Faculty & Staff

Approval to Establish Ongoing Operations

The PI is responsible for seeking approval to establish ongoing operations in a new locale. He/she should write to the Mailman School Finance Office to request that the Mailman School Dean’s Office initiate contact with the University’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC), responsible for approving new country registration, and the Treasurer’s Office, responsible for approving new international bank accounts.

The communication should be accompanied by an executive summary to include the funding agency’s request to work in the specific country, activities to be undertaken, and the proposed budget.

The decision for an international project to establish a field office – whether small with one office or large with several office locations – should be made only once the University has received a notification of award for an international project in a given country. If another international project of the University is already established in that country, the Dean’s Office will work with the relevant PIs and the Office of the General Counsel to determine whether or not to establish a separate, distinct operation for the new project.

The PI should begin country operations by assigning (or hiring) in New York a professional to oversee the start-up procedures. At the same time, if the field operation will be large, the PI should recruit and appoint a person to lead and direct the field office, e.g., as Country Director or Project Director. In such cases, the PI will delegate to the field director significant authorities required to carry out his/her job.

While concurrence from the funding agency (e.g., CDC or USAID) is not necessarily required for the establishment of a field office, plans for such an office should always be made in close communication with their local representatives, who may be able to facilitate various aspects of the process.