On Sunday, February 28, 2016, Pharos pharosofalexandria@gmail.com wrote:
Hi fellow Wikimedians,
If we are seriously going to consider an expanded Community Council as an alternative to WMF BoT reform, we need to have a real discussion about what "devolution" would mean, and what specific responsibilities we think should be given up, and distributed to a broader community governance.
For example:
Should the WMF BoT devolve a non-core portion of the budget? How would the core portion be defined, and the non-core aspects?
Our current situation is that WMF centralizes most fundraising for the movement, distributes a portion of it to other movement organizations, and spends the rest itself to support movement goals such as the hosting and fundraising infrastructure, engineering support to improve the tools that movement contributors use, public communications, legal support, etc.
In a multi-org world with national chapters like WMDE doing engineering projects and sister organizations like WEF doing editor coordination work, I think it's already incorrect to think of Wikimedia movement fundraising monies as belonging to WMF and a "non-core" portion of them potentially being devolved.
Rather, WMF provides fundraising to the movement as a service. WMF should be only one of multiple orgs seeking disbursement of raised movement funds in an open, documented, and transparent process (FDC?)
Should the WMF BoT devolve aspects of the approval or closing of sister sites? (Wiktionary, Wikidata, Wikinews, a potential genealogy project)
Almost certainly. WMF is a provider of engineering and hosting services to the movement; the BoT thereof provides oversight of its operations, but should possibly not be deciding what community members can and can't work on. It's the movement and its representatives who should decide what major projects to include under the collective umbrella, and WMF's job to host and support them.
Should the WMF BoT devolve aspects related to Wikimania and related
regional meetings?
Yes. Most likely they should be operated by purpose-built institutions specializing in this, like many large conventions and conferences are.
-- brion
Thanks, Pharos
On Sun, Feb 28, 2016 at 12:43 PM, Emmanuel Engelhart <kelson@kiwix.org javascript:;> wrote:
On 28.02.2016 15:53, Brion Vibber wrote:
I just want to split out a concept that came up in the big threads of
the
last few days:
Some members of the WMF Board of Trustees are giving strong signals
(like,
saying it outright) that the BoT can't fully take on the role of
movement
leadership or community representation. Not because they think it
shouldn't
happen, but because structurally and legally and practically the board
of
Wikimedia Foundation Inc has different roles to fill.
I think we should consider what roles and structures we *do* want as members of the Wikimedia movement community. And I think we should
think
about that and talk about that carefully before rushing into details
like
board reform.
Perhaps we should explicitly accept WMF as a "first among equals" org within the movement, with specific roles like tech development and fundraising (or other emphases as well) while other orgs concentrate on different specific issues. Or even just "one among equals" that happens
to
have specialized in those roles.
This probably means we should think about "umbrella" structures to coordinate and represent and look forward.
And that's something we should *definitely* not rush into. If a
mismatch
in
hopes for what the WMF BoT can and should do has been a factor in communication and leadership issues in the past, then it's very
important
we not make the same kinds of mistakes in any new structures that might
be
needed.
Delighting to read this. That said, the path to achieve this looks pretty challenging. Would the WMF be able to organize such a move and "give-up" parts of its duties/activities to better focus on core
business?
Emmanuel
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