Just one small point, "and to conduct programs and events at least once every two months" reads like a rule set by Americans who deliberately or otherwise don't want too much emphasis on the education program.
Most western countries have remuneration packages that put more emphasis on holiday time than the USA, and in some countries there is a month of the year when only an expat would try to organise things. In such countries the two month rule imposes an unnatural focus on the fortnights adjacent to the shutdown. I suspect any chapter that took a strategy of mostly focussing events on the education sector would also have difficulties melding that two month limitation with the academic year. There is also the issue that not all events are of equal value to the movement, and I say that a one of the de facto hosts of the London meetup ( If we were a chapter Wikimedia London would have no problem with that particular rule as our meetups are monthly). Regards WereSpielChequers > On 20 Aug 2016, at 13:00, wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org wrote: > > Send Wikimedia-l mailing list submissions to > wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > wikimedia-l-ow...@lists.wikimedia.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Wikimedia-l digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: [Affiliates] Changes to current chapter and thematic > organisation criteria (Pine W) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2016 10:05:37 -0700 > From: Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> > To: Wikimedia Mailing List <wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org>, > Wikimedia Movement Affiliates discussion list > <affilia...@lists.wikimedia.org> > Cc: Wikimedia Chapters general discussions <chapt...@wikimedia.ch> > Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] [Affiliates] Changes to current chapter and > thematic organisation criteria > Message-ID: > <CAF=dyJhKg3PpVwXLM1s=neqxacx6++pgao+knsswyckovln...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > I might suggest distinguishing the resourcing issue from the chapter status > criteria. > > I am of the view that expecting volunteers to be available for the same > kind and quantity of work as paid part-time or full-time staff is > unrealistic, that WMF should provide a smoother glide slope from > all-volunteer affiliate to affiliate with first time paid staff, and that > WMF should rethink their one-size-fits-all approach of requiring > substantial programmatic activity before agreeing to fund any part-time > paid staff even for as little as ten hours per month. It seems to me that > WMF is limiting its own effectiveness with its current approach of setting > such a high bar before agreeing to fund part-time paid staff. But those are > issues for WMF staff, not for the Affiliations Committee. > > On a slightly different subject, I think that your email helps to > illustrate how quantitative rather than qualitative criteria would be > helpful in understanding where the thresholds are. To illustrate further: > > "Diversity of Activities: Chapters and thematic organisations are expected > to plan and conduct a variety of different programs and events." Does "a > variety" mean three, five, or ten? > > "to balance online and offline projects": are chapters now required to have > at least one online and one offline project? Are online and offline > projects supposed to be even in number, meaning that if there are three > online projects then there must be three offline projects? > > "to strive for continuous activity": what is "continuous activity", and is > it a goal or a requirement? > > "and to conduct programs and events at least once every two months.": this > seems straightforward. > > "Planning and Evaluation: Chapters and thematic organisations are expected > to set specific goals and targets for programs, projects, and events before > executing them; to measure the results of programs, projects, and events > against those targets; and to report on those results to the Wikimedia > Foundation and the wider Wikimedia movement.": I like this requirement, > keeping in mind that goals and targets may be difficult to set, > particularly where a program, project, or event is new to an affiliate or a > particular audience. > > "External Partnerships: Chapters and thematic organisations are expected to > engage in programmatic partnerships with external groups and organizations > (for example, cultural, academic, or government institutions, and so on) to > promote the Wikimedia movement and to add and improve content on Wikimedia > projects.": how many partnerships are required? How often must partners be > engaged in programs? > > I like the general approach of the criteria, but quantitative specificity > would be helpful. > > Pine > > > > > >> On Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 8:33 AM, Brill Lyle <wp.brilll...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> I agree with Lane. >> >> Setting higher criteria is all well and good -- as is expecting boards to >> be cognizant of these expectations. >> >> But we are dealing with volunteers doing a significant amount of free >> digital labor and organizing. To set a bar super high in that structure is >> a lot to expect of people contributing their T&E. >> >> Both Lane and I are part of Wikimedia NYC, a very active chapter that >> somehow (I believe) manages to meet these criteria amidst almost >> exponential growth of activities. The administrative burden on both our >> leadership and membership is heavy, and I am grateful for everyone's pitch >> in / can do approach and willingness to contribute. >> >> And no, the answer is not to do less events and have less support to >> institutional partners and various initiatives. That's not practical or >> good for anyone. >> >> But it brings to mind a recent trip I made where I visited the Wikimedia >> Deutschland offices. Where there was a whole room (!) of 6 fully set up >> computers with I am assuming the same number of staff for Event planning >> alone -- all which I assume are paid positions. That really made me pause >> in shock. And feel like a bit of an idiot that our chapter does so much >> without that type of structural support. >> >> So while I understand the idea of these criteria, to have the balance beam >> heavily weighted on requirements without attendant support is not a >> workable model. >> >> - Erika >> Secretary, Wikimedia NYC -- but not speaking on behalf of anyone but myself >> >> *Erika Herzog* >> Wikipedia *User:BrillLyle <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:BrillLyle>* >> >> On Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 11:05 AM, Romaine Wiki <romaine.w...