9.6.1.3 Intake and Triage
An NHRI at this stage of its development should have a reasonably sound intake process. But it is not uncommon for the intake stage of complaint management to be seen as the poor cousin to investigation. This should not be the case: intake is arguably the most important part of the investigation process. Intake staff should be at least as knowledgeable and capable as investigators, albeit with a different focus. They must understand and have supporting standing instructions that allow them to determine jurisdiction, to refer clients to other available redress mechanisms, to identify cases that are either urgent or a priority or both. And they must do all of this in a way that presents a positive image of the institution to the public it serves. Unless intake is done well, the repercussions will be felt throughout the process and will become more damaging over time.
You have a project with an NHRI that has been in operation for two years. You have just received the first annual report and seen the case statistics. Although the NHRI has a broad mandate, as set out in the Paris Principles, it appears that most of the cases that have been dealt with so far were out of the organization's jurisdiction or should have been referred elsewhere. In short, it appears that most of the organization's energy is focused on issues that it should not have been dealing with in the first place, and that most of the cases investigated resulted in a finding of "no jurisdiction" or referral to another body.
For further information, see:
Annex 6: Intake Checklist