Dear all
As many of you will be aware, over the past three years volunteers, staff,
partners and other stakeholders from across the global Wikimedia community
have been involved in a process to identify what the future of our movement
should look like, and how we should get there. After what I know has felt
like a bit of a long haul, this process has now reached a crucial stage,
with the publication of 13 recommendations
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_movement/2018-20/Recommendations>
which
will form the basis for the implementation of the strategic direction.
Implementation is likely to include changing the way the movement is
structured and funded (including looking at chapters like Wikimedia UK),
implementing behaviour and safety standards off and online, and looking at
content on Wikipedia (e.g. potential priorities for topics, or changing
notability criteria). This stage moves from what has been an abstract
discussion, into what will actually change in the movement.
There is now a *limited window for all of us to give feedback on these
recommendations*, and I invite you to do so in one of the following ways:
1. Email me with your feedback (preferably in a summarised, bullet pointed
format!) and I will add this to the feedback I will be giving on behalf of
the UK chapter, including responses from staff and trustees. Please email me
by reply or on lucy.crompton-reid(a)wikimedia.org.uk by *Thursday 27th
February *otherwise I will not be able to include your response.
2. Add your feedback to the relevant discussion page on meta. There is a
discussion page for general comments on the recommendations (and, more
broadly, the strategy process) or you can contribute to the discussion
pages for specific recommendations. Ideally you should do this by *21st
February* for your input to be taken into account by the team reviewing
feedback.
Chris Keating very kindly emailed the Affiliates mailing list highlighting
the aspects of the recommendations which are likely to have an impact on
affiliates. I've reproduced this below in case this is helpful - although
of course, people on this mailing list may well be looking through a
slightly different lens.
*Changing nature of affiliate-WMF relationships*
*The recommendations call for significant changes to the relationship
between the WMF and affiliates.*
*In particular, it calls for:*
** a Movement Charter, which sets out a common set of expectations around
behaviour and accountability of all movement entities (including both the
WMF and all affiliates)*
** a new "global governance body" that would provide input into future
development of future strategy; would set the framework for funds
dissemination; and hold all movement entities accountable. (including
affiliates and the WMF)*
*To be clear, it's very likely that many existing WMF/Affiliate structures
(AffCom, FDC, etc) would end up being folded into the global governance
body. *
*These recommendations are there in part because of feedback from
affiliates and communities that there is no way to structured way of
holding conversations within the movement. The expectations of behaviour
from movement entities (WMF and affiliates) can be unclear, and methods of
communication and conflict resolution are lacking. These proposals are
there to address that.*
*Going beyond these proposals, the recommendations also include
decentralisation as a principle - pushing power and control away from the
centre to the people who are most directly running projects. If taken
seriously, this would be a very big change in the relationship between WMF
and affiliates (particularly around grantmaking, where there has been
feedback around bureaucracy and inflexibility in the current system).*
*Supporting development of affiliates*
*There is a strong emphasis in the recommendations on building skills and
supporting individuals and organisations. Training, mentorship, and
learning are all mentioned a great deal.*
*This is a direct response to feedback from affiliates that there is not
enough support on offer from the movement at the moment. Many affiliates
have been saying "Ok, we got recognised by Affcom, what comes next?" and
finding there is no real support on offer. These recommendations are aimed
at solving that problem.*
*There is also the concept of 'regional hubs' which would exist to bring
affiliates (or affiliates-in-formation) together to better support them.
Again, this is directly in response to the fact that many of our existing
regional partnerships have a lot of value for affiliates and communities,
and affiliates are asking for support in languages other than English and
geographically close to them.*
*Impact and funds dissemination*
*It's recommended to clarify the movement's definition of 'impact'. This
means that there would be a clearer set of criteria around funds
distribution based on what impact projects are expected to have on people
and on knowledge equity. *
*It's also recommended that more of the decision-making power for funds
dissemination will sit closer to the communites using the funds. So less
focus on global committees like the FDC or global grants programmes, more
focus on groups of affiliates and community members in regional hubs
working out what to spend their money on (within an overall framework
established at a global level).*
As the strategy liaison for the UK I'm happy to be the conduit for any
questions you have on the strategy process - although of course you are
also welcome to add questions/comments to meta.
Best wishes
Lucy
--
Lucy Crompton-Reid
Chief Executive
Wikimedia UK
+44 (0) 203 372 0762
*Wikimedia UK* is the national chapter for the global Wikimedia open
knowledge movement, and a registered charity. We rely on donations from
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