[Wikimedia-l] Registration open for Chapter Board workshop

Fri Dec 6 18:48:48 UTC 2013

Hi all,

As this event supposed to target guys like me, let me give you a short
feedback about the program.

I see nothing practical, nothing useful in it. It is full of defining this,
defining that sessions. And they are extremely long.

Not a word about financial planning, not a word about community management
(as "chapter's community") nothing about volunteer recruitement, not a word
about negotiating (as negotiating skills, including convincing techniques
and other related knowledge) cost management (cost cutting, replanning),
managerial approaches and attitudes (managerial skills and styles, best
practices), etc. etc. The line is long.

I see no practical skills discussed, except if the aim is to make us able
to discuss chapter-related __theoretical__ things in a much deeper way than
before. Ever. Nice to have clear visions for the future though but what
this event covers is about 20% of what is called "management" altough I had
to admit, it is the most interesting 20%. For me too.

Cheers,
Balazs

*Balazs Viczian*
Executive Vice President
*Wikimédia Magyarország Egyesület*

Tel: +36 70 633 6372
Mail: balazs.viczian at wikimedia.hu
Web: www.wikimedia.hu  Blog: Magyar Wikipédia Magazin<http://huwiki.blogspot.hu>
Facebook: Magyar Wikipédia <https://www.facebook.com/hu.wikipedia>

2013/12/6 Chris Keating <chriskeatingwiki at gmail.com>

> Hi Laura,
>
> Actually I hope both larger and smaller organisations will gain from this
> event. Larger organisations' boards certainly need training and support as
> much as smaller ones, though there are different challenges at different
> stages of development.
>
> I'm pleased to say of the people who have registered so far there is a
> broad mixture from three continents and I hope we will be able to fund as
> many people as possible.
>
> It would certainly be great if there was more support available for
> organisations just starting out, available for free. So far as I know,
> no-one has ever taken a synoptic look at the support and development needs
> of Wikimedia movement organisations and tried to work out how to meet them.
> Who might take that on and how it might be funded is an open question.
>
> Regards,
>
> Chris
> Hi Chris,
>
> If there is only one Wikimedia Foundation board recognised thematic
> organization, why did you chose to use a plural?  And The Wikinewsie Group
> has aff-comm recognition, and as the Board has never rejected an aff-comm
> recommendation, I don't particularly see the problem.
>
> What I do see as problematic is WM-UK organizing this conference, talking
> about chapters moving towards professionalism in the context of the
> Wikimedia Movement while charging chapters and a thematic organization to
> attend, selecting a hotel for participants to stay at that costs above the
> per diem rate that the WMF funds for, and then saying there is the
> expectation that it will not be an issue for people to attend with the high
> registration fee and high accomodation costs because these will not be
> incurred by individuals but by their organizations.
>
> As the Movement appears to be having a discussion about finacial
> responsibility and effect use of donor funds, that sort of approach appears
> to run counter to all of that.  No explanation other than "We talked down
> the price!" appears to have been forth coming as to why a place was
> selected that costs roughly USD$200 a night.  There is no agenda for this
> conference to understand why the conference is worth that expensive costs.
>  The people presenting clearly are not in need of the conference as it is
> Wikimedia UK, Wikimedia DE, Wikimedia PL, Wikimedia France.  These are by
> and large the chapters with FDC funding or access to independent sources of
> funding.  They are clearly not being targetted for training.  The people
> who appear to be targetted as attendees are ones who have no money... and
> you're off to charge them large amounts.
>
> I don't see how these costs, which you expect to be absorbed by donor
> funds, are a good use of those funds.  I don't see how expecting people to
> incur expenses over around USD$850 to attend a two day conference ($400 for
> two nights, $65 for registration, $230 for a flight from somewhere close in
> Europe, $50 to get to the event from the airport, $100 in food) where the
> thing starts out by violating WMF guidelines.
>
> What knowledge exactly are you planning to pass on to people from less
> developed chapters?  Fiscal responsibility, best use of donor funds,
> following WMF's best practices for grant funding...  These are off the
> table?  What else is there?
>
> Sincerely,
> Laura Hale
>
> On Friday, December 6, 2013, Chris Keating wrote:
>
> > Hi Laura, you can bypass the registration fee by selecting "other payment
> > option" in the way I said.
> >
> > In response to another off list query, I should point out that
> > unfortunately this workshop is only open to existing (incorporated &
> > recognised) chapters/thorgs, not those still in planning or awaiting
> > recognition.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
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> twitter: purplepopple
> blog: ozziesport.com
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