What has remained the same is the constitutional mandate to perform ex-post control that the AOB has been engaged in since 1977, which is linked to the right of any citizen to submit a complaint to the AOB regarding alleged maladministration by the federal administraion. Every sovereign administrative act for which the federal administraion is competent, as well as its actions as holder of private rights, are subject to mal-administration monitoring by the AOB. This corresponds to the AOB’s duty to investigate every permissible complaint, to review it and to inform those involved of the result of the investigation, as well as of any measures that may have been initiated. Furthermore, the AOB is entitled to undertake ex-officio investigations of suspected cases of maladministration. From 1988 on, the AOB has been additionally tasked with helping to handle petitions and initiatives of citizens' action groups that are addressed to the National Council. It is also authorised to file petitions before the Austrian Constitutional Court to review the legality of a regulation issued by a federal agency. Reorganisation of the AOB In December 2011, the Austrian Parliament adopted the Act on the Implementation of the OPCAT (OPCAT Durchführungsgesetz). This act contains the provision that the expansion of the AOB's competences enters into force as at 1 July 2012. Therefore, only six months remained for the organisational restructuring and the establishment of the new institutions. In order to enable the necessary organisational adjustments during this tight timeframe, the AOB solicited bids from experienced organisational consultants and awarded a contract that stipulated the fol- Complementary organisational consulting lowing objectives: (1) furnish a current-state analysis detailing the strengths and improvement potential of the existing organisation; (2) address problem areas using project teams and, using this information, develop suggestions for adjustments and/or changes in the organisation; (3) provide support in the implementation of the new work and organisational structures. These measures concerned the hitherto existing organisational and work methodologies of the AOB and provided the basis for the integration of newly hired employees. Considerable parts of the new organisation were developed by internal project groups. Employee teams worked on possible improvements Internal projects prepare reorganisation to internal work processes, as well as protocol standards for preventive 9