IDRC's head office is in Ottawa where it has an international staff. Regional offices in Asia (Singapore and New Delhi), East Africa (Nairobi), West Africa (Dakar), Latin America and the Caribbean (Montevideo), and the Middle East (Cairo) link Ottawa with developing-country researchers and policy-makers, encourage and assist the development of research proposals, and monitor ongoing projects within their regions.

IDRC's 21-member Board of Governors is appointed by the Canadian government. Under the International Development Research Centre Act, the chairperson, vice-chairperson, and nine other governors must be Canadian citizens; the other ten are non-Canadians.

The president of the Centre holds the rank of deputy minister and is responsible to Parliament through the minister designated for that purpose by the Governor in Council (currently the minister of Foreign Affairs). A management committee composed of officers appointed by the Board of Governors assists the president in the Centre's operations.

President's Office (PO)
The President's Office supports the President and the Board of Governors and provides a variety of corporate services (e.g., legal, audit, communications).

Program and Partnership Branch (PPB)
The Program and Partnership Branch implements the Centre's program of research support, which is defined in terms of development issues and the knowledge required to address them.

Resources Branch (RB)
The Resources Branch provides administrative support to the Centre's activities.