Wikimedia Deutschland/Plan 2023/Programs & Objectives

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Strategies Programs & Objectives Budget 2023

On this site, we present the programs we are working on to implement our strategies. In each program, we set success criteria that reflect the change we want to achieve this year - and by which we can determine if we are successful.

Volunteers
[edit]

Strategy: Cooperation with the communities[edit]

Program 1: Funding[edit]

Without the work of volunteers in Wikipedia & Co. these projects would not exist. They create and maintain contributions, but also search for new references, plan joint projects to create and share free content, launch competitions, and explain to public institutions how they can be part of the wiki world. We support them by covering travel expenses, venue rentals, literature procurement, technology lending, and insurance, to name just a few examples. Every year, we provide hundreds of such fundings and ensure reliable processing and quality of the funding.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: Members of the communities should be able to make their contributions to Free Knowledge in the best way possible.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Volunteers can reliably access financial and organizational support from Wikimedia Deutschland for their work on Free Knowledge. The recipients of the funding continue to rate the funding provided by WMDE (individual & project funding) very positively (average rating of at least 9 out of 10 in the funding barometer).
At least 80% of those who received grants at Wikimania 2023 rate our support within the revised funding program as positive and useful for their voluntary work.
Interim results/ Outputs
  • Improvement of digital infrastructure (e.g., funding database, digital reimbursement of expenses, BigBlueButton)
More volunteers than before are aware of the ways in which WMDE can provide support. Awareness of The Wikipedia Library has increased.
We will raise awareness of the ways in which we can provide support in the community as a baseline
Interim results/ Outputs
  • A promotional campaign for The Wikipedia Library has been implemented.
  • The framework conditions for funding (e.g., funding guidelines) have been checked, together with the community, to ensure they are up-to-date and viable.

Program 2: Community Management[edit]

Many community members carry out important voluntary work as multipliers, in addition to creating content. This work ensures that the community remains stable, and that self-organization lasts. They support other community members with mediation in conflict situations and with passing on skills and knowledge, inspire the further development of strategies and projects, work on collaborations and organize rooms, events, and projects for community participation. We help them by taking on board ideas from the community, supporting multipliers, and making networking within communities easier.

Success criteria 2023
Program goal: Volunteers can become more effective multipliers in new and existing community structures and can enable people to get involved in free knowledge in many different ways.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Active and potential multipliers are working together with us. The new community portal, as a central information and interaction hub, is considered useful by multipliers.
In our exchange formats, volunteers and WMDE staff have given overwhelmingly positive feedback on the way we work together.
By attending (community) events both within and outside the Wikiverse, we have identified at least one potential multiplier in each case and gathered inspiration for the development of needs-based services.
With our support services, we are reaching more active and potential multipliers. We are developing further needs-based support services (e.g., training courses) for multipliers, particularly those multipliers who have not been very visible up to now.
Volunteers who act as multipliers either regionally or for a specific theme (e.g., FemNetz) receive needs-based support services.
At least one group of community members who want to improve the structure and rules for others (e.g., with respect to paid editingwriting) is using our process support.
Interim results/ Outputs
  • Needs assessment among active multipliers
  • Needs-oriented support of FemNetz and FemSupport
  • There is a support service for copyright and privacy law and other relevant legal issues.

Program 3: Communication Culture[edit]

Where people create things together, everyone involved needs to feel safe and welcome, and to be able to deal constructively with any conflicts. Through externally facilitated workshops or communication training sessions, we help volunteers who want to make the climate at Wikipedia even more appreciative and inclusive. If we are (co-)organizers, we work toward ensuring that volunteers are also able to take responsibility for safe, inclusive, and welcoming events in a well-informed manner.

