Global Support Project Newsletter
Issue #1 - May 2007
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Global Support Project newsletter!
The Global Support Project (GSP) is a new activity at the UW. Co-led by Ann Anderson, Financial Management, and Susan Jeffords, Provost’s Office, the purpose of the project is to align our administrative support with our international strategies. An integral part of the GSP is the core team composed of experienced administrative experts from across the university who meet monthly to advance the objectives of the project. You can see the membership of the core team and the executive sponsors at http://www.washington.edu/admin/finmgmt/globalsupport/members.html.
The UW is home to an impressive array of global research, education and service activities. Currently, the UW’s activities are occurring in over 100 countries on all continents, including both poles. A conservative estimate is that between $50 and $100 million is spent annually on international sponsored project efforts. Students studying abroad total nearly 2000!
So what does it mean to align our administrative framework with our global work? The GSP team has learned from individual feedback and focus group input that there are many barriers in the way of doing international research and education. For example, we’ve learned that it’s not easy to hire employees internationally; reconciling large cash advances is cumbersome; and meeting procurement requirements abroad can sometimes be impossible. We also have gained an appreciation for how critical it is for the various administrative units to work together to solve problems of a global nature.
We are at the start of this work with initial efforts focused on improving mechanisms for international research (which, by the way, are not mutually exclusive from mechanisms that support all international and even some domestic activities). We know what some of the problems are and we know new problems will emerge in the future. The challenge for the GSP is to think broadly and respond quickly to solve problems that get in the way of our UW community as we achieve our global strategies. You’ll find more about the GSP, team members, and focus group results later in this newsletter.
This newsletter is one of the approaches the GSP is taking to increase information to the university about working in a global context. It is directed to faculty, staff and others involved in international research, education and other activities with a global component. The newsletter will provide periodic updates on the team’s progress, the status of specific initiatives and draft deliverables for which your feedback may be helpful. As the newsletter evolves, we hope to include more information specific for administrators supporting others involved in global work, case studies, links to additional reference information, and even a “day in the life” of those engaged in the UW’s global activities. Any other feedback or suggestions would be most welcome. Send us your comments at globalsupport@u.washington.edu.
This issue of the newsletter includes information about the following:
- Global Support Web Portal has Launched!
- Focus Group Results
- Global "Single Points of Contact" to Answer Your Questions
- New International Payroll Job Codes
- Insurance Guidance
- Information Technology Updates
- Faculty Consulting Team Established
Global Support Web Portal is Launched!
The Global Support web portal is intended to provide convenient access to information about administrative processes for international activities at the UW. Our global mission involves both research and education abroad as well as bringing international students, scholars, and other visitors to the UW. The goal of the web portal is to address information needs for both kinds of activity. At the portal, you will see that some areas are still under construction. In addition, we are working to improve the look and feel of the site, so continue checking for updated information. Visit the portal at: http://www.washington.edu/admin/finmgmt/globalsupport/.
One of the early activities of the core team was to conduct a series of focus groups to better understand what problems exist in conducting international work. Those groups were enormously helpful in identifying improvement targets. The immediate action steps have included establishing sub-teams focused on getting funds overseas (including field advances), streamlining the subcontract process, human resource issues (including establishing guidance on employment options), and identifying, documenting and communicating services available for visiting scholars and others from abroad. A report on the focus groups is available at: http://www.washington.edu/admin/finmgmt/globalsupport/focus_group_summary.pdf.
Global "Single Points of Contact" to Answer Your Questions
We learned from our focus groups that customer service for those involved with global activities could be significantly improved by having one point of connection in each key central support office. Some offices, such as International Services, by the nature of their activities, serve international needs. Other offices, such as Financial Management, Human Resources and Purchasing, have not had dedicated resources or comprehensive efforts for serving international issues. Well, this is no more! You’ll note that we now have global "single points of contact" who can help address your questions or issues. The individuals in these roles are working to get up to speed on understanding and meeting your needs. We’ll be interested in your feedback as to how these services are working for you and how they can be improved to be even more effective.
The link to the global single points of contact is: http://www.washington.edu/admin/finmgmt/globalsupport/spoc.html.
Another option for getting information is to e-mail GSP staff at the project’s e-mail: globalsupport@u.washington.edu
New International Payroll Job Codes
One of the challenges we’ve heard a lot about is recruiting and hiring professional staff who will be working in an international location or whose position in the US is primarily focused on international activities. The market conditions are different, the environment in which the work is performed is different and the benefits can potentially be different. To respond, Human Resources has established new professional staff job codes (see link below) to better accommodate these types of positions. These job codes do not have a market salary range minimum and the maximum is $99,999/month. Each job code has a grade of X. To utilize these codes or learn more about them, contact Jessie Garcia, 543-6330.
To view the full list of international payroll job codes, visit: http://www.washington.edu/admin/finmgmt/globalsupport/paycodes.html.
As a general rule, UW employees (i.e., faculty, staff and student employees), acting within the scope of their employment responsibilities, are covered for medical, travel and personal assistance services (including evacuation insurance). For more information about the plan, see http://www.washington.edu/admin/finmgmt/globalsupport/#insurance.
Students who are not employees are NOT covered by this plan. For more information on options for students, contact the Office of International Programs and Exchanges, 221-4404.
If you have questions about coverage, contact the Office of Risk Management, 543-2033.
Information Technology Updates
In addition to the single point of contact information noted above, Computing and Communications has prepared helpful information for addressing connectivity and telecommunications issues when traveling and working abroad. The information is arranged by country for easy navigation. See the following site: http://www.washington.edu/computing/travel/.
Faculty Consulting Team Established
The role of this group will be to share challenges in conducting international work; help ensure the GSP is on target in our direction; provide feedback on our deliverables; recommend communication channels to faculty; and, help the team understand and prepare for emerging global needs. Membership on this team was developed through input from the GSP core team and feedback from the project sponsors and campus deans. The team will evolve over time depending on the focus of the project.
Team membership can be found at: http://www.washington.edu/admin/finmgmt/globalsupport/consultingteam.html.