On Sunday, February 28, 2016, Pharos <pharosofalexandria(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Hi fellow Wikimedians,
If we are seriously going to consider an expanded Community Council as an
alternative to WMF BoT reform, we need to have a real discussion about what
"devolution" would mean, and what specific responsibilities we think should
be given up, and distributed to a broader community governance.
For example:
Should the WMF BoT devolve a non-core portion of the budget? How would the
core portion be defined, and the non-core aspects?
Our current situation is that WMF centralizes most fundraising for the
movement, distributes a portion of it to other movement organizations, and
spends the rest itself to support movement goals such as the hosting and
fundraising infrastructure, engineering support to improve the tools that
movement contributors use, public communications, legal support, etc.
In a multi-org world with national chapters like WMDE doing engineering
projects and sister organizations like WEF doing editor
coordination work, I think it's already incorrect to think of Wikimedia
movement fundraising monies as belonging to WMF and a "non-core" portion of
them potentially being devolved.
Rather, WMF provides fundraising to the movement as a service. WMF should
be only one of multiple orgs seeking disbursement of raised movement funds
in an open, documented, and transparent process (FDC?)
Should the WMF BoT devolve aspects of the approval or
closing of sister
sites? (Wiktionary, Wikidata, Wikinews, a potential genealogy project)
Almost certainly. WMF is a provider of engineering and hosting services to
the movement; the BoT thereof provides oversight of its operations, but
should possibly not be deciding what community members can and can't work
on. It's the movement and its representatives who should decide what major
projects to include under the collective umbrella, and WMF's job to host
and support them.
Should the WMF BoT devolve aspects related to Wikimania and related
regional meetings?
Yes. Most likely they should be operated by purpose-built institutions
specializing in this, like many large conventions and conferences are.
-- brion
Thanks,
Pharos
On Sun, Feb 28, 2016 at 12:43 PM, Emmanuel Engelhart <kelson(a)kiwix.org
<javascript:;>>
wrote:
On 28.02.2016 15:53, Brion Vibber wrote:
> I just want to split out a concept that came up in the big threads of
the
last few
days:
Some members of the WMF Board of Trustees are giving strong signals
(like,
> saying it outright) that the BoT can't fully take on the role of
movement
leadership or community representation. Not because they think it
shouldn't
> happen, but because structurally and legally and practically the board
of
> Wikimedia Foundation Inc has different roles
to fill.
> I think we should consider what roles
and structures we *do* want as
> members of the Wikimedia movement community. And I think we should
think
> about that and talk about that carefully
before rushing into details
like
board
reform.
Perhaps we should explicitly accept WMF as a "first among equals" org
within the movement, with specific roles like tech development and
fundraising (or other emphases as well) while other orgs concentrate on
different specific issues. Or even just "one among equals" that happens
to
> have specialized in those roles.
> This probably means we should think
about "umbrella" structures to
> coordinate and represent and look forward.
> And that's something we should
*definitely* not rush into. If a
mismatch
in
> hopes for what the WMF BoT can and should do has been a factor in
> communication and leadership issues in the past, then it's very
important
we not
make the same kinds of mistakes in any new structures that might
be
needed.
Delighting to read this. That said, the path to achieve this looks
pretty challenging. Would the WMF be able to organize such a move and
"give-up" parts of its duties/activities to better focus on core
business?
Emmanuel
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