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Follow-up questions on your application

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Latest comment: 4 months ago2 comments2 people in discussion

Hello Pertubuhan Kebajikan Komuniti Pengguna Wiki Malaysia,

Thank you for putting in a general support fund application. Congratulations on the successful implementation of your last grant application. For documentation purposes, we are also including your most recent report here - Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Wikimedia Community User Group Malaysia’s 2023 General Support/Final Report. Thank you for also hosting the most recent ESEAP Conference 2024 in Sabah (event metapage; application; report; Diff). The event brought wikimedians from ESEAP region and the opportunity to connect was very much treasured.


Observations/ Recommendations / Notes

Below, you will find the consolidated feedback and observations from the review team (i.e. ESEAP regional funds committee and programme officer). Do take time to read and respond (i.e. provide more details) to the sharing(s) as necessary. Note: The review team may not have the same lived experience or understanding of the local context as you/your team. Hence, providing further insights will be very helpful in building on our collective wisdom and shared learnings.


  • 1) Related to question 6/ strategic plan: While it is not mandatory as part of the general support fund application, we would recommend to start thinking about developing your strategic plan. Putting together your strategic plan can be supportive as you plan for the next phase of the affiliate's growth. In starting work on your strategic plan, here are examples that you may find useful -
  • 1a) Suggestion: We know it will take time to put together a strategic plan. We recommend adding it to your timeline and plan protected time to do this with your core team. In the mean time, please response with a proposed approach on how you plan to carry out your strategic planning process in the coming year.


  • 2) Related to question 8/ challenges, programmes, approaches and strategies: Let's take a moment to re-cap on challenges that you are facing and whether they are still relevant. In your 2022 application, the main challenges were:
    • a) Lack of people to support continuity of wikimedia movement in Malaysia;
    • b) Lack of committed volunteers (e.g. high engagement as community organizer and/or editor - consistent in editing monthly);
    • c) Lacking volunteers with different linguistic backgrounds like speakers of local and indigenous languages in Malaysia that could help in expanding or creating a new language project in Wikimedia;
    • d) Low awareness of the local wikimedia movement in Malaysia (e.g. users but not aware of that they can contribute; skeptical about sources) Malaysians out there do not know much about the Wikimedia movement and only been using Wikimedia projects especially Wikipedia without knowing that they can be part of the community and help to grow them;
    • e) No Wikimedia community and volunteers in schools and universities
  • Are these challenges still present or relevant? Are you still looking to address these challenges or have you pivoted/ prioritised something else due to changing operating context? What success and progress that you have made since?
    • 2a) Suggestion: While there are content gaps in your response to question 8, the supplementary document on planned activities for 2025 was very helpful in mapping out strategies -> activities -> timeline. Please keep this. Using the same excel file, we'll suggest to duplicate the existing tab (i.e. main), rename it to operating context, remove the timeline and add two columns to the left of the spreadsheet to include key challenges (Column A) and key progress made in 2024 (Column B) so that your proposed strategies and activities are understood better in the context of your challenges and progress. Here's an example of a high level summary of progress made from last year's plan that could serve as a useful reference.


  • 3) Related to question 12/ partnerships: Thank you for the comprehensive list that you shared. We also see that you have shared some partnership learnings in your most recent report. As you have an increasing number of partners that you are working with on a regular basis, it may be useful to do a retrospective on your partnership in 2025.
    • 3a) Suggestion: For a start, could you start a new excel google sheet to map out the existing partnership that you have with the information in question 12 and add columns for a) the year the partnership started (if you remember) b) contribution from the affiliate c) type of support from the partner. From there, we can use this as a working document to continue further conversations with your programme officer and the partnerships rep from the region post award. Here's also a Let's Connect resource on partnership building (MENA region) which may be useful.


  • 4) Related to your proposed budget, the breakdown in the current form doesn't allow the review team to understand the details, your cost estimates and how it links to your strategy and activities. If the current excel sheet format is not useful, we are happy to accept your budgeting in other formats. Here are examples of other formats that have been used. Please feel free to adapt, adjust and adopt one that works for your scope and diversity of work. 2025 budget (example); 2024 budget (example); 2023/2024 budget example (Tab 2, see in particular column F on detailed description and explanation).
    • 4a) Suggestion: Please provide a revised budget sheet that provides clarity and details on line item request, unit cost assumptions and how it links to your activities/ strategies. In the google document, please also include the projected cashflow for 2025 based on proposed budget in another tab. Likewise, include a new tab for summary of budget by expense category. We would recommend reassessing your proposed budget to ensure that the request is leaner and a closer estimate of the true cost. The following may also be of interest:
      • Travel sponsorship - If you have budgeted for travel sponsorship, please remember to provide details on how the travel fits into the annual/ strategic plan, costing assumptions, rationale for in-person attendance and selection process for travel sponsorship recipients etc. If you need further resources, we would also recommend reviewing the Let's Connect learning clinic on guidelines, best practices, documented learnings related to travel scholarship.
      • On merchandise, are you aware that you are able to request for wikimedia swag? Here's a link that you can read about - Grants:Project/Rapid/Requesting swag
      • On equipment purchase (e.g electronics)- Please provide details on rationale of the need and where applicable models that you are looking to purchase? You need to clearly demonstrate how the equipment will be shared with other community members. An equipment log or list must be publicly available for community members and included in the application.
      • If you are requesting for additional headcount please also provide additional details related to job description, recruitment process, reporting and management and onboard. The resources in (A) may be useful. If you are adjusting unit cost assumptions for staffing, please also provide more details on the year on year increase and reason.
      • (A) Designing the role


