WikiVerse Botswana/Governance

Governance Framework

WikiVerse Botswana operates under a structured, transparent, and community-driven governance model designed to ensure accountability, sustainability, and strategic alignment with the global Wikimedia movement.

Our governance framework balances central coordination with decentralized community participation, enabling efficient execution of programs while empowering contributors to play an active role in shaping the initiative.

Board Members

Mr. Mothusi Sekhomba. Founding Director
Ms. Olga Tladi. Executive Treasurer
Ms. Maitumelo Dagwi. Executive Secretary
Mr. Rocky Mmolawa. Board Advisor

Leadership and Strategic Oversight

WikiVerse Botswana is led by a Core Leadership Team responsible for strategic direction, institutional partnerships, and program oversight.

Key Responsibilities:

Defining organizational vision and long-term strategy
Overseeing campaign design and implementation
Managing stakeholder and partner relations
Ensuring compliance with Wikimedia standards and policies

The leadership structure ensures that all initiatives are impact-driven, scalable, and aligned with knowledge equity principles.

Operational Structure

The day-to-day execution of activities is managed through a functional and role-based structure, comprising:

1. Program & Campaign Coordinators

Responsible for planning and executing campaigns, edit-a-thons, and community initiatives.

2. Community Managers

Oversee participant engagement, onboarding, and retention across platforms such as WhatsApp and Wikimedia Meta.

3. Trainers & Facilitators

Deliver capacity-building sessions, ensuring contributors are equipped with the skills required to produce high-quality content.

4. Review & Adjudication Panel

Independently assess submissions during campaigns to ensure fairness, quality assurance, and adherence to guidelines.

Community Governance Model

At its core, WikiVerse Botswana is a community-led initiative.

We adopt a participatory governance approach, where:

Contributors are recognized as key stakeholders
Active members can take on leadership and facilitation roles
Feedback mechanisms inform decision-making and program design

This model promotes ownership, inclusivity, and long-term community sustainability.

Policies and Standards

All activities within WikiVerse Botswana are governed by established Wikimedia principles and internal operational guidelines, including:

Neutral Point of View (NPOV)
Verifiability and reliable sourcing
Content quality and notability standards
Ethical participation and originality

Additionally, campaign-specific rules and evaluation criteria are clearly defined and communicated to ensure transparency and fairness.

Transparency and Accountability

WikiVerse Botswana is committed to maintaining high standards of transparency and accountability through:

Open documentation of activities on Wikimedia Meta
Clear communication channels with participants and stakeholders
Structured evaluation and adjudication processes
Periodic reporting on outcomes and impact

These mechanisms ensure that all operations remain credible, traceable, and performance-driven.

Strategic Alignment

Our governance framework is aligned with:

The Wikimedia Movement Strategy (2030)
Regional and continental initiatives such as the Africa Wiki Challenge
Broader goals of knowledge equity and African content representation

This ensures that WikiVerse Botswana contributes meaningfully to global knowledge systems while addressing local content gaps.

Sustainability and Growth

WikiVerse Botswana is committed to building a resilient and scalable community model through:

Continuous capacity development
Leadership pipeline development within the community
Strategic partnerships and institutional collaborations

Our governance structure is designed not only for current operations, but for long-term growth and institutional maturity.