Dear all,
I would like to thank all of you who shared feedback with us during this phase of the Wikimedia Foundation Affiliates Strategy process that started in November 2022 [1], both on- and off-wiki [2]. Please find below the approved 1) affiliate health criteria; and 2) changes to the Wikimedia User Group (WUG) recognition process, as well as a tentative implementation timeline and next steps.
== Affiliate Health Criteria ==
The Affiliations Committee (AffCom) is a volunteer committee responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the recognition, approval, and de-recognition of Wikimedia movement affiliates, and for facilitating the creation of those organizations or groups. It is tasked in its charter with “promoting community health and growth”, including by “monitoring affiliates' continued compliance with affiliate rules and criteria” and by “provid[ing] support to affiliates as they attempt to grow in membership, build programs to further the Wikimedia mission and improve their governance practices” [3]. In 2023, insights from AffCom members, affiliates, community members, and Foundation staff, reflected in a report with immediate recommendations [1], surfaced a number of ways to improve how the Foundation works with affiliates, how collaboration can happen, and which criteria can help to ensure that all affiliates are healthy.
Since that point, AffCom has been working with the Board of Trustees, Foundation staff, affiliates, and wider community members to enable them to provide appropriate guidance to affiliates regarding what it means to be an active and healthy Wikimedia organisation. As a result of those conversations, AffCom has voted [4] to adopt the following 10 criteria for affiliates, grouped into four main areas:
Goal delivery;
Organisational Development (Good governance & communication; Financial & legal compliance; Affiliate health & resilience);
Leadership & Inclusion (Diverse, skilled, and accountable leadership; Diversity balance (especially gender); Universal Code of Conduct compliance);
Engagement & Collaboration (Internal (membership) engagement; Community connection; Partnerships & collaboration).
You are encouraged to read more details about each of these criteria here [5], including guidance on how each can be met. All criteria will be tracked for all affiliates, except for the criteria around financial and legal compliance, which only apply to those affiliates receiving funds and/or that are incorporated.
Staff and AffCom are working on streamlining affiliate reporting requirements, and responding to feedback raised during the community feedback period about the reporting burden. The new requirements of data collected in reports would be useful also for different Foundation teams and departments, and allow for the creation of detailed regional or global reports that demonstrate affiliate health and impact.
In July 2024, AffCom will work to finalise the implementation plans for the changes to the affiliate requirements and application process. In August 2024, updates will be made to Meta-wiki and other supporting platforms. You can follow the process here [7].
== Changes to User Groups recognition process ==
The insights from the 2023 process also included recognising a need to strengthen AffCom processes for evaluating potential User Groups’ furtherance of shared movement goals, sustainability, and general ability to be healthy and active movement participants. According to its charter, AffCom is charged with “establishing recognition criteria and processes for different models of affiliation” [3]. AffCom adopted the revised process for User Group recognition, adding to the recognition process: 1) a live interview (by video call) with AffCom; 2) the requirement that user group applicants publish a public letter of intent to affected wikis/projects and affiliates; and 3) the creation of a one-year trial period for applicants to demonstrate their activities and effectiveness [6]. You can follow the process here [7].
To implement the new requirements, AffCom finds it necessary to pause new User Group recognitions. This does not apply to those already in the pipeline as of 12 June 2024. During this pause, AffCom will share documentation about the new criteria with the community and emerging User Groups, and ensure streamlined reporting systems. Even after the documentation is released, AffCom will remain sensitive to needed adjustments that may become clear during the implementation process and will take any necessary steps to update the documentation to elaborate on the criteria.
AffCom currently expects to resume User Group recognition work in September 2024.
== Appreciation and next steps ==
On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation Board, I would like to express appreciation for AffCom’s dedication and work to to support these goals: 1) the overall health of the ecosystem of affiliates; and 2) strengthening its processes around evaluating potential User Groups’ support of shared movement goals, sustainability, and general ability to be healthy and active movement participants and to build a system where affiliates can be set up for success.
