Could an unpaid volunteer who is not a WMF employee, or contractor, or consultant, please have a go at answering my polite request for links to "monthly or quarterly financial reports" from a few days ago, below? I don't think this needs any time from employees to confirm whether published versions exist or don't exist, and I don't want to be publicly shamed for asking a question.[1]
I have searched through the WMF web pages with regard to the 2017 movement strategy,[2] but have yet to find any references or evidence that there are regular reports of when or how the budgeted $2.5 million is being spent. Considering the large size of this project, and especially the significant sums of money going to consultants, I am sure everyone can appreciate there is bound to be interest from the wider community in the progress of the spend and any unplanned spend. I would expect that the strategy project has regular monthly tracked spending reports, certainly I would find it hard to believe that the WMF CEO and CFO do not require that level of tracking and reporting.
If nothing is published, then that would be a jolly good thing for our movement to push for improved /public/ governance of $1m+ projects, especially those with large sums going to consultants chosen using non-open bid procedures, to deliver better transparency in line with our movement values. The cost of this improvement would be zero. There can be no doubt that summary reports already exist and there is unlikely to be any reason for secrecy that would convince the community that when spending very large sums of donated money, we can be ethically transparent and accountable, but be unable to answer these simple questions publicly.
Should the WMF CEO feel that publishing monthly or quarterly reports on $1m+ projects is a pointless burden, then perhaps the CEO and WMF board could agree at what level of spend there should be better transparency, perhaps any identifiable programme spending more than $2m?
Raising as a separate thread, as we have probably drifted away from Pine's original question and intent.[3]
Links: 1. https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2017-June/087910.html Statement from Greg and Anna. 2. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_movement/2017 Strategy pages on Meta. 3. https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2017-June/087854.html Pine's question.
Thanks, Fae
On 27 June 2017 at 12:31, Fæ faewik@gmail.com wrote:
On 27 June 2017 at 04:33, Anna Stillwell astillwell@wikimedia.org wrote: ...
- How much is this timeline extension projected to cost, and from what
source are the funds being drawn? (Note that this doesn't assume that the decision was a bad one, but I very much want to know the source of the funds and how much is likely to be drawn from it.)
We've got this covered, Pine. We are fiscally managing this process and all of our contracts well. Thank you for your concern.
- Could you also discuss what measures are being taken to control costs in
the strategy process?
We have plenty of measures in place to monitor costs (e.g., we don't need to control them because they are not out of control, we are within our budget). Also, describing financial metrics at any lower level of detail would be a waste of the strategy budget since we are within it.
Always good to hear from you, /a
Anna,
I'd love to examine the more detailed monthly or quarterly financial reports that demonstrate your assurance, and can be both examined and understood by volunteers like us. Could you provide a link to them please? No doubt the WMF wrote transparency and accountability right into the contracts, so that being transparent and accountable is not considered a "waste of the strategy budget" but instead is an activity absolutely critical to its success.
Thanks, Fae
Hi Fae,
The WMF publishes financial numbers twice a year. The last are the nummers until december 2016 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2016-2017/M... The next fill be the financial report for the year ending today. That report is expected in October.
I'm glad Katherine asked forumdiscussie the board approved funding for developing a long term strategy in a very inclusive process.
The content of the process is open and transparant.
You have some experience with a chapter at rough times. Would you be available for governance review of WMFr?
Regards,
Ad
Op 30 jun. 2017 15:16 schreef "Fæ" faewik@gmail.com:
Could an unpaid volunteer who is not a WMF employee, or contractor, or consultant, please have a go at answering my polite request for links to "monthly or quarterly financial reports" from a few days ago, below? I don't think this needs any time from employees to confirm whether published versions exist or don't exist, and I don't want to be publicly shamed for asking a question.[1]
I have searched through the WMF web pages with regard to the 2017 movement strategy,[2] but have yet to find any references or evidence that there are regular reports of when or how the budgeted $2.5 million is being spent. Considering the large size of this project, and especially the significant sums of money going to consultants, I am sure everyone can appreciate there is bound to be interest from the wider community in the progress of the spend and any unplanned spend. I would expect that the strategy project has regular monthly tracked spending reports, certainly I would find it hard to believe that the WMF CEO and CFO do not require that level of tracking and reporting.
If nothing is published, then that would be a jolly good thing for our movement to push for improved /public/ governance of $1m+ projects, especially those with large sums going to consultants chosen using non-open bid procedures, to deliver better transparency in line with our movement values. The cost of this improvement would be zero. There can be no doubt that summary reports already exist and there is unlikely to be any reason for secrecy that would convince the community that when spending very large sums of donated money, we can be ethically transparent and accountable, but be unable to answer these simple questions publicly.
Should the WMF CEO feel that publishing monthly or quarterly reports on $1m+ projects is a pointless burden, then perhaps the CEO and WMF board could agree at what level of spend there should be better transparency, perhaps any identifiable programme spending more than $2m?
Raising as a separate thread, as we have probably drifted away from Pine's original question and intent.[3]
Links:
Statement from Greg and Anna. 2. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_movement/2017 Strategy pages on Meta. 3. https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2017-June/087854.html Pine's question.
Thanks, Fae
On 27 June 2017 at 12:31, Fæ faewik@gmail.com wrote:
On 27 June 2017 at 04:33, Anna Stillwell astillwell@wikimedia.org
wrote:
...
- How much is this timeline extension projected to cost, and from what
source are the funds being drawn? (Note that this doesn't assume that
the
decision was a bad one, but I very much want to know the source of the funds and how much is likely to be drawn from it.)
