizational unit within the Experts Service of the Protector of Citizens – “NPM”. The main task of this unit is to pursue activities of a pro-active nature to act preventively in order to preclude torture or any other form of ill-treatment and enhance the status of PDLs. The organizational unit NPM is administered by the Deputy Protector of Citizens in charge of protection of the rights of PDLs. While it has the same administrator, this pro-active unit is totally functionally separate from the existing Department for the Protection of the Rights of PDLs, which plays a re-active role. The Jobs Description for the separate organizational unit of the NPM has been drafted. In addition to the visits to the institutions where PDLs are held, the NPM will draw up reports on visits to those institutions as well as periodic reports on work done, will address recommendations to the competent administrative bodies and submit motions in the form of acts of the Protector of Citizens, thereby proposing bills and amendments to the laws concerning prevention of torture. As part of the duties of the NPM also envisaged are direct cooperation with the Subcommittee and other international and regional human rights protection mechanisms and mechanisms for the prevention of torture, with state bodies, national mechanisms for the prevention of torture of other countries and NGOs as well as development and keeping (up to date) of a database and a separate website. The Staffing Scheme has been drafted envisaging four (4) new job positions: a mid-level adviser, an adviser and two junior advisers. For the time being, pending the adoption of the Staffing Scheme, one mid-level male adviser and two younger female advisers are employed under fixed-term contracts. This shows that the gender balance principle has been complied with. Of the mentioned employees there are two lawyers and one employee is a teacher of special education, which is how a balance in terms of different fields of professional expertise has been achieved, as stipulated under Article 18 of the OPCAT. 2.3. Securing means of labor At the building used by the Protector of Citizens the Organizational Unit NPM has been given separate premises in its own right. The premises are fully outfitted with office furniture, telephones lines and personal computers with Internet access. Employees at this organizational unit have been given cell phones and laptop computers. In order to create tangible conditions for performing the duties of the NPM, primarily for transport to the institutions at which PDLs are accommodated, in December 2011 a Hyundai H1 van was purchased with 7 + 1 seats with the funds from the budget of the Protector of Citizens.