Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2018-20/Updates/April 2019

From Meta, a Wikimedia project coordination wiki

Dear fellow Wikimedians,

It has been a big few weeks for movement strategy. Working groups published scoping documents in March; the core team, working groups, spent three whirlwind days in Berlin discussing our future with representatives from the organized segment at the Wikimedia Summit; and right now, affiliate groups and language communities are taking these discussions further in community conversations across the world. Details and a lot of links for further reading below:

Generating ideas for our future at the Wikimedia Summit[edit]

Working group members had the chance to engage directly with organized groups recently at the Wikimedia Summit in Berlin. The questions in the scoping documents kickstarted conversations about what kind of changes might be needed, how we can share resources effectively and establish meaningful partnerships, and how to turn stuck energy into positive momentum. The program’s adaptive, flexible format meant that we could tailor sessions as needed and enabled working and organized groups to connect and exchange in many ways. You can find out more in our blog post on Meta.

From questions to answers: what the working groups are up to[edit]

Following the publication of the scoping documents in mid-March and the Wikimedia Summit, the nine working groups are currently finalizing a plan of action to conduct research and get the input they need to start developing recommendations for structural change. From there, it is all about diving deep into our movement to find which opportunities we can make the most of. As part of this, working groups will start getting into the input and insights that arise from community conversations. This will be used to enrich the content and bring in the wider perspectives from our diverse movement that will inform working groups as they draft recommendations for change.

Take part in our community conversations[edit]

Community conversations about our future are happening! This is your opportunity to share your ideas and insight about what in our movement needs to change. To participate, head over to the Meta-Wiki page (currently available in 9 languages, with more to come) and share your thoughts on the talk pages for each scoping document. We have also contracted Community Strategy Liaisons for the Arabic, German, Hindi, Mandarin, Spanish, and Portuguese communities, who are leading discussions on-wiki and in social media channels to engage editors, readers, and other participants in strategy discussions. Finally, volunteer Organizational Strategy Liaisons are taking the lead to facilitate conversations representing the perspectives of their organizations - check your community’s or group’s preferred channels for details.

What’s next?[edit]

The focus for the next few months will be on gathering input, data, insights, and content that will be used to develop recommendations for structural change. Community conversations will run until June with communities and organized groups to enrich this whole process - get involved and have your voice heard. We are also looking for more representatives from organized groups to become liaisons with the strategy process.

Let us know what your questions are, and join in to share your perspectives.

Nicole