different disciplines be observers in various facilities, collect information and facts and evaluate all they have learned in the light of the requirements of international conventions. This is the basis for constructive and critical assessments of institutional and governmental actions on the basis of which improvements and new activities must be initiated. The framework for assessments is defined by the triple obligation to respect, to protect and to fulfil human rights. The AOB has thus received a constitutional mandate that requires a new understanding of its office. While it previously concentrated on an ex-post control of the public administration based on reviewing complaints initiated by individuals, the brief of the new AOB is to expand its previous responsibilities by undertaking preventive monitoring tasks. If these tasks are to be executed with the proper transparency and in full public view, a sound and lasting cooperation with NGOs must be developed. The long-term aim of the AOB is to move towards becoming what can best be described as the “human rights house of the Republic”. The AOB has started to work on this objective in 2011. In addition to its familiar responsibilities, internal prerequisites were created to be able to recruit new staff and restructure previous work processes. The next mission-critical step is to recruit qualified persons able to take on work on the Commissions and the Human Rights Advisory Council as a secondary job. However, this will only create the initial basis for many additional reform steps. For example, the reporting system must also be redesigned. In addition to its annual reports the AOB will have the possibility in the future of sending the National Council and the Federal Council special reports on specific topics and will be obligated to report to the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT). All of these measures will significantly change the AOB. They have been initiated with the help of professional organisational consultants. Thanks to our committed employees who have shown a great willingness to implement changes external support was only used in a very limited way. The newly developed concepts will make it possible to change structures and processes in the future and to develop new communication channels – both internal and external – in order to fulfil future responsibilities. Thus reorganisation began with an internal process. In the next step, suggestions will be develo- 6