Success criteria 2023
Program goal: Wikimedia Deutschland and active members in the communities jointly ensure that there is a constructive communication culture and that conflicts are managed in Wikimedia projects.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

The first target group-specific, needs-based services for prevention of conflict escalation, violation of boundaries, abuse of power, and attacks on volunteers in Wikimedia projects have been developed with interested active members of the communities. The admins/officials and some local spaces organizational teams are developing needs-based support ideas together with WMDE and volunteers are using the first support services. Participants rate these preventive support services as useful for their involvement.
Active members of the communities are informed of preventive measures and of the work of the new Safety and Advice team in order to build up trust. The first guides to preparing and implementing safe, inclusive events and projects have been drawn up and are judged useful by users.
Interim results/ Output
  • The roles of the Wikimedia teams in preventive work in connection with the care concept have been clarified.

Program 4: Reporting Office and Advice[edit]

Many volunteers contribute to free knowledge by bringing people together and working to resolve any conflicts that arise during collaboration. Nevertheless, behavior that violates boundaries and abuses power is also possible within the Wikimedia movement. To counteract this, we systematically support volunteers in their commitment with a reporting office and advisory services, legal aid and victim-oriented conflict resolution and offer protection wherever Wikimedia Deutschland has joint responsibility, e.g., at events that it helps to organize, including awareness teams at larger events.

Success criteria 2023
Program goal 1: Events organized by Wikimedia Deutschland and community projects for free knowledge that it supports are safe and inclusive.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Volunteers and those affected by the violation of boundaries and abuse of power receive advice and protection in the event of behavior that violates boundaries, abuse of power, and legal attacks by those who are not active community members within the area of responsibility of Wikimedia Deutschland. If a cross-team awareness team is present at events, the respective event organization team and participants are aware that it provides support with safety and inclusion.
Interim results/ Output
  • If Wikimedia Deutschland is informed of and asked for support in a conflict, we will provide advice and intervene within the context of Wikimedia Deutschland’s care concept.
  • A system has been developed for anonymized monitoring (i.e., collection and evaluation of data for subsequent assessment of the effectiveness of the intervention measures).
Program goal 2: Wikimedia Deutschland ensures that the care concept is developed further from a technical viewpoint and in line with needs.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

An advisory board provides constructive and critical support for the work of the new Safety and Advice team in implementing the care concept for events and projects for which Wikimedia Deutschland is responsible (online/offline). An advisory board made up of experts, full-time employees and volunteers and the team find collaboration constructive, and the advisory board is motivated to continue collaborating with Wikimedia after the pilot phase.
Interim results/ Output
  • The first meeting of the advisory board has been held and the ways in which the care concept requires further development have been established at the end of the pilot phase.
  • Feedback from the communities has been taken into account.
  • The processes that have been developed and the specific aids for victim-oriented case processing are in line with the principles set out in the care concept and can be applied in practice.
The volunteers on Wikimedia projects have confidence in the reporting office. Interim results/ Output
  • The reporting office has received five reports from the communities.
The role of Wikimedia Deutschland in the enforcement of the Universal Code of Conduct has been clarified in consultation with the communities and the Wikimedia Foundation. In the implementation of the Enforcement Guidelines, responsibilities at Wikimedia Deutschland have been clarified and any necessary changes have been taken into account in the 2024 annual plan at the latest.
Recommendations on the prevention of, and intervention in the event of, the violation of boundaries and abuse of power have been taken into account in the process of reviewing the framework conditions for funding volunteers (e.g., the funding guidelines).

Program 5: Local community spaces[edit]

Wikipedia and Co. can not only be used on the net, but also experienced live! In Berlin, Fürth, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne and Munich there are rooms on site. There, volunteers open their doors, work on joint projects and gladly explain the Wiki world to guests. We finance these rooms and advise the local groups on their projects.

Success criteria 2023
Program goal: Volunteers can have a better multiplier effect on new and existing regional community structures and facilitate diverse engagement with Free Knowledge.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

The orga teams of the local community spaces achieve their self-set goals in continuous partnership with Wikimedia Deutschland. The local organizing teams and WMDE meet at least once a quarter to inform and inspire each other’s free knowledge projects as well as to reflect on their collaboration.
WMDE holds regular exchanges with the local organizing teams to advise them on setting and achieving their own goals and provides support with administrative matters.
An additional organizing team can be advised and supported with setting goals and operating a local community space.
Interim results/ Output
  • The full-time staff who are responsible meet the respective organizing teams for the local spaces in person at least once every six months.

