The number of hours (a minimum of 5 hours, each week) is indeed very significant - especially as a minimum per week (which means that the average will more likely end up around 8-12 hours?). I understand that a significant commitment is necessary (an average of 1 as suggested by Pine will unlikely produce anything more than a few mailing list discussions, I'm afraid).
Just to set expectations clearly: I read that the grants department is scaling back their community facing activities (and I guess also other activities) to free up time to work on the strategy. I read that the FDC is 'skipping' a round to do the same. Is this the general expectation for other volunteers as well? This is probably all a conscious choice - but I'm afraid it will self-select for a certain type of participants that can make a 9 month commitment for such a time investment. I'm guessing you already considered having working groups with tiers - where you have some people with a large time commitment, and some people with a more reasonable commitment? That may have helped in diversification. Best, Lodewijk On Wed, Jun 13, 2018 at 1:30 PM Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Nicole, > > Generally I like how the groups are organized. I have a few questions and > comments. > > 1. The Product & Technology working group seems like it has a large scope > for a single group. Also, the people who are in that working group will > probably want to sync with TechCom and with the "Platform Evolution" > initiative. Have you considered dividing this group's responsibilities into > two (or more) groups, and how to synchronize this group's work with TechCom > and the Platform Evolution initiative? > > 2. It appears that Working Groups page asks for members of the groups to > commit to a minimum of five hours per week for nine months. That seems to > be a very high commitment to ask from volunteers, especially when people > would be adding their WG activities on top of their existing > responsibilities and/or de-prioritize other valuable Wikimedia activities > in favor of WG activity. Also, if I estimate 10 members per group times 9 > groups times 5 hours per week times 39 weeks, then that means that the WG > activities would consume 17,550 volunteer hours, which seems excessive. I > suggest that you reduce the commitment that you request to an average of > one hour per week per person, which would likely result in more people > being willing to volunteer and reduce the diversion of people's time from > other valuable activities, and that you accordingly make any necessary > adjustments to plans for paid staff to support the WGs. > > 3. Has the budget for the 2nd phase of the strategy process been published? > I am not asking for a promise that the process will cost a fixed amount, > but I would hope to see detailed cost estimates and explanations of how > estimates were made. > > Thanks! > > Pine > ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine ) > > On Tue, Jun 12, 2018 at 6:24 PM, Nicole Ebber <nicole.eb...@wikimedia.de> > wrote: > > > Dear Wikimedians, > > > > Following up on Katherine’s email from last week[1], we are today > > opening the call for Working Group members for 9 Thematic Areas (yes, > > we added one more!). > > > > == Working Group members == > > The Working Groups will map the present situation of their Thematic > > Area, the obstacles and opportunities, as well as needed changes to > > advance our movement in our strategic direction. They will identify > > possible strategies for making these changes and develop concrete > > recommendations for the movement on how to ratify and implement > > them.[2] > > > > Working Group members will need to be able to invest a minimum of 5 > > hours per week, but that time might vary depending on the workflow > > that each group agrees upon. Members of the Working Groups are > > expected to act in the interest of the movement, not in the interest > > of their own organization or community. > > > > == Selection of members == > > We are looking for a maximum of 15 members for each of the 9 groups. > > For best results we will need a diverse set of members from across the > > movement. We have developed a set of criteria, to ensure the necessary > > expertise, diversity, and representation.[3] We will assemble a > > Steering Committee to decide upon membership of the Working Groups in > > close coordination with the Core Strategy Team.[4] > > > > == Apply to become a working group member == > > We encourage everyone with an interest in the strategic conversations > > to apply for becoming a Working Group member in their topic of > > expertise. We recommend that movement organizations and groups create > > internal processes for the selection of their candidates to avoid > > multiple, competing applications. > > > > The call will be open until June 25, 2018. ***Please apply via this > > application form.[5]*** To prepare your application, you can consult > > the overview of the questions asked in the form on Meta.[6] > > > > == Next steps == > > We expect to be able to announce the Working Group members in the > > second week of July, so that the working groups can be assembled, > > onboarded and ready to start working before Wikimania. The first step > > for the groups will be to agree upon their set-up and scope of work. > > At Wikimania, we plan to convene the attending Working Group members > > in the Strategy Space to discuss and refine their road to the > > recommendations and ensure exchange between the groups.[7] > > > > We invite you all to familiarize yourselves with the existing > > documentation of the Working Group(s) of your interest,[8] add > > comments, additional input or share your concerns via talk pages Your > > comments will be then be taken into consideration by the respective > > Working Groups. > > > > We are looking forward to working and having these long-awaited > > conversations with many of you! > > > > In the name of the Strategy Core Team, > > Nicole > > > > [1] https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2018- > > June/090417.html > > [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_ > > movement/2018-20/Working_Groups > > [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_ > > movement/2018-20/Working_Groups#Who_should_join_the_Working_Groups? > > [4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_ > > movement/2018-20/Working_Groups/Steering_Committee > > [5] https://goo.gl/forms/zVElm0hLT9eZvqwF3 > > [6] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_ > > movement/2018-20/Working_Groups/Apply/Form > > [7] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_ > > movement/2018-20/Working_Groups#What_is_the_timeline_for_Working_Groups? > > [8] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_ > > movement/2018-20/Working_Groups#What_are_the_key_thematic_areas? > > > > -- > > Nicole Ebber > > Adviser International Relations > > Wikimedia Movement Strategy Process Lead > > Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. | Tempelhofer Ufer 23-24 | 10963 Berlin > > http://wikimedia.de > > > > Wikimedia Deutschland - Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e. > > V. Eingetragen im Vereinsregister des Amtsgerichts > > Berlin-Charlottenburg unter der Nummer 23855 B. Als gemeinnützig > > anerkannt durch das Finanzamt für Körperschaften I Berlin, > > Steuernummer 27/029/42207. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > wiki/Wikimedia-l > > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
