[Wikimedia-l] Registration open for Chapter Board workshop

[Chris Keating]

Thanks Balazs! All 20 spaces on the workshop are now taken. :)


On 6 Dec 2013 18:48, "Balázs Viczián" <balazs.viczian at wikimedia.hu> wrote:

> 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.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > mobile:   635209416
> > twitter: purplepopple
> > blog: ozziesport.com
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