WMES is eligible to apply for a 12-month grant starting 1 January 2018, for a grant up to the maximum threshold for Simple APG (~120,000 US dollars), and with no staffing limit. Eligibility is pending the resolution of any past due requirements listed on this page, which must be resolved before this grant is officially approved. Winifred Olliff (WMF Program Officer)talk17:18, 20 October 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Simple Annual Plan Grant Committee Recommendation[edit]
Committee recommendations
Funding recommendations:
We recommend that Wikimedia España be granted the full amount of their request, 91,380 EUR + 10% contingency fee, or 100,500 EUR including the contingency fee.
We are providing the following rationale:
Wikimedia España is a well-functioning chapter with a wide but well-defined range of activities, developed within the scope of clear and focused programs.
Wikimedia España has entered a strategy process that will inform their development in the next few months and consolidate their organizational development. The committee is looking forward to seeing the outcome of this process, especially in light of the new Wikimedia strategic direction.
Wikimedia España has given a good rationale for expanding the scope and involvement of their Communication and Engagement manager, whose role will be of support to all programs, and will especially strengthen the program on diversity and geographical reach, which is a good fit with the strategic direction.
Comments on the next year's plan:
Wikimedia España is returning for their fourth Simple Annual Plan Grant, having received one 12-month and two 6-month grants in the past. The 2018 plan is a significant improvement over the 2017 plan, as it presents a coherent program structure and includes objectives with relevant targets.
In the current plan, Wikimedia España is emphasizing its diversity program, which includes gender-focused work and work with different languages and communities of Spain. This program builds on past work they have done in these areas, and also shows that they are assessing opportunities that are relevant in their context (for example, celebrating language diversity in Spain). They are continuing their successful photography work, which encourages the creation of culturally relevant media and activates their enthusiastic photographer communities. They are pursuing some exciting GLAM initiatives, including work at the national level through a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. At the committee’s request, they have also clarified their plans in the area of education, which is a minor emphasis in the plan, but is now included as a distinct program.
Comments on the current year's focus and achievements:
Wikimedia España has continued their work to support communities and activities throughout Spain, which is a large geographic area in the European context, with a wealth of linguistic and cultural diversity. In 2018, they plan to build on this work in a more focused way, through their diversity initiative, which fits in well with the new Wikimedia strategic direction.
Quantitative results in terms of participation and content captured by the grants metrics continued to improve in the first half of 2017, surpassing 2016’s midpoint achievements.
In 2017, Wikimedia España implemented their first true annual budget, having moved from a 6-month planning cycle to a 12-month planning cycle. In the period leading up to the 2018 application, we focused on program design, moving from an annual plan that consisted of a list of activities divided into two thematic groups, to a plan with true programs and relevant targets. This is in direct response to some of the concerns expressed by the committee about the 2017 application.
Wikimedia España designed a strategy process that has begun in the second half of 2017. This should result in a well-developed strategic plan by the end of summer 2018.
During 2017, Wikimedia España hired a part-time communications director. They conducted a search, which resulted in the successful hiring and onboarding of their second staff person. Currently, staff and board are working effectively together to achieve the organization’s goals. We also worked to clarify job descriptions of both staff members leading up to the 2018 application process.
Other considerations:
Wikimedia España’s board and staff work well together, and the organization’s achievements are good evidence of this. Yet, this organization is still very reliant on a handful of staff and board members who are most active, and at this level of funding and staffing, this is a risk that needs to be addressed in the long term.
Wikimedia España has achieved a lot during their time in the Annual Plan Grants program, as they entered the program without the confidence to create a 6-month budget and now have managed a 12-month budget in 2017 and developed a quality 12-month program plan for 2018. They are making significant progress in important areas like strategy and staffing, and have shown a willingness to incorporate the feedback of the committee and Wikimedia Foundation-Annual Plan Grants staff.
Last year, the committee decided to fund the communications staff person at 0.5 FTE for the second half of 2017. Wikimedia España is renewing their request to make this position 1.0 FTE, but has responded to the committee’s request to clarify plans in this area and make a clear link between this position and their ability to achieve more program impact. Wikimedia España has sometimes struggled to adequately describe their work and results in years past, and increasing their capacity in the area of communications is likely to help them improve this and involve more people in their work.
Despite the staffing increase, Wikimedia España remains a grassroots organization where staff work effectively to support volunteer work, and where volunteers and staff work in true partnership to run the organization’s activities and direct its strategy. Wikimedia España’s staffing plan is effective with its emphasis on coordinating the work of volunteers (program coordinator), and providing specific technical expertise that the volunteer community does not have (communications position).
Wikimedia España functions in a complex environment in Spain that includes different language communities and several active affiliates. We are glad to see affiliates in this region working together on their common goals of supporting Wikimedia communities.
Comments on the next year's focus:
Board engagement should be a major theme of 2018. The strategy process should be an effective way to engage existing board members and potential leaders. Roles and responsibilities among staff, and especially on the board, should be clearly defined, and responsibilities on the board should be shared more broadly.
Board elections in March will be an important opportunity to focus on bringing on board members with relevant expertise. For example, if Wikimedia España is to be leading diversity-focused initiatives, the composition of their board should better reflect this.
As Wikimedia España expands their staff and budget, more work is required to assess gaps in finance and governance, and this will need to be a major focus during 2018.
Many themes from 2017 will be ongoing, including the continuation of the strategy process and formalizing the staffing structure.
Wikimedia España has made significant progress in developing a coherent program structure, and the results of the strategy process should aid them in prioritization for the 2019 plan. We will work with them on setting relevant and realistic targets for each of their programs for 2019.
Many thanks to the Simple Annual Plan Grants Committee for these thoughtful recommendations, and muchísimas gracias to the Wikimedia España team for this fine application.
This grant is approved in the recommended amount of 100,500 Euro, including 91,380 EUR to be spent according to the annual budget submitted with this application, and a 10% contingency fee that is only to be used for unforeseen expenses with the approval of WMF.
The grant term will begin on 1 January 2018, and will end on 31 December 2018. A midpoint report covering the first 6 months of the grant term should be submitted by 15 July 2018, and a final report covering the entire 12 months should be submitted by 30 January 2019.
We will do our best to support Wikimedia España in the focus areas recommended by the committee for 2018, and look forward to celebrating some important milestones in that year, including the fruition of the strategy process and the expansion of Wikimedia España's staff team to include 2.0 FTE. We are very excited about the year to come!
