The conference workshops are sound fascinating and I would love to hear more about the talk you are giving on Mentoring. Having recently been looking to be adopted or mentored I am interested in ideas from the other side of the keyboard (so to speak).
It seems that there has been lots of discussion about very important issues, reasons why change can't happen and not much actual, easy to identify,change. I have questions about value/buy-in from those in Wiki-world who have the power to say for example: The question of applicable, measurable goals has been discussed with the appropriate stakeholders, let us adopt this standard for any entity that requests funding. I say this recognizing the various and multiple issues that are at play in a multinational society.
I am happy to facilitate conversation, write papers, examples, etc. but I would prefer to have the sense that the work won't be wasted. If I was doing this with a group that I could invite to a conference room - the first activity would be to identify a shortlist of previously identified challenges to, i.e. the funding process, establish priorities and since people from every level of involvement would be present, there would be someone who could provide immediate feedback on "management's opinion". (I think that is one of the longest run-on sentences I have created in a long time.)
I have found that work groups like this benefit most from representatives of every group that will be touched by the issues at hand, this promotes buy-in and has always resulted in a variety of outlooks, skill sets, and brilliant ideas. In the case of Wikipedia I would recommend that new editors are specifically invited to participate in discussions and given meaningful tasks and/or opportunities to assist. The saddest request I have ever seen is, "Be kind to me, I'm new and I have no clear idea of what I am doing." An atmosphere of supreme kindness, tolerance and clarity of responses must be created-until those ideals become a way of life, improved levels of anything will not be able to move past hopeful conversations.
I bow to the experience of the more experienced for information on best place to start or challenge to take on first.
I am always optimistic and my experience has shown me that negative assumptions can be dismantled and consultative change can begin.
Regards,
Nora