[Wikimedia-l] letter from the FDC to the WMF

[Dariusz Jemielniak]

hi Nathan,

On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 2:52 PM, Nathan <nawrich at gmail.com> wrote:

> Except that from both a practical and legal perspective the authority
>  of the FDC comes from the WMF; this is the fundamental problem with
> having it purport to "review" the Foundation's spending and activity.
> If the Foundation's Board disagrees with the FDC decision on funding
> the WMF, it has not just the option but the legal duty to overrule it.
> The most likely outcome, then, is that the FDC functions as a rubber
> stamp for the WMF - perhaps with cosmetic adjustments or changes for
> appearances sake.


I have no idea what gave you this impression. The FDC is composed of
Wikimedia volunteers and serves as an advisory committee by the Board. The
Board itself is not the foundation, neither - it is a body overseeing and
supervising it.

If the Board disagrees with the FDC recommendation, it naturally can
overrule it, but how is this possibility relevant? The FDC at no point is
inclined to provide rubber stamps to any entity in the process in general,
and WMF in particular. We use our best judgment, experience, and skills to
give meaningful evaluations. What possible motivation could we have to do
otherwise? I strongly believe that none of the FDC members is driven by an
urge to please anyone (WMF, the Board, the chapters). We are motivated to
recommend sensible resources allocation within the entire movement. At no
point do we take part in a popularity contest (and I believe we've shown
that already). Moreover, keep in mind that even though we only prepare
recommendations, and decisions are made by the Board, our responsibility is
to the movement as a whole for our recommendations, and not for what the
Board does with them. If we recommend cuts and the Board overrules them,
the community will decide which of these two bodies went wrong.

best,

Dariusz Jemielniak ("pundit")




-- 

__________________________
dr hab. Dariusz Jemielniak
profesor zarządzania
kierownik katedry Zarządzania Międzynarodowego
i centrum badawczego CROW
Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego
http://www.crow.alk.edu.pl