Originally developed to support international research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Global Programs Offices are available to any University of California international researcher. Global Programs Offices are legally registered in-country and their specialized administrative processes operate seamlessly with current systems and allow for effective global support with minimal interruption.
Global Programs Offices provide administrative and operational support to UC sponsored projects, including:
- Hiring local staff
- Providing local financial management and compliance oversight
- Access to local bank accounts
- Purchasing supplies
- Leasing office space
- Contracting with local consultants and vendors
- Ensuring compliance with local labor and other laws
- Coordination and logistics support for project activities
- Assistance with securing work permits for expat staff
- Helping create coherence for UC sponsored projects in each country
There are many advantages to system-wide collaboration in operations:
- Expanded opportunities for research collaborations across departments and campuses
- Potential competitive advantage with donors and more comprehensive response to epidemics and other issues
- Economies of scale reduce costs, increases available expertise
- Development of local technical capacity allows for skilled staff to be shared across projects and geographic locations
- Consistency in policies and procedures bolsters compliance with local laws and funder requirements
- Better coordination of activities in a country helps reduce risks, including:
- Human resource issues including impact of changing tax requirements; work visas; independent contractors; health and safety; etc.
- Procurement, property leases and contractual agreements
- Export controls; international banking and foreign exchange
- Human subjects protections
- Data security issues
- Political changes; emerging issues in a country
Global Programs offices are staffed with experienced local hires who understand the local context, and who can consult with local legal counsel as needed.
If you have projects in Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania or Uganda, or, if you’re interested in learning more about working with a Global Programs Office, please contact Jane Drake.