-38 3.5. “Peer consulting”– a tool for reflection As mentioned above, a systemic approach means being well aware of the limits of one’s own perspective as just one personal view of the circumstances rather than the ‘objective truth’. Consequently, such approach emphasizes the importance of questioning one’s own perspective, recognizing its limits (through critical self-reflection, see principle 10) and actively inviting other perspectives to increase the impact of the interventions. While this is already done in monitoring by interviewing many different stakeholders inside and outside of places of detention, the tool ‘peer consulting’ offers a possibility to effectively use the perspectives of colleagues to better identify problems and develop solutions.75 We believe it could be of great help to any NPM or monitoring team. The main idea behind the method is that a system is marked by the way stories are ‘narrated’: Reality can be described in many different ways and no perspective is, per se, right or wrong. “[I]t is precisely the diversity of viewpoints that allows complex events to be perceived appropriately”.76 And this diversity also allows for innovative solutions to emerge. “Peer consulting” can be applied by following three steps:77 • A monitor describes the situation and problem experienced without interference by the peers. They can only ask clarifying questions in order to get a better understanding but do not yet analyse the problem. • Afterwards the peers discuss the case of the monitor among themselves while the monitor only observes without participating (ideally even by turning the back to the others). They exchange how they perceived her/ him, sharing their own thoughts and feelings and forming hypothesis why the problem exists, what the reasons and root causes may be. They carefully stay away from judgments but simply offer their perspectives. • Finally, the monitor enters the discussion again and shares how the discussion was perceived, which new perspectives and useful insights were gained and reflects together with the peers on which next steps could be taken. 75. This is a simplified version of a tool, developed in systemic therapy and commonly called in systemic consulting, “Reflecting Team”, see Schlippe/Schweitzer, 97-107. 76. Ibid., 98. 77. This was successfully tested out in the expert meeting “Treatment of Certain Groups of Prisoners in a Situation of Vulnerability” (18-19 November 2019) which was held in Bulgaria in the course of the mentioned NPM-project.