Part III Investigative interviewing | Section II Initial preparation Interviews should then be conducted with those alleged to be responsible for the human rights violation that is the subject of the investigation. By this point, the interviewer should be in a position to ask reasonably well-informed questions, as well as focus on the key issue(s). If there is more than one alleged perpetrator, begin with those closest to the event or issue and then work out or, if relevant, up through the chain of command. In some circumstances, it may be preferable to interview the subject of an investigation first, in order to obtain the evidence while it is still fresh and to reduce the possibility of collusion. In police shootings, for example, it is crucial to interview the involved officer(s) as soon as is possible after the event, rather than waiting for other evidence to be gathered. In cases that have a systemic component, such as an alleged discriminatory policy, it may be appropriate to interview the key decision makers – such as those who created, implemented and have the power to change the policy – toward the end of the interview cycle, rather than at the beginning. UN Photo by Martine Perret. Chapter 11: Logistics and other special considerations | 71