Note to applicant: During the review process, the ESEAP Funds Committee meets 3-4 times (2-2.5 hours/ session) during the review cycle to discuss the grant applications submitted for the cycle. Thereafter additional time is dedicated for individual review (i.e. one review form is submitted for each application - estimated time spend can be 1-1.5 hours/application/person). We would like to highlight that the review team spends a significant amount of time on each application reviewing and providing their perspectives. We hope you will also participate fully in the process by setting aside dedicated time and mind space to provide thoughtful responses to the feedback. During the discussion rounds, we have also captured the verbatim feedback below. Some of which may be on a similar topic. If you notice the trend, it would mean that the question/ observation was raised by several members of the review team and we encourage you to dig deeper to provide more information. If you require support in understanding the context to the feedback and/or in crafting a response. Please know that you can reach out the programme officer for support.


Observations/ Questions

  • 5) Could you provide more details on the decision to establish an office for the upcoming fiscal year? What factors influenced the location choice, and how will having a physical office support your work in the next fiscal year?
  • 6) Could you elaborate on Activity 5.1: Wikimedia Bilateral Friendship? What objectives do you aim to achieve, and what is the selection process for participants?
  • 7) Organisational capacity & partnership is self rated as low based on last year report - but they only allocated one training for development. If they recognise this is one of the problems, how would they address this?


Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you by 15 November 2024.


Regards,

Jacqueline on behalf of the ESEAP Funds Committee JChen (WMF) (talk) 03:30, 8 November 2024 (UTC)Reply

Answers
  1. Alright, we will start planning the strategic plan for 2025. We will ask other members to give opinion on this.
  2. Some of them are still present but overall it has improved over the years. We have gained more volunteers due to more frequent programs and interactions with online contributors and physical newcomers. We are planning to increase more awareness and training with newcomers through having an office for monthly small workshops and campaigning using booths in public spaces such malls and train stations. We have successfully hatched 3 new language Wikipedias within 2024 (Kadazandusun, Bajau Sama, Iban) due to the increase in regular volunteers and better awareness.
  3. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lD56g6tQcuJl2VTO6yt3jTpmOW4yjB_A4caY4bHPjIA/edit?usp=sharing
    • We will try to apply for the Wikimedia Swag grant for some of our events next year.
    • Camera EOS 90D with its accessories; microphone, tripod, SD Card, headphone for social experiment, interviews, content on Wikimedia project and documentation of organization activity
  5. A simplified slide version of the answer is provided at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JYa2M_T3aLGsfQsrAcLiJFila39bNeBd/edit#slide=id.g2ca649a0d2d_3_14
    • Several main issues contributed to the decision to establish an office.
    • Lack of proper venue to conduct meetings with current and potential partners. Many potential partners prefer physical meetings for collaborative discussions.
    • Lack of proper venue for official and legal correspondence with partners and government agencies. Currently using a volunteer’s personal address for official correspondence, having potential privacy concerns.
    • Lack of a central location to store items. Throughout our various physical programs conducted, we have amassed various merchandise and equipment for these programs and future programs. We require a proper location to easily store these items for volunteers to use in future programs.
    • Support access for community members in terms of resources and consultation. Plans for regular physical Wikipedia workshops for newcomers. We want to start conducting at least monthly hands-on Wikipedia workshops for interested individuals and require an easily accessible venue.
    • Lack of easily accessible location for core members and volunteers from further parts of the country to congregate for programs. So far, we have utilised hotels for core members and regular volunteers from further parts of Malaysia to stay at to prepare for programs. We would like to have a better central location for them to stay at when they arrive in Kuala Lumpur.
    • The above factors also influence the possible location of choice for the potential office. The possible location of choice will most likely have:
    1. Ease of access from the airport and train stations through the LRT & MRT service.
    2. Accessibility for disabled persons.
    3. Reliable security for safe storage of equipment and sensitive documents about projects and beneficiaries.
    4. Proper amenities for meetings with our current and potential partners, activities with newcomers, and meetups with regular members.
    5. Accommodation for core members and regular volunteers to stay at when arriving in Kuala Lumpur.
    6. Directly connected to a mall and train station for setting up campaign booths for attracting newcomers and promoting programs.
    7. Near convention centres for potential conferences to be organised.
    8. Near offices of current and potential partners (embassies) for ease of interaction.
  6. A simplified slide version of the answer is provided at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17WvZN9pMLshULre6slXhza0DGMtQYzcB/edit#slide=id.g2ca649a0d2d_3_14
    • As part of our current ongoing friendship between Wikimedians in Malaysia and Japan going into its 2nd anniversary, we have planned to organise a joint project with members of Wikimedians of Japan User Group to conduct our WikiKata program, the language & culture documentation project for indigenous/minoritised communities.
    • As the Japan user group is still new, we aim to firstly guide Japanese Wikimedians on how we conduct our physical programs and give advice & ideas for their future programs.
    • Secondly, we would like to engage with the indigenous Ainu community in Hokkaido in order to document their language and culture using Wikimedia projects and tools such as Wiktionary, Commons, Lingua Libre, and Wikitongues, and to find potential active contributors for the Ainu Wikipedia currently in the Incubator.
    • This in turn would help empower both Japanese Wikimedians and the Ainu community by showing both parties hands-on experience in conducting workshops and learning about Wikimedia projects.
    • We also hope to engage with researchers of the Ainu language and culture for knowledge exchange.
    • The selection process for participants from Malaysia would be through a 1-month Wikipedia editathon competition, where one or several winners will be selected and trained to use and teach the various tools used for the WikiKata project. Previously, we have conducted competitions that allowed winners to receive scholarships to attend international conferences. Therefore, we are confident that appropriate care will be taken to evaluate entries for the suitable winners.The targeted period for the competition to select the Malaysian participants would be in May 2025 to coincide with Japan’s Hakata Dontaku Festival.
    • The winners will join core members of WCUGM to go to Hokkaido and facilitate the Ainu community participants in documenting their language and culture on Wikimedia projects. The targeted period to conduct the program would be in November 2025, which would coincide with Wikipedia Asian Month and Ainu Day (celebrated every 24th November).
    • We are planning to have regular online discussions together with members of the user group on event planning and others. Currently this year, we usually do our online discussion every night to work on paperworks, reports and others.
    • We are also planning to organise a monthly online meeting where we brainstorm ideas and discuss future events that we need to organise. By doing this, we can distribute the workload and assign tasks to each member to do.
Ultron90 (talk) 03:48, 16 November 2024 (UTC)Reply

