hi,
I'm just writing to give you a short report on how the Board is working on improving its governance and communication.
In March http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Minutes/2016-03[1], Kelly and I conducted an internal survey about our governance, preferences, vision on how it can be improved. Geoff and Stephen (from our legal team) have prepared a number of recommendations, based on the governance best practices.
Currently, Maria and I are working on a proposal to the Board, that will be discussed on Monday[ https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_board_agenda_2016-052], and that will address many of the issues that have been raised recently about timely communication, the level of detail in reporting, as well as transparency.
Following our discussions in Berlin, we're going to expand our onboarding process for external/expert Board members. Apart from our regular onboarding (which includes legal training, mentoring from senior Board members, and for expert members - talking to people from the community, as well as selected readings about wiki-culture), we are going to introduce a short workshop, focusing on the most important things a person coming from the outside should know.
I ran a short poll/discussion with the community https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_Governance_Committee/Wikimania_2016_training[3] on meta, to decide about the most important topics. "Copyright, copyleft and everything in between" as well as "Values and community dynamics of a global movement" have been selected.
Guy and Kelly are really interested and looking forward to participating in the workshop at Wikimania, which will be also open to staff members. I've been in touch with Ginevra and Lorenzo, who have graciously volunteered to run the workshop https://wikimania2016.wikimedia.org/wiki/Training_sessions/Proposals/Wikimedia_Movement_Culture_workshop[4], possibly with some help from Asaf.
We are working quite hard on many fronts: the new ED search, the vacant seats' fulfilment, internal governance improvements, communication, onboarding processes, apart from our usual load. We still can do better, and I hope we are on a right path.
best,
Dariusz Jemielniak, "pundit" (a current WMF Trustee)
[1] https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Minutes/2016-03 [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_board_agenda_2016-05 [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_Governance_Commit... [4] https://wikimania2016.wikimedia.org/wiki/Training_sessions/Proposals/Wikimed...
Hoi, I wonder what you mean by doing better. Are you doing your best given the circumstances? If so you do what can be expected of you. When people think that is not enough, it is their problem. They are not in the same position and have no genuine grasp what the situation is.
In the way that your inform about the issues you are dealing with it is obvious that a lot of consultation is taking place. It is why I am happy with your effort. I dare anyone to do better and be a candidate for the next elections.Only people who bring positive suggestions at this time are likely to have a positive impact when they are elected.
Dariusz, thank you for doing your job. Thank you for all the effort that goes into making a positive difference.
Thanks, GerardM
On 15 May 2016 at 10:22, Dariusz Jemielniak darekj@alk.edu.pl wrote:
hi,
I'm just writing to give you a short report on how the Board is working on improving its governance and communication.
In March http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Minutes/2016-03[1], Kelly and I conducted an internal survey about our governance, preferences, vision on how it can be improved. Geoff and Stephen (from our legal team) have prepared a number of recommendations, based on the governance best practices.
Currently, Maria and I are working on a proposal to the Board, that will be discussed on Monday[ <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_board_agenda_2016-05
2],
and that will address many of the issues that have been raised recently about timely communication, the level of detail in reporting, as well as transparency.
Following our discussions in Berlin, we're going to expand our onboarding process for external/expert Board members. Apart from our regular onboarding (which includes legal training, mentoring from senior Board members, and for expert members - talking to people from the community, as well as selected readings about wiki-culture), we are going to introduce a short workshop, focusing on the most important things a person coming from the outside should know.
I ran a short poll/discussion with the community < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_Governance_Commit...
[3]
on meta, to decide about the most important topics. "Copyright, copyleft and everything in between" as well as "Values and community dynamics of a global movement" have been selected.
Guy and Kelly are really interested and looking forward to participating in the workshop at Wikimania, which will be also open to staff members. I've been in touch with Ginevra and Lorenzo, who have graciously volunteered to run the workshop < https://wikimania2016.wikimedia.org/wiki/Training_sessions/Proposals/Wikimed...
[4],
possibly with some help from Asaf.
We are working quite hard on many fronts: the new ED search, the vacant seats' fulfilment, internal governance improvements, communication, onboarding processes, apart from our usual load. We still can do better, and I hope we are on a right path.
best,
Dariusz Jemielniak, "pundit" (a current WMF Trustee)
[1] https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Minutes/2016-03 [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_board_agenda_2016-05 [3]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_Governance_Commit... [4]
https://wikimania2016.wikimedia.org/wiki/Training_sessions/Proposals/Wikimed... _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines 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
On Sun, May 15, 2016 at 11:59 AM, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen@gmail.com
wrote:
Hoi, I wonder what you mean by doing better. Are you doing your best given the circumstances? If so you do what can be expected of you. When people think that is not enough, it is their problem. They are not in the same position and have no genuine grasp what the situation is.
