The strongest guarantee of effective monitoring mechanisms is the ability of their members to do their work without threats or sanctions against them. At the same time, an important element is protection against reprisals for detainees and their close contacts or representatives who communicate with the monitoring bodies. Fear of reprisals is a major obstacle to effective monitoring work. All persons communicating with NPMs, whether detainees, patients, employees of detention facilities, psychiatric hospitals and similar facilities, members of civil society, State representatives, and others, should be confident that any information provided remains confidential and that they will be not subjected to any retaliation for providing such information. ÎÎSTRATEGY AND CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT In order to maximize their effectiveness and impact, NPMs should develop long-term and short-term strategies. NPMs should monitor and assess their activities and the outcomes thereof on an ongoing basis. Such strategies should be subject to periodic evaluation and improvement, and may also include other partners, including the SPT. Such assessments may take into account the following activities and factors: uuExisting problems and challenges uuGood practices uuCriteria for the selection of planned activities as well as for those calling for immediate responses uuCriteria for the composition of working groups, visiting and outreach teams uuBudgets and resources uuStrategies and working methods for implementing activities uuCooperation with other actors uuRecommendations to authorities and other appropriate bodies uuFollow-up activities uuInformation management (systematization of observations, recommendations, responses, infor- mation on implementation) The Subcommittee has published the SPT analytical assessment tool for National Preventive Mechanisms and the NPM assessment matrix for NPMs to facilitate self-evaluation of mandated activities. These tools reflect the principles set out in previously-issued documents and guidelines and the prevailing thinking in the field. Please see these documents in the Annexes. Information management NPMs should ensure that important, concrete and contextual observations arising from their visits to institutions and stemming from other reliable sources, as well as their recommendations and responses from the authorities and other addressees are appropriately categorized, filed and systematically processed for planning, strategy development and dialogue with authorities and other addressees. 20 I PREVENTING TORTURE: THE ROLE OF NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISMS – A PRACTICAL GUIDE