14 During the NPM’s visits, the conditions at the institution are examined through observations, interviews and document reviews. Good assessment procedures form the basis for a successful visit The NPM spends a considerable amount of time preparing visits. The prioritisation of the places to visit and when to visit them is based on careful in-depth assessments. To be able to carry out systematic and expedient work, it is crucial that the NPM has access to different sources. A review of relevant documentation before the visit makes it possible to identify potential risk factors of degrading and inhuman treatment. This ensures that the visits address the challenges that are most relevant to the place in question. One particular challenge is that a number of places where people can be placed against their will are established on a needs basis. In many cases, these can resemble small, private homes. This is particularly the case in the child welfare sector, for instance; it has been a challenge to obtain an exhaustive list of all existing institutions. NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMAN National Preventive Mechanism ANNUAL REPORT 2019 It is important for the NPM to gain an under­ standing of the relevant challenges in the different places, in order to be as prepared as possible for each visit. The visits must also be planned to ensure that the NPM's staff can talk to as many people as possible at the institution in question. When we visit large institutions, for example, it is important to plan to ensure that we can conduct as many interviews as possible. When we visit small institutions, it is important that the visit takes place at a time when as many people as possible are available to interview. The number of persons that have been deprived of their liberty, the staff and their shifts and the presence of managers are examples of factors that should be considered when planning a visit. The NPM prepares adapted interview guides in advance for the different groups we wish to interview during a visit. All conversations take place in the form of partly structured interviews with two members of the NPM present. This ensures that the information we receive during the interviews is adequately documented. In addition to interview guidelines, we also develop documents that examine issues that we expect to find at the institution we are visiting. These can depend on the type of institution, whether it is run privately or by the state, its size and so on. — In 2019, the Parliamentary Ombudsman's National Preventive Mechanism carried out ten visits to the child welfare sector and two visits to the mental health care sector. —