I haven't steeped myself in WMF governance details in the past couple of
years, but SJ's observation strikes me as sensible.
For example, after 15+ years of board governance, we shouldn't have to
spend time every year debating how the Board is to be selected, each time
resulting in a more complicated process than before.
The situation reminds me of the sort of rules-creep we frequently see on
English WIkipedia. Each individual change is well-intentioned and on its
own may make sense, but the cumulative effect is much too complicated, and
to newcomers sometimes virtually impenetrable. (Cf.
https://slate.com/technology/2014/06/wikipedias-bureaucracy-problem-and-how…
, which as it happens was written by a current WMF board member.)
That being said, I'm not sure what specifically should be done to address
this problem. In particular, let's not create a committee and process to
decide whether we have too many committees and processes.
Best regards,
Newyorkbrad/IBM
On Wed, May 18, 2022 at 4:45 PM Samuel Klein <meta.sj(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Board (and all),
The growing complexity of governance efforts is defeating us. Process
creep <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_instruction_creep> is
an existential threat for projects like ours – it is self-perpetuating if
not actively curtailed, as it filters out people who dislike excess
process. There's a reason 'bureaucrats' and 'stewards' have
unglamorous
titles.
Global governance in particular seems to be suffering from this now. Let's
try to scale it back! Recent developments, all at least somewhat confusing:
*Global Council*: A three-stage vote for the drafting committee. After 6
months of work in private, we know the charter will cover governance,
resourcing, & community
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Movement_Charter/Content>. A ratifiable
charter by 2023 should include Council scope, then *another* group may
draft an election process. Council elections would start mid-2024.
*Conduct*: Two years from first draft to realization. Custom review &
revision process for policy, set to change ~once a year. Enforcement by
*another* group (U4C), not yet defined, with an idea about annual
elections for it [starting in 2023?].
*WMF Board*: A *four*-stage election, with a new complex nomination
template. Nominees evaluated by *another* elected 9-person Analysis
Committee, followed by a two-stage vote.
Months of process, 16 staff facilitators.
Something has to give. We don't have time for all of these to be
different, complex affairs.
And this complexity feels self-imposed, like trying to push spaghetti
through a straw.
~ ~ ~
Four short proposals for your consideration:
1. Focus discussions on the decisions we need to resolve, not on process.
We need a foundation Board & global Council for specific practical
reasons. What challenges do they need to resolve this year? What major
issues + nuances are at play?
2. Make elections simple, flexible, consistent.
Build tools and frameworks that *conserve* rather than soak up community
time. Make longer processes capture proportionately detailed results.
Empower a standing election committee.
3. Highlight ways people can engage with governance + prioritization,
regionally + globally, beyond winning elections to procedural bodies.
*Support* organizers + facilitators rather than *hiring* them out of
their communities to facilitate on behalf of a central org.
4. Delegate more. Delegate to community. Delegate *design* and
*implementation*.
Our communities excel at self-organization, and rebel against arbitrary
mandates. Avoid language or policies that remove agency or
exaggerate staff-community division.
𝒲♡, SJ
--
Samuel Klein @metasj w:user:sj +1 617 529 4266
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