I mean that I believe in continuous improvement, and always trying to do better.
In the way that your inform about the issues you are dealing with it is obvious that a lot of consultation is taking place. It is why I am happy with your effort. I dare anyone to do better and be a candidate for the next elections.Only people who bring positive suggestions at this time are likely to have a positive impact when they are elected.
Dariusz, thank you for doing your job. Thank you for all the effort that goes into making a positive difference.
Many thanks, I really appreciate it! It makes this work worthwhile :) All the best from the FDC deliberations...
dj
Hoi,
Thanks for this update Dariusz. Good to see (reading this along with the March minutes) that the Board is moving forward on some of these important areas. A couple of clarifying questions;
* Does your discussion on Monday include the Code of Conduct and Confidentiality Agreement mentioned in the March minutes? * Have you considered inviting community comment on these before finally adopting them? * A number of community members have mentioned the idea of a formal review of WMF governance. In my experience these can be quite helpful* - has the WMF board considered this option? * Has the Board conducted any kind of review or "washup" of the circumstances around Lila's departure with a view to documenting board-level lessons to learn?
Thanks!
Chris
(* For the benefit of people who haven't spent years observing movement governance issues, I was the Chair of Wikimedia UK when we undertook our formal governance review in 2012)
On Sun, May 15, 2016 at 9:22 AM, Dariusz Jemielniak darekj@alk.edu.pl wrote:
hi,
I'm just writing to give you a short report on how the Board is working on improving its governance and communication.
In March http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Minutes/2016-03[1], Kelly and I conducted an internal survey about our governance, preferences, vision on how it can be improved. Geoff and Stephen (from our legal team) have prepared a number of recommendations, based on the governance best practices.
Currently, Maria and I are working on a proposal to the Board, that will be discussed on Monday[ <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_board_agenda_2016-05
2],
and that will address many of the issues that have been raised recently about timely communication, the level of detail in reporting, as well as transparency.
Following our discussions in Berlin, we're going to expand our onboarding process for external/expert Board members. Apart from our regular onboarding (which includes legal training, mentoring from senior Board members, and for expert members - talking to people from the community, as well as selected readings about wiki-culture), we are going to introduce a short workshop, focusing on the most important things a person coming from the outside should know.
I ran a short poll/discussion with the community < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_Governance_Commit...
[3]
on meta, to decide about the most important topics. "Copyright, copyleft and everything in between" as well as "Values and community dynamics of a global movement" have been selected.
Guy and Kelly are really interested and looking forward to participating in the workshop at Wikimania, which will be also open to staff members. I've been in touch with Ginevra and Lorenzo, who have graciously volunteered to run the workshop < https://wikimania2016.wikimedia.org/wiki/Training_sessions/Proposals/Wikimed...
[4],
possibly with some help from Asaf.
We are working quite hard on many fronts: the new ED search, the vacant seats' fulfilment, internal governance improvements, communication, onboarding processes, apart from our usual load. We still can do better, and I hope we are on a right path.
best,
Dariusz Jemielniak, "pundit" (a current WMF Trustee)
[1] https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Minutes/2016-03 [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_board_agenda_2016-05 [3]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_Governance_Commit... [4]
https://wikimania2016.wikimedia.org/wiki/Training_sessions/Proposals/Wikimed... _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines 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
On Sun, May 15, 2016 at 12:19 PM, Chris Keating chriskeatingwiki@gmail.com wrote:
- Does your discussion on Monday include the Code of Conduct and
Confidentiality Agreement mentioned in the March minutes?
Actually, we have discussed and voted on them in April (minutes are in the process of being approved).
- Have you considered inviting community comment on these before finally
adopting them?
We felt the need to make some amendments soon, but they are not written in stone - I anticipate that, depending on needs, we may enter a process of reviewing them in a wider process.
- A number of community members have mentioned the idea of a formal review
of WMF governance. In my experience these can be quite helpful* - has the WMF board considered this option?
We have not discussed this yet, but I will bring this proposal up at Wikimania latest. Every organization occasionally can make good use of governance review and consultation. It would be important to choose a good advising organization (experienced in NGOs, as well as optimally in large social movements and open source organizations). Speaking just for myself and expressing my own opinion only, I think that the Board is quite open to improvements, and the time for external suggestions is usally best exactly after the body itself has done as much as it could on their own.
best,
dariusz
wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org