Dear all I just wanted to remind everyone that the deadline for feedback on the movement strategy recommendations is *tomorrow*.
As we have special permission to submit feedback from the UK chapter by the end of this month, I will incorporate any comments I receive from community members by next Thursday 27th February. I understand that many of you may feel that the global movement strategy is unlikely to affect you, or perhaps you feel that your views won't be listened to, or you are weary of what has been a long process. However, this is a really critical juncture in the development of the strategy which is likely to have wide-reaching implications for the way in which the Wikimedia movement is structured, organised, resourced and supported. So I would really encourage you to respond, if you haven't done so already - particularly if you have strong views about any of the recommendations. All best Lucy On Mon, 10 Feb 2020 at 09:44, Lucy Crompton-Reid < lucy.crompton-r...@wikimedia.org.uk> wrote: > 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-r...@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 > individuals to support our work to make knowledge open for all. Have you > considered supporting Wikimedia? https://donate.wikimedia.org.uk > Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered > No. 6741827 > Registered Charity No.1144513 > Registered Office Ground Floor, Europoint, 5 - 11 Lavington Street, London > SE1 0NZ > > The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate > Wikipedia, amongst other projects). Wikimedia UK is an independent > non-profit charity with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility > for its contents. > -- 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 individuals to support our work to make knowledge open for all. Have you considered supporting Wikimedia? https://donate.wikimedia.org.uk Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827 Registered Charity No.1144513 Registered Office Ground Floor, Europoint, 5 - 11 Lavington Street, London SE1 0NZ The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.
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