The Bakili Muluzi Institute is an independent, autonomous, non-profit, non-partisan organization established under the Trusteeship Act. The Institute is governed by an international Board of Trustees under the Chairmanship of the Founder, His Excellency Dr. Bakili Muluzi. The Trust has six Trustees who will serve a term of three years. The Trust has a Secretariat led by an Executive Director. The proposed organization of the BMI and its reporting structure is presented in figure below:  

Organisational Chart

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall supervision and management of the Trust and its property, revenues, and liabilities. The Board has the power to co- opt any person to serve on any special committee of the Trust.

The Board of Trustees has an Advisory Committee which will ensure that the mission, goals, and strategies of the BMI are followed during the implementation process. The Advisory Committee will introduce new ideas, knowledge and expertise, creativity, insight and innovation into the planning and implementation process. The Advisory Committee will work collaboratively with the Executive Director to advise the Board of Trustees on broad policy issues including the development of infrastructure, strategic planning, and budgeting.

The Executive Director was appointed by the Board of Trustees in October 2002 upon the recommendation of the Chairman.
The Executive Director has the leadership responsibility for inspiring and promoting excellence and innovation in research and training. She will be responsible for building the capacity of the Institute through the development of imaginative programs to attract and retain both public and private sector participants.

The Executive Director's core function, therefore is to lead the development and implementation of the Institute's vision, mission, and a strategic plan that responds to emerging threats and opportunities and ensures that BMI's research and training priorities respond to the current capacity building needs of the country.

Specific functions of the Executive Director include to: serve as Secretary to the Board of Trustees; ensure the development and implementation of the strategic plan; oversee the selection and preparation of BMI projects and programs; provide logistical support for the management of BMI funds; advocate, communicate, and promote the competitiveness of BMI programs; identify new and emerging initiatives and recommend them to the Board of Trustees; establish and manage partnerships, collaboration, and linkages with other institutions; serve as a member of the Advisory Committee.

Four Program Managers are proposed to lead the four centers. These shall assist the Executive Director in promoting research and training activities of the BMI. The Program Managers will be appointed in April-May 2004 by the Board of Trustees on the recommendation of the Executive Director, following a competitive international search and selection process. The Program Managers will report directly to the Executive Director and may recruit visiting professors, academic staff, technicians, and support staff based on the specific needs of each Center.

Candidates for the positions of Program Managers will be evaluated based on their vision, academic and professional accomplishments and proven ability to provide leadership and manage multidisciplinary programs. The specific duties of the Program Managers will be to: facilitate the development of research and training programs for the centers; develop and implement strategic plans for the Centers; supervise the planning and delivery of specific training activities; generate resources for the operational budget of the Centers; interact with other institutions with similar goals to encourage and promote integration and collaborative research and training activities; serve on the Advisory Committee.

BMI will employ a Finance and Administration Manager to assist the Executive Director in accomplishing the objectives of BMI. The manager will have the general responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the BMI including; managing finances; human resources; data bases; public relations; and maintaining the physical infrastructure.

Other staff members will include a Librarian, Conference Coordinator, and Caterer. All head of sections will be supported by staff levels according to their unit’s requirements and financial provisions. BMI will outsource the conference, residential, and catering facilities to reduce overhead expenditures.