Your grant application has been approved

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Latest comment: 3 months ago1 comment1 person in discussion

Hello Pertubuhan Kebajikan Komuniti Pengguna Wiki Malaysia ,

Thank you for your responses to the follow-ups questions.

Congratulations! Your grant application has been approved in the amount of MYR 459,897 from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.


Here are some comments from the review team that were captured from the final deliberation round

  • 8) Wikimedia Malaysia needs staff who are committed to developing the community, such as community specialists to accommodate the language diversity in Malaysia or support existing staff to be able to perform this role.
  • 9) Congratulations on your achievements this year! Keep up the great work, and remember to strive for improvement to achieve greater success.
  • 10) Based on their responses, I don't see the urgency of the trip to Estonia. Perhaps, they can start with online meetings during the editathon with Wikimedia Estonia.


Recommendations

  • On this talkpage, we would like to flag questions/ responses for (1a), (2a) for inclusion into your implementation plan and take into consideration the comments from the review team marked (8 - 10). We also suggest that you provide regular updates on this talkpage when you have made progress in these areas with links to other relevant pages for further details.

For (4), please provide the link to a revised budget based on the final approved funding amount while also taking into consideration the feedback that has been provided to date. You can use your current budget file -> add a tab and name it “revised budget” -> share the link here.

For the review of your next grant application, we will take into account your new application AND progress that you have made in the areas of the recommendations captured on this talkpage. Hence we would encourage you to be proactive in sharing key updates here on a regular basis. If there are recommendations that you have considered and have assessed that it is not the right fit for now, please also provide an update to share your learnings/thought process as well.


Disbursement of Funds

To facilitate the funds disbursement process, we seek your prompt response on Fluxx and via emails with the WMF Grants Administrator team (grantsadmin@wikimedia.org). We highly encourage you to submit all supporting documents and endorse the grant agreements within the stipulated time frame. When in doubt, proactively reach out to the WMF Grants Administration team and copy your programme officer.


Change in implementation plan

We know even the best thought through plans may change.

In the event that there are changes to your implementation schedule, you can reach out to request for a grant extension (i.e. extend end date). Similarly, if there is a surplus budget or changes to your planned budget, you can reach out to me about reallocation (via email and on this talkpage). There is also the option to have the unspent funds deducted against a future grant. More details here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Return_unused_funds_to_WMF


Additional resources which may be useful


We thank you for your participation in the grant application process and hope to continue to journey with you as you embark on the implementation phase. Good luck!

Regards, Jacqueline on behalf of ESEAP Funds Committee JChen (WMF) (talk) 15:46, 29 November 2024 (UTC)Reply

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