Program 6: Community Conferences[edit]

Many people who contribute to free knowledge in their free time also meet away from their screens. The biggest meeting in German-speaking countries is WikiCon, while the two largest specialist conferences are AdminCon and the meeting of FemNetz. All three formats arose from the community’s desire and need to get together, discuss favorite topics, plan joint activities, and feel part of a community. We arrange the conferences together with volunteers, taking responsibility for organization, logistics, and implementation.

Success criteria 2023
Program goal: Professional and personal communications in the community and the motivation of volunteers are strengthened.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

We organize conferences together with the community, at which community members share their experiences and strengthen their motivation for their voluntary work. At least 75% of participants feel that WikiCon 2023 strengthened their motivation.
At least 75% of participants in AdminCon considered their attendance and the specialist discussions useful for their voluntary work.
Most participants considered the FemNetz 2023 conference to be an inclusive and protected space in which they were able to bring up and discuss their interests and topics.
Interim results/ Output
  • The WikiCon handbook has been updated to reflect experiences from WikiCon 2022.
  • Experience with regard to safe, inclusive, and hybrid events has been shared with the community.

Program 7: Technical Wishes[edit]

With the Technical Wishes project, we are improving MediaWiki – the software behind Wikipedia and its sister projects – to make the volunteers' work easier. The collaboration with the Wikimedia communities is a central part of this effort. We are working on focus areas chosen by the German-speaking community, aiming to find solutions beneficial to the whole movement. In 2023, we will wrap up our work on "Better support for geospatial information" and focus on “Make reusing references easier”.

Success criteria 2023
Program goal 1: Community members should be able to make their contributions to Free Knowledge in the best possible way.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

The implemented improvements made to the functionality for creating and editing interactive maps on german-speaking Wikipedia benefit the wider movement. Wikidata QIDs are used to add geopoints to Kartographer maps.
Interim results/ Outputs
  • The changes we implemented on dewiki in 2022 are deployed to all relevant wikis.
Program Goal 2: Members of the communities can collaboratively determine which technical improvements are implemented in Wikimedia projects.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Community feedback shapes the scoping of improvements in the area of making reusing references on german-speaking Wikipedia easier. We have created opportunities for input from community members in the process of scoping and prioritizing the problems to be solved in the focus area “Reusing references”.
Interim results/ Outputs
  • We conduct the discovery.
  • We define the scope of improvements.
  • We start working on solving the identified and prioritized problems.
We explore how to further evolve the concept of community-centered software development. Interim results/ Outputs
  • We will act upon the outcome of the joint reflection with the community on how well the collaboration is working (took place in 2022).
  • We will investigate options for feasibility and impact to further evolve the concept of community-centered software development.
More people and more people with diverse backgrounds from the german-speaking Wikimedia projects shape the technical improvements that are implemented. At least one third of people participating in our user research do not identify as male.
At least one of the people participating in our user research uses assistive technology, where relevant.
Interim results/ Outputs
  • We offer a way of giving input that requires less than 10 minutes, at least two times over the course of 2023.

Strategy: A vital community[edit]

Program 8: Campaigns & Communications[edit]

Without an understanding of the value of free knowledge and of how the Wikimedia projects work and how they came about, no new collaboration would be possible. We therefore ensure visibility, show appreciation for existing voluntary work, and invite new people to get involved through our communications and campaigns.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal 1: More people are informed and are inspired to get involved in Wikipedia.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

People with the potential to participate in Wikimedia projects increasingly show their interest by interacting with our offerings. The initial conversion rate* for first contacts (not existing contacts) in 2023 is higher than the previous benchmarks in the various communication channels (including email, Wikipedia banner, social media, postal mailing).

