I've been through most of this (EA/PA, OM in another country, no transparency, IT guy), and am starting to come out the other side.

If it helps, come over to my threads and see if you find anything useful:

My Sitch - The Beginning
My Sitch - Up to Now

I don't have all the answers, but I might be able to keep you from making some of this mistakes I made along the way, and tell you what worked for me.

-Eeyore