POEM’s ultimate decision-making body is its Supervisory Board (SB), while day-to-day management is carried out by its Project Management Office (PMO). The SB convenes at least once a year and is composed of all members: a representative from the academic and non-academic host institutions and the project manager. The PMO is hosted at the Institute for Anthropological Studies in Culture and History at the University of Hamburg. A Training Board (TB), consisting of the coordinator and two representatives from host institutions will form an additional decision-making body.

Student representation is guaranteed through the selection of Fellows’ Elected Representatives, whereas an Equal Opportunities Officer monitors the management of the project in respect to gender equality and diversity inclusion. For ethical issues, an Ombuds Person can be consulted as a person of trust and Ethics Officer by all POEM members.