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> The criteria are for those groups who want to apply for an official >> status >>> at WMF. In general I think all chapters should try to meet with these >>> criteria. If a chapter is not able to structurally full-fill these >>> criteria, a different board is the solution to revive the chapter. >>> >>> I personally think the criteria are a balanced set of guidelines to be >>> followed. >>> >>> It is important for the movement to share the experiences and the >> results. >>> Much more should be shared through best practices, how to's, reports and >>> newsletters, like https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/GLAM/Newsletter >> for >>> collaborations with various partner organisations. >>> >>> Romaine >>> >>> 2016-08-19 16:51 GMT+02:00 Lane Rasberry <l...@bluerasberry.com>: >>> >>>> Hello, >>>> >>>> Do these criteria apply to existing groups? Maybe I misunderstand, but >>>> from this proposal it sounds like new groups will be held to >>> significantly >>>> higher standards than any currently recognized organizations. Is that >> the >>>> case? >>>> >>>> yours, >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 8:36 AM, Carlos M. Colina < >>> ma...@wikimedia.org.ve> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Dear all, >>>>> >>>>> On behalf of the Affiliations Committee, I would like to present some >>>>> changes to the current chapter and thematic organisation criteria, >>> which we >>>>> will begin piloting as we officially reopen applications for chapter >> and >>>>> thematic organization status. Until now, the criteria had not clearly >>>>> defined what constitutes sufficient programmatic activity to justify >>>>> chapter or thematic organisation status. To address this issue, we >> have >>> set >>>>> out three new criteria: >>>>> >>>>> 1. Diversity of Activities: Chapters and thematic organisations are >>>>> expected to plan and conduct a variety of different programs and >>> events; to >>>>> balance online and offline projects; to strive for continuous >>> activity; and >>>>> to conduct programs and events at least once every two months. >>>>> 2. Planning and Evaluation: Chapters and thematic organisations are >>>>> expected to set specific goals and targets for programs, projects, >>> and >>>>> events before executing them; to measure the results of programs, >>> projects, >>>>> and events against those targets; and to report on those results to >>> the >>>>> Wikimedia Foundation and the wider Wikimedia movement. >>>>> 3. External Partnerships: Chapters and thematic organisations are >>>>> expected to engage in programmatic partnerships with external >> groups >>> and >>>>> organizations (for example, cultural, academic, or government >>> institutions, >>>>> and so on) to promote the Wikimedia movement and to add and improve >>> content >>>>> on Wikimedia projects. >>>>> >>>>> In order to officially reopen the chapter and thematic organization >>>>> recognition process, the Board of Trustees has instructed the >>> Affiliations >>>>> Committee to provisionally use these three new criteria for all new >>>>> applicants. In addition, potential chapters and thematic organisations >>> will >>>>> continue to be assessed against the existing legal, governance, and >>>>> viability criteria; more details, including the benefits and >>> limitations of >>>>> these affiliation models, are available on Meta.[1] [2] >>>>> >>>>> Please note that the use of these three new criteria is a pilot; there >>>>> will be opportunities to share feedback about the criteria, as well as >>>>> other ways to help define the chapter and thematic organisation >>> affiliate >>>>> models, during the upcoming strategy consultation. The Affiliations >>>>> Committee and the Board of Trustees will continue to evaluate results >>> and >>>>> feedback during the initial pilot period and consider potential >>> revisions >>>>> to the criteria before they are finalized. >>>>> >>>>> Thank you, >>>>> M. >>>>> >>>>> 1: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Chapt >>>>> er_Summary_Matrix >>>>> 2: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee/Thema >>>>> tic_Organisation_Summary_Matrix >>>>> -- >>>>> "*Jülüjain wane mmakat* ein kapülain tü alijunakalirua jee >> wayuukanairua >>>>> junain ekerolaa alümüin supüshuwayale etijaanaka. Ayatashi waya >> junain." >>>>> Carlos M. Colina >>>>> Socio, A.C. Wikimedia Venezuela | RIF J-40129321-2 | >>> www.wikimedia.org.ve >>>>> <http://wikimedia.org.ve> >>>>> Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Affiliations Committee >>>>> Phone: +972-52-4869915 >>>>> Twitter: @maor_x >>>>> >>>>> El logotipo y el nombre de Wikimedia, Wikimedia Venezuela >>>>> <http://wikimedia.org.ve/wiki/P%C3%A1gina_principal>, Wikipedia, >>>>> Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Incubator, Wiktionary y otros proyectos >>>>> relacionados <https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Our_Projects> son >>>>> marcas registradas usadas bajo permiso expreso de su titular, la >>> Fundación >>>>> Wikimedia, Inc. <http://www.wikimediafoundation.org>, una >> organización >>>>> sin fines de lucro. Otros nombres y marcas pertenecen a sus >> respectivos >>>>> propietarios. >>>>> >>>>> Asociación Civil Wikimedia Venezuela (Wikimedia Venezuela) | RIF.: >>>>> J-40129321-2 | Los Teques, Estado Miranda. Venezuela >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Affiliates mailing list >>>>> affilia...@lists.wikimedia.org >>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/affiliates >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Lane Rasberry >>>> user:bluerasberry on Wikipedia >>>> 206.801.0814 >>>> l...@bluerasberry.com >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Affiliates mailing list >>>> affilia...@lists.wikimedia.org >>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/affiliates >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ >>> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines >>> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org >>> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, >>> <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ >> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines >> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org >> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, >> <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l > > > ------------------------------ > > End of Wikimedia-l Digest, Vol 149, Issue 29 > ******************************************** _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
