Dear movement fellows,
After our "Board handbook", we are pleased to share with you the Wikimédia France "Travel policy" (this time, in French and English!):
(en) https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikim%C3%A9dia_France/Politique_de_voyage/en (fr) https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikim%C3%A9dia_France/Politique_de_voyage
This document is the compilation and formalization of our expenses reimbursement's practices for several years. The main goal of this formalization is to clarify, for our various stakeholders in the organization, the expenses which can be reimbursed, the amounts, the conditions and the process. And because it's clearer we think that it's going to facilitate the volunteers involvement. Indeed, by knowing in advance if expenses can be covered, we are hoping that volunteers will take more initiatives to do projects, even if there is a cost. Of course, it facilitates the work of our treasurers and executive director who deal with the approval of expenses requests/reports, because the commons cases are anticipated in the policy, and now they have to intervene only for specific cases, which are less frequent.
It is also ensuring a healthier governance: it clarifies the process of escalation if needed and it provides fairness for every requests' answers. Besides it allowed to define consensually the frame of reimbursements with different stakeholders.
As it might be useful for other entities, we shared in a Learning Patternswhy we think it's useful for us to have this policy,what problems it solves and how we have solved them: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Learning_patterns/Travel_policy_%E2%8... Moreover, we did an "unofficial" translation of the policy (link above) to ease your feedback possibilities about this policy, about the process we followed or to be inspired by if you are thinking about such an initiative of document in your organization.
Feel free to ask any questions or make suggestions of improvement. Cheers,