Grants talk:Project/MSIG/WikiFranca/Francophone Hub Research Grant

Overall Positive Feedback

This proposal for exploring the potential for a WikiFranca hub project is a commendable and strategic initiative. It marks a natural first step for the development of hubs within the movement. Engaging in comprehensive research with the community’s involvement and engagement is essential. The projected plans are clear and enhance the potential credibility of the outlined plans. It is easy to see how this could serve as a significant catalyst for the growth and acceleration of WikiFranca. Additionally, the dedication to supporting anyone interested in editing a French Wikimedia project is praiseworthy, particularly in the context of the targeted regions.

Commendations are in order for the team’s brave efforts to ensure that the research project approach is sound by stepping back and making the necessary shifts to align with the needs and expectations of the communities involved. The decision to reassess and pivot based on community needs reflects a commendable level of self-awareness and adaptability. The outlined quantitative and qualitative research design is clear, providing a solid foundation for future discussions and developments within the WikiFranca hub. The incorporation of a diverse methodology in the research process is also strategic, acknowledging the community's needs, potentials, ideas, and aspirations across various contexts.

Additionally, overall project seems to be well aligned with the strategic plan for WikiFranca. The success of the project, given its well-designed research approach, holds the potential to bring WikiFranca closer to the 16 communities involved and if effectively measured, would greatly contribute to the hub's future success. YPam (WMF) (talk) 10:50, 11 December 2023 (UTC)

Thank you YPam (WMF) (talk) and all for the feedback. We will be working to answer the questions. notafish }<';> 16:51, 12 December 2023 (UTC)

Feedback for improvement

Budget Considerations:

• Rates considerations and hiring processes: More clarity is needed regarding the current hourly rates budgeted at $50 USD. Has the team considered the potential of hiring community members who could offer similar skills at a lower cost. The balance between fair compensation and budget efficiency needs careful consideration. Additionally, please provide more clarity and explanations regarding the planned process for selecting personnel. As this is not clearly detailed in the current proposal, it is recommended that the team considers the importance of a widespread community advertisement to ensure transparency, quicker identification of suitable candidates, and the resultant increased trust in the future hub.

  Wikifranca's answer: Wikifranca spans three continents at least and some countries that have some of the highest employment costs in the world (Switzerland for example). As we pointed out in the note that comes with the budget, we have put this rate of 50 USD /hour as a placeholder, not to prevent ourselves from considering any application from any country, and plan to adapt the budget according to the local market. For short projects, it is usual to have a higher hourly rate than for long ones, so we think this is a fair basis. The 50 USD (actually, 50 €) number was an ask made by our members at the Wikiconvention francophone. The hiring process will be of course transparent, with wide advertisement throughout the francophone communities. We expect that suitable candidates will stem from the community. notafish }<';> 19:56, 21 December 2023 (UTC)

  notafish's remark:On a personal level, and here I speak for myself as a 20 year community member, I find the question “Has the team considered the potential of hiring community members who could offer similar skills at a lower cost.” extremely offensive. Skills are skills and wherever and whoever they come from, community members who can offer them (even if they are not their professional day job), we expect them to offer them at a professional level, and we should pay them at the price we would pay any professional. I know a lot of people have been reviewing this grant (and not just the Program Officer), and this feedback is consolidated, so I am not sure who wrote this or even hinted at it, but I would be grateful if they could reread this sentence and rethink the way it is phrased. I find such a remark, whoever it comes from, unacceptable. Community members are _not_ cheap labor, they are people of tremendous skill and experience, with dedication on top. I am working every day with people (on the board of Wikifranca and everywhere else in Wikimedia) from whom I have learned so much, be it about communication, culture, knowledge, tech or understanding of local contexts, and I am awed every day by their expertise on so many levels, that I cannot begin to comprehend how this sentence came to be. Hiring community members should never never be described as a way to cut costs, or to ”balance budget efficiency and fair compensation”. On the contrary, hiring community members is a way to ensure that our values are upheld and our communities approached with care and understanding. I am going to assume good faith and decide y’all didn’t reread this sentence, but I couldn’t let it be said without reacting notafish }<';> 20:07, 21 December 2023 (UTC)

• Budget line and Legal considerations: Has the team considered exploring expense pooling from within existing affiliates, especially with regard to costs associated with software licenses. In addition, in relation to hiring, has there been a thorough analysis of the potential legal issues related to contracting someone from the Francophone region, considering the status of a Swiss NGO. This could also be addressed or answered through a pooling of knowledge resources from within the existing affiliates.

  Wikifranca's answer: Hiring a contractor through a Swiss entity or any other entity should not be a problem, since we're looking at a very short contracting time, and the risk of misclassification is zero. Also, because we won't have a bank account yet, this will be done through a fiscal sponsor, which will be the contracting party. We can use the software of that fiscal sponsor or of any of our members if the software license budget line really is problematic. notafish }<';> 20:09, 21 December 2023 (UTC)

• Overall budget considerations: More clarity is needed regarding the overall budget costs which is above $20,000 USD, when the project proposal this plan is modelled after, was able to achieve this with much less funds. Additionally the team could consider defining HR and interview costs more clearly, as this could help with ensuring efficient funds utilization.