*Conversion from first contact (e.g., banner impression) to first action (e.g., email opening, landing page visit, etc.)

30 articles in 2023 about voluntary work for Wikipedia, of which as many as possible should be in media with a wide reach and should have a positive tone.
Interested individuals and those already supporting us financially can let us know the ways in which they are interested in volunteering. At least 6% of people who are interested and those who already support us financially share information about their interests with us. Their information can be used to target further communications.
Interim results/ Outputs
  • More contact on the topic of volunteer engagement in the context of Wikimedia projects and community work to defined dialog groups (journalists, specialist public, general public, donors, and supporting members).
  • Appropriate methods of contact (activating these groups for interaction) are identified on the basis of data.
Program Goal 2: We mobilize people to take part in on-site/hybrid events and bring them into direct contact with the community.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

We attract people to collaborate on Wikipedia through their specialist interests. At least 15 people respond to our appeals/campaigns and take part in an event.

Program 9: Take Part in Wikipedia[edit]

Between realizing that they can take part in Wikimedia projects and setting up a user account for one of the projects, people make a conscious decision to participate. Deciding whether voluntary work for Wikimedia projects is the right thing to do and where to start is really not that simple. We therefore provide help in the form of information and low-level incentives, to encourage them to try it out and get involved. To ensure that this participation and “trying out” leads to lasting involvement, we develop learning materials together with volunteers, to explain not only the technical but also the cultural and social structure of Wikipedia. We work with the community on improving the framework conditions to make long-term involvement more attractive, and we highlight ways to get involved that go beyond editing.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal 1: People decide to take part in Wikipedia and remain active.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

More people than in the previous year decide to create a user account after learning about our services and information. 2.5% of recipients of our information services register with Wikipedia.

Recipients of the information services find them useful.

Spot checks carried out as part of the evaluation of the information services confirm that content created specifically for non-male target groups is being consumed by these groups at an above-average rate (over 50% of those clicking on these services are not identified as male). 

Interim results/ outputs

  • Visitor center as an entry point with help, contacts, and resources for those who are interested (learning and help center with tutorials, videos and tests, and rules special).
Program Goal 2: New people who get involved remain active in the Wikimedia communities and contribute to Wikipedia.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Community members work with WMDE to improve overall conditions for participation. The number of participants and the involvement of the New Volunteers committee remain consistently high.
Together with the WMF growth team and community members, functionalities for new editors have been optimized.
New formats for networking between new participants and experienced community members have been developed and implemented. A format for supporting trainers who run introductory courses has been developed together with volunteers (or an existing format has been refined) and has been promoted, and participants find it useful.
More new participants than before are making use of mentoring formats and remaining active.
People who have only made a few edits are motivated to become more active. 10 % of those to whom we communicate participation suggestions and information digitally and who have not yet attained “inspector” status show a higher number of edits in the 3 months following the communication compared with before the communication (expected to be roughly 600 out of 6,000 contacts).
Interim results/ Outputs
  • People who identify as female users are contacted separately in a way that is specific to their target group.

Technology
[edit]

Strategy: Wikidata [edit]

Program 10: Wikidata[edit]

Wikidata is a free, collaboratively created knowledge graph. In 2012, we started the project at Wikimedia Deutschland; in 2022 we celebrated its 10th birthday. During this time, both the amount of data and its subsequent use have increased significantly. We support the Wikidata community in creating and maintaining a trustworthy and equitable knowledge graph for the Wikimedia projects and the world. In 2023, we continue to place a special focus on providing the editors with everything they need to to maintain high data quality in order to enable broad re-use of Wikidata's data.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal 1: Increasing the data quality on Wikidata becomes more efficient for the community.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