We've got this covered, Pine. We are fiscally managing this process and
all
of our contracts well. Thank you for your concern.
- Could you also discuss what measures are being taken to control
costs in
the strategy process?
We have plenty of measures in place to monitor costs (e.g., we don't
need
to control them because they are not out of control, we are within our budget). Also, describing financial metrics at any lower level of detail would be a waste of the strategy budget since we are within it.
Always good to hear from you, /a
Anna,
I'd love to examine the more detailed monthly or quarterly financial reports that demonstrate your assurance, and can be both examined and understood by volunteers like us. Could you provide a link to them please? No doubt the WMF wrote transparency and accountability right into the contracts, so that being transparent and accountable is not considered a "waste of the strategy budget" but instead is an activity absolutely critical to its success.
Thanks, Fae
-- faewik@gmail.com https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae
Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/ wiki/Wikimedia-l New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Replies in-line.
On 30 June 2017 at 17:21, Ad Huikeshoven ad.huikeshoven@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Fae,
The WMF publishes financial numbers twice a year. The last are the nummers until december 2016 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2016-2017/M... The next fill be the financial report for the year ending today. That report is expected in October.
I'm glad Katherine asked forumdiscussie the board approved funding for developing a long term strategy in a very inclusive process.
The content of the process is open and transparant.
I see the generic numbers and then a mention of the Strategic direction programme but with no numbers. The "Annual Plan" tells the volunteer community nothing about how the $2.5m was being spent or is planned to be spent. Unfortunately the related one objective (one out of one) says that there will be support, so anything that occurs under the programme could be stated to do that, regardless of actual quality or measurable outcome. I don't see how getting an update in June/July in the same format will help our common understanding of the programme.
I agree that the content of the programme is open, though that does not mean that the WMF is making none of its choices behind closed doors.
Publishing outcomes is not the same thing as offering the community transparency and accountability for the $2.5m spend.
You have some experience with a chapter at rough times. Would you be available for governance review of WMFr?
LOL, yes I have an exciting history with governance, true. It's up to WMFR to decide if they have a governance issue they want to talk about, and whether inviting independent opinion or assessment from outside would help.
Regards,
Ad
Op 30 jun. 2017 15:16 schreef "Fæ" faewik@gmail.com:
Could an unpaid volunteer who is not a WMF employee, or contractor, or consultant, please have a go at answering my polite request for links to "monthly or quarterly financial reports" from a few days ago, below? I don't think this needs any time from employees to confirm whether published versions exist or don't exist, and I don't want to be publicly shamed for asking a question.[1]
I have searched through the WMF web pages with regard to the 2017 movement strategy,[2] but have yet to find any references or evidence that there are regular reports of when or how the budgeted $2.5 million is being spent. Considering the large size of this project, and especially the significant sums of money going to consultants, I am sure everyone can appreciate there is bound to be interest from the wider community in the progress of the spend and any unplanned spend. I would expect that the strategy project has regular monthly tracked spending reports, certainly I would find it hard to believe that the WMF CEO and CFO do not require that level of tracking and reporting.
If nothing is published, then that would be a jolly good thing for our movement to push for improved /public/ governance of $1m+ projects, especially those with large sums going to consultants chosen using non-open bid procedures, to deliver better transparency in line with our movement values. The cost of this improvement would be zero. There can be no doubt that summary reports already exist and there is unlikely to be any reason for secrecy that would convince the community that when spending very large sums of donated money, we can be ethically transparent and accountable, but be unable to answer these simple questions publicly.
Should the WMF CEO feel that publishing monthly or quarterly reports on $1m+ projects is a pointless burden, then perhaps the CEO and WMF board could agree at what level of spend there should be better transparency, perhaps any identifiable programme spending more than $2m?
Raising as a separate thread, as we have probably drifted away from Pine's original question and intent.[3]
Links:
Statement from Greg and Anna. 2. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_movement/2017 Strategy pages on Meta. 3. https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2017-June/087854.html Pine's question.
Thanks, Fae
On 27 June 2017 at 12:31, Fæ faewik@gmail.com wrote:
On 27 June 2017 at 04:33, Anna Stillwell astillwell@wikimedia.org
wrote:
...
- How much is this timeline extension projected to cost, and from what
source are the funds being drawn? (Note that this doesn't assume that
the
decision was a bad one, but I very much want to know the source of the funds and how much is likely to be drawn from it.)
We've got this covered, Pine. We are fiscally managing this process and
all
of our contracts well. Thank you for your concern.
- Could you also discuss what measures are being taken to control
costs in
the strategy process?
We have plenty of measures in place to monitor costs (e.g., we don't
need
to control them because they are not out of control, we are within our budget). Also, describing financial metrics at any lower level of detail would be a waste of the strategy budget since we are within it.
Always good to hear from you, /a
Anna,
I'd love to examine the more detailed monthly or quarterly financial reports that demonstrate your assurance, and can be both examined and understood by volunteers like us. Could you provide a link to them please? No doubt the WMF wrote transparency and accountability right into the contracts, so that being transparent and accountable is not considered a "waste of the strategy budget" but instead is an activity absolutely critical to its success.
Thanks, Fae
-- faewik@gmail.com https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae
Hmmm. The talk about contracting procedures reminds me to say that my feeling is that there should be a requirement that WMF and affiliate contract awards over a certain dollar amount must be openly bid. Perhaps $100,000 could be the floor.
Pine
wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org