I think WMUK's tech needs are substantially more than 0.2 FTE.
I disagree; indeed no one has actually properly enumerated, in one place,
all of the tech needs - so how we can be sure I don't know (hint: this is
what I've been trying to prompt from the get go)
I don't know how much experience in technical management you have; but I
have 4 years working as an independent contractor doing exactly that, and
so far I've not seen anything that dramatically overreaches what it
achievable in one day a week.
And even if it does at least we will have a clearer idea of the new
requirements - and can simply order projects by urgency. Sure, something
might get left undone, but the alternative option at the moment appears to
be leaving everything undone :)
If you only have someone for one day a week, you don't need them to have a
wide array of skills since they won't have time to
do a wide variety of
things.
In practice, and this is from experience, this is not true.
Look the bottom line here is that we've had a big technical budget to hire
a developer - that didn't work out. The new proposal on the 2013 ideas talk
is ambitious and I suspect not going to get approved (and if it does will
be very hard to pull off).
Rather than sit on our hands for another year I am proposing a lightweight
solution to meet some of our short term needs. If it only lasts a year and
we find we need more, then it will be easier to justify in the budget...
I am essentially offering free consultancy here; these are the sorts of
questions I ask my clients - to enumerate their tech needs and develop work
schedules and hiring strategies. If that doesn't appeal to you, or the
ideas seem incompatible, then that's fine :) I feel obliged to do this
because I moaned about the last attempt. But at least lend arguments to
your assertions (even if it's simply "I've been a tech manager for 20
years" or something).
Tom
On 22 August 2012 19:04, Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton(a)gmail.com> wrote:
I think WMUK's tech needs are substantially more
than 0.2 FTE. If you only
have someone for one day a week, you don't need them to have a wide array
of skills since they won't have time to do a wide variety of things.
On Aug 22, 2012 3:40 PM, "Thomas Morton" <morton.thomas(a)googlemail.com>
wrote:
> Afternoon all,
>
> I've had some free time today so looked into the technical gap Wikimedia
> UK is facing (this is somewhat tied into the 2013 activity plan/budget). My
> understanding is that the developer job failed to recruit a suitable
>
candidate<http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/2013_Activity_Plan/Ideas#Build_a_…am>.
> I've not seen any feedback on that, but at the time I did criticise the
> process and suggested this might happen (not intending to gloat, just
> pointing this out).
>
> One of the major problems, I think, was we wanted a multi-skilled
> individual with management experience... at a rate around £10,000 less than
> the average for London (and that is conservative).
>
> As I was such a staunch critic :) it seems only fair that I make the
> effort to submit a proposal I think would work out for us next year. To
> wit; I am proposing we fill the technology gap short term by contracting an
> individual one day per week. This will be a little more expensive than
> one-fifth of the full-time rate proposed before - but because it is
> contracted we are more likely to find someone able to address the varied
> requirements.
>
> My estimate for contractor cost + a technical budget (for servers,
> travel, etc.) is about £17,000 - just over half of this years budget. This
> based on my experience of doing similar work.
>
> The proposal is drafted here:
>
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:ErrantX/2013_Developer_role
>
> If you have a moment to comment on it that would be great! Ideally the
> community needs to identify *exactly* what development needs it has -
> and establish some fixed goals for hiring. If we can do this I am confident
> we could fill this gap.
>
> And if it seems ridiculous say so :) I am simply trying to present a
> possible option.
>
> Cheers,
> Tom
>
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