The Wikidata Community creates and maintains data model definitions for more and more of Wikidata's data leading amongst other things to a more consistent modeling within individual classes in the ontology. The Wikidata Community starts to use Entity Schemas to define the modeling of classes in the ontology – as measured by the number of Items representing classes that are connected to an Entity Schema.
Interim results/ Outputs
  • We release at least one new and improved version of Entity Schemas based on community input and our 2022 technical analysis. It should allow the Wikidata Community to connect Items with Entity Schemas to indicate which schema defines the modeling for a certain class.
We increase the knowledge about how Wikidata is edited by the Wikidata Community. This knowledge will help us to make more targeted improvements for the Wikidata Community. We discover new quantitatively founded insights about at least one editor group that helps us to better understand how Wikidata is edited by the Wikidata Community.
Editors can use reported mismatches to improve data quality. Users of Wikidata’s data give back at least 50.000 data points total about mismatches about data quality issues in Wikidata between the beginning of July 2022 and end of June 2023.

Status as of October 26th 2022: 14.215 data points about mismatches.

Program Goal 2: More people are empowered to build applications powered by Wikidata’s data.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Accessing Wikidata’s data becomes easier for developers. Developers begin accessing Wikidata’s data via the new REST API (as measured in approximation based on the number of unique User-Agent HTTP headers used for requests per month).
The new REST API helps developers new to Wikidata build applications based on Wikidata’s data. We will tell at least one of their stories (e.g. in the form of a blog post).
Interim results/ Outputs
  • The REST API is released on Wikidata in at least one first version. It gives developers a more standard-compliant and intuitive programming interface.
Program Goal 3: Wikidata’s data becomes a more equitable representation of the world.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

At WikidataCon people from across the globe gain new contacts, knowledge, and experience with regards to Wikidata and thus feel empowered as Wikidata advocates in their region or culture. People from at least 38 different countries gain new knowledge and experience with regards to Wikidata.
People from at least 12 countries outside of Europe and North America have gained new contacts or strengthened existing ones.
People from at least 13 countries outside of Europe and North America feel empowered as Wikidata advocates in their region or culture.
Note: Please see objectives and indicators of the “Shared Software Development for Wikidata” program.

Program 11: Wikidata and the Wikimedia projects[edit]

From its beginning, Wikidata intended to support the other Wikimedia projects. Wikidata stores specified Wikimedia data in a central location and helps to distribute the maintenance workload across language and project boundaries. Today, Wikidata and the other Wikimedia projects are supporting each other heavily. It is important to WMDE to strengthen this mutually beneficial relationship, and ensure its long-term sustainability. We will therefore set up a dedicated team for this work in 2023. One of its first initiatives will be to increase the understanding of the current state of Wikidata integration into other Wikimedia projects.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: Wikidata and the other Wikimedia projects increase their collaboration for mutual benefit.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

We have established structures to support the collaboration between Wikidata and the other Wikimedia projects sustainably. At least 15 members of Wikimedia communities (representing a variety of backgrounds and perspectives) have interacted with the new team to help us better understand current issues that make it hard to collaborate between Wikidata and the other Wikimedia projects.
Interim results/ outputs
  • A dedicated development team for “Wikidata and the Wikimedia projects” has been formed.
  • We have started researching the most effective initiatives to increase the collaboration between Wikidata and the other Wikimedia projects for mutual benefit.

Program 12: Shared Software Development for Wikidata[edit]

