Office Opening: A guide for non-governmental organisations

A well-planned and transparent approach to opening an office will mitigate many of the risks involved. The process is not linear and every situation will have different requirements. However, by applying a logical and organised process, setting up an office and finding accommodation is possible in most locations across the globe. This guide provides an easy-to-follow process detailing the recommended steps when opening an office where the property market may be complex and/or ambiguous. While the guide refers to an ‘office’, the process is equally relevant to any building e.g. accommodation, hospital, warehouse, etc. It is recognised that in different situations organisations may have more time (e.g. setting up a regional office) or less time (e.g. rapid response programme office) to plan and implement the full suite of options identified in this guide. Regardless, this guide can be applied to all office openings, as the actions generally remain the same. Only the timeframe and the details of the preparation process may change depending on the urgency. Office Opening follows our previous guide, Office Closure, which considers the processes required to close an office or programme while minimising risks to staff, the organisation, and programmes.