No immediate changes are happening, except the pause of considering new User Group recognitions until September, for applications received after today, June 12, 2024.
Once more detailed implementation plans are developed, there will be an update here [7] and on the relevant Meta pages with the next steps after Wikimania.
To provide your feedback, please leave a comment on the main talk page on Meta [8]. Alternatively, you can join Open AffCom office hours on June 19 at 14:00 UTC or request a conversation as a part of Talking:2024. You can use the Wikimedia Foundation Community Affairs Committee/Talking: 2024#Let’s Talk|Let’s Talk feature to sign up for a time to speak with me and/or other trustees.
Looking forward to your feedback!
Best regards,
Nat & Mike & Lorenzo
Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees Liaisons to the Affiliations Committee
[1] If you are just joining the conversation and wish to learn more, you can read the report from the first phase here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Affiliates_Strategy/Report
[2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Affiliates_Strategy/Review
[3] https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Committee:Affiliations_Committee_Charter
[5] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Affiliates_Strategy/Implementation/Example
[7] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Affiliates_Strategy/Implementation
[8] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Affiliates_Strategy
Dear all,
I would like to share with you the outputs of the Wikimedia Foundation Affiliate Strategy process [1], and to invite you to give feedback on the proposed changes to requirements for all affiliates & to user groups recognition process (more below).
The 2017 Strategic Direction says that we, the Wikimedia Movement, would build “the services and structures that enable others to … advance our world by collecting knowledge that fully represents human diversity” while carrying on “our mission of developing content”. As Wikimedia affiliates are a key and integral part of the Wikimedia movement and have knowledge and expertise to share, the movement’s success depends greatly on affiliates as they help people join us in doing mission-aligned work. The Wikimedia Foundation Affiliates Strategy report [2] identified a need to streamline the role of the Affiliations Committee (AffCom) on recognition of Wikimedia Affiliates, and identified issues with the current state of the process.
After conversations with AffCom, the Board liaisons to AffCom identified two areas for improvement. These areas are about the relevant work and mandate of the Board related to affiliate recognition:
1) requirements for affiliates; and
2) improving the workflows around the process for the creation and recognition of a user group.
The proposal on Meta [3] is suggesting to change the requirements for all existing Wikimedia affiliates, not just the legal entities. There are ten proposed criteria for a healthy affiliate. Examples include focusing on continuity by being an active group and welcoming new users, having good governance, and actively delivering on mission goals. Compliance with these requirements would be self-reported by the affiliates. The Board liaisons will work with the Affiliations Committee to publish a resolution outlining how affiliates would be expected to fulfill these requirements to remain in good standing.
Throughout the Wikimedia Foundation Affiliate Strategy process, there was also feedback about user groups. Initially, user groups were meant as a first step toward creating chapters or thematic organizations. Over the years, user groups have evolved and there are now legally incorporated user groups, user groups with boards, etc. Getting started does need to be easy, but also needs to make sense, and so there is a proposal for changes to the current workflow. The recommendations [3] include an outline of the sequential steps of a revised process.
The feedback can be given from today up till March 20, 2024 (Anywhere on Earth). Hopefully a fairly long feedback period will allow affiliates to consult with their membership, thinking it through practically.
To provide your feedback, please review the page here, on Meta, [3] and leave comments on the talk page. Alternatively, you can join an open call (February 14 and 28 at 14:00 to 14:30 UTC) or request a conversation as a part of Talking:2024. You can use the Wikimedia Foundation Community Affairs Committee/Talking: 2024#Let’s Talk|Let’s Talk feature to sign up for a time to speak with me and other trustees about this conversation or any other topic regarding the Wikimedia Foundation Board, Movement Strategy, and more.
Note: New user group applications will be placed on hold for the duration of this conversation – but the ones received before will be reviewed according to the current process.
Best regards,
Nat & Mike & Lorenzo
Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees Liaisons to the Affiliations Committee[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Affiliates_Strategy
[3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Affiliates_Strategy/Review
Best regards,
antanana / Nataliia TymkivChair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of TrusteesNOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in advance!