  Wikifranca's answer: It is not clear to us if the project you're referring to is the CEE hub. If that is the case, we want to point out that the CEE Hub proposal was supported by Wikimedia Poland and many hours from paid staff. Their project had a total cost of more than 13,000 USD and for having talked with the people involved, many person hours were donated on top of the 50 person hours counted in that budget. It is also not clear what you mean with HR and interview costs. I (Delphine) personally took care of the HR and interview process for the CEE hub (for a full time paid position) and that did not cost anything, except volunteer time, so we are not certain what kind of costs you are referring to here. we would be grateful for a clarification about what needs to be clarified. notafish }<';> 20:09, 21 December 2023 (UTC)

Activities Plan & Scope:

• Considerations for overall approach and results: Reviews recommend a revision of the scope and goals of the project especially with regard to how the research results and future planning could impact communities in French speaking West Africa. Consider engaging with non-francophone communities in West Africa to ensure a more inclusive approach, or at least clarity on the specific support to be provided to ensure that the hub does not deepen separations between the French speaking and non-French speaking communities within the West Africa region. In relations to this, has the team considered criteria for prioritising community needs, and how the research will contribute to defining the hub's governance?

• Wikifranca's answer: We have read this question multiple times and are not sure we understand it. So let us give a bit of context. First, the whole point of Wikifranca is to tackle communities that speak French, and this grant in particular is about researching the needs of those communities. It is not clear how in the framework of this grant we would need to engage with non-francophone communities in West Africa. Having talked to a few people to try and understand this remark, we want to say the following things:
  • We will consider adding questions about the communities that our francophone communities interact with, in order to make sure that we understand the kind of support they might need to interact with synergy
  • Once this research is done, and if we decide that there is a need for an actual francophone hub (on a model like the CEE hub) we will of course pay attention to communities that are adjacent to our own communities. West Africa comes as one of the obvious places where we should look for partnerships and synergies.
  • Finally, we are aware that some communities and/or individuals have been looking to get support both from Wikifranca and the Wikimedia Foundation. While we think that there is definitely not enough support for communities in Africa in general, at least not always the right kind of support, we also think that all entities in the Wikimedia movement should work closely together to make sure that support does not always go to the same people, but is shared between all those who lead great projects and implement good ideas. This means making sure that people who are banned/not welcome in a community don’t suddenly get supported by another, and also to make sure that when there are different sources of support, they talk to each other We actually think that a francophone hub is a great place to keep a better overview of who gets what support, and we are hoping that the movement charter and potentially a Global council will be a great framework to enable better oversight and fair distribution of grants across the movement. We firmly intend to work more closely with the Foundation and other actors in the regions that have francophone communities to help those efforts.
• When it comes to the Hub's governance, we already have an association, with a very clear governance model. You can find our bylaws here and we are at your disposal for any other information. Of course, we will be working within the framework of the Movement Strategy and the Charter and adapt where needed. notafish }<';> 20:32, 21 December 2023 (UTC)

• Clarity regarding the use of existing knowledge and the team’s preparedness: The necessity of the research is not questioned, however, based on the current project plan, it is uncertain how Wikifranca's learning from prior engagements and activities will be leveraged to deepen this work.

• Wikifranca's answer: There is a strategic plan that was designed when Wikifranca became an association, and we have been working with the Wikifranca members for years already, since Wikifranca has existed. The Mois de la contribution francophone and the Wikiconvention francophone have been regular places of exchange and collaboration in the francophone community that have given us the preparedness to engage with those communities. We have also successfully supported a very active communications committee with volunteers from all of our members, which has given us a good idea of how to work with an independent and pro-active working group. They worked especially around the communication around the Wikiconvention and have been helping us with matters of communication around members’ and WIkifranca’s activities.notafish }<';> 20:35, 21 December 2023 (UTC)

• More clarity regarding research approach and inclusivity in the process: How does the project team intend to manage the diverse community backgrounds to ensure equitable participation, avoid bias, and define metrics for success. Reviewers recommend ensuring that communities are effectively informed using any and all available channels and platforms like the village pump of the francophone Wikipedia.

• Wikifranca's answer: Diversity is the core of Wikifranca. While we speak one language, we are extremely aware of the rich diversity and sometimes deep differences between the way our different members work, think and act. This is part of our DNA as an organization. Of course we will ask our members and our communications committee to help us spread the word around this initiative, like we have already done as we posted this grant. notafish }<';> 20:38, 21 December 2023 (UTC)

• Clarity regarding the projected project timelines:  The current three-month timeline seems ambitious especially if the team considers the need for contingency planning. It might be judicious to consider extending the timelines. Has the team effectively estimated the time and work that might be required to produce a comprehensive research as planned? Consider the time implications for careful planning and methodology development. Reviewers recommend extending the project timeline to five months for effective research results. This could help ensure that the complexity of addressing the needs, governance, and integration of 16 different communities with diverse backgrounds is addressed.

• Wikifranca's answer: We want to note that the three months project timeline is once the person has been hired. We are happy to review the timeline, but we are also aware that this had taken a lot of time already, so we don’t want to to spend too much time not doing anything. :) Let us continue speaking about the real timeline as we start in the new year.

• More clarity is required regarding roles and responsibilities: The current plan separates the costs for roles such as research management, survey design, data analysis, and report writing. Clarity is sought regarding who will perform these tasks and why these costs are separated. Reviewers recommend sharing a ToR or at lease a summary scope of activities for each role.

• Wikifranca's answer: The costs are separated because we wanted to make clear what amount of time will be allocated to what part of the project, not because they are going to be taken care of by different people. All of these roles and responsibilities are meant to be carried out by the same person (the project manager). The scope of their activities is actually already in the grant, under the bullet point about activities. I have made an edit in format to show this more clearly here. Maybe this got lost in translation? notafish }<';> 20:38, 21 December 2023 (UTC)

YPam (WMF) (talk) 10:51, 11 December 2023 (UTC)

This concludes the feedback from Wikifranca ;). On a very practical level, I would love if you would consider breaking the feedback for each question in the future, and signing each of them, it makes it much easier to answer because we can make use of the "reply" feature! :D. As the Germans say, I wish you a great slide in the New Year! Warm regards, notafish }<';> 20:41, 21 December 2023 (UTC)