Wikimedia Deutschland wants to invest in skill and capacity development and empower local communities in the Wikimedia movement. We want to achieve this by exploring new ways of collaboration and implementing partnerships with Wikimedia Indonesia and the Igbo Wikimedians User group for capacity building for software development for Wikidata. With this program, we focus on languages that are underrepresented in the Wikimedia movement and on the Internet at large.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: Members of underrepresented parts of the movement contribute to a shared software development environment in a sustainable way.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Wikimedia Deutschland and its partners, Wikimedia Indonesia and Igbo Wikimedians User Group, have formed trusting strategic partnerships around software development for Wikidata. Wikimedia Deutschland and its partners, Wikimedia Indonesia and Igbo Wikimedians User Group have discussed, agreed upon, and documented shared goals that they want to reach with their initiatives in the next year.
Interim results/ outputs
  • Documentation of lessons learned from years 1 and 2 including preparation for a clear description of the path forward for the partnerships and suggestions for potential future set-ups with additional partners.
The partners in the collaboration with Wikimedia Deutschland are set up to sustainably enable and support their communities’ efforts to grow the Wikidata ecosystem (e.g. around lexicographical data). Wikimedia Indonesia’s initial software team has implemented its first technical changes.
The Igbo Wikimedians User Group has implemented all planned editions of their mentoring program.
Interim results/ outputs
  • Financial resources and expert support are provided on time.
  • Possible needs for support of the partners are identified and discussed during four quarterly check-ins between the partner organizations and WMDE.

Strategy: Wikibase ecosystem [edit]

Program 13: Wikibase Cloud[edit]

Wikibase.cloud is Wikimedia Deutschland’s Software as a Service offering, which allows people to create their own Wikibase instance with just a few clicks. We strive to continuously lower the barrier for people to explore the Wikibase Ecosystem; and to make it easier than ever before to create, connect, and grow a collaborative, linked knowledge graph.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: A greater number of diverse knowledge curators can independently join the Wikibase Ecosystem.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Wikibase.cloud fosters a diverse and thriving ecosystem with a healthy growth of new Wikibases. More than 1000 Wikibases on Wikibase.cloud contribute to diverse knowledge under an open license.
More than 100 of the Wikibases on Wikibase.cloud are coming from communities outside of Europe and North America.
The onboarding experience into Wikibase receives at least an average score from novice Wikibase users.
Interim results/ outputs
  • User research and testing is done to fully understand core use cases for Wikibase.cloud, main user problems to tackle, and user needs to be met.
  • Wikibase.cloud leaves closed beta and is accessible to any knowledge curator.

Program 14: Wikibase Suite[edit]

The Wikibase Suite is Wikimedia Deutschland’s offering to self-install and self-host the Wikibase software. Wikibase Suite is targeted at  public and open knowledge projects, who want to share and collaborate on their data with the public, thus becoming part of the Wikibase Ecosystem and the Linked Open Data web.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal 1:  Knowledge projects can rely on Wikibase Suite as a Linked Open Data software for professional use.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Stakeholders of Wikibase Suite are sustainably supported by WMDE. At least 5 institutions in the public and open knowledge sector that are members of the Wikibase ecosystem participated in conversations around the mid-term strategy for Wikibase Suite.
Interim results/ outputs
  • We defined a mid term strategy for Wikibase Suite by the end of Q2.
  • We clarified how Wikibase.cloud and Wikibase Suite complement each other.
  • One solution to a problem identified by Wikibase Suite users was developed.
  • We have built up a team specifically around Wikibase Suite.
  • Wikibase Suite updates are released no later than one month after a new mediawiki release.
Program Goal 2:  A greater number of diverse knowledge projects can join the Wikibase Ecosystem.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Communities outside of Europe and North America benefit from Wikibase –both Suite and Cloud. At least 5 public and open knowledge project representatives outside of Europe and North America contribute to our understanding of LOD needs.
More than 100 of the Wikibases on Wikibase.cloud are coming from communities outside of Europe and North America.*

*Duplicate from Wikibase.cloud indicator, since we work hand-in-hand

Interim results/ outputs
  • We have published our findings about Linked Open Data needs outside of Europe and North America on wiki.

Program 15: Wikibase Product Platform[edit]

The Wikibase Product Platform is the technical foundation of WMDE’s Wikibase and Wikidata software products, which provides a consistent user experience within the Wikibase Ecosystem. WMDE’s software products in the Wikibase Ecosystem, including Wikidata, have been intentionally built on a shared technical base.  This has ensured a consistent user experience for all participants in the Wikibase Ecosystem (e.g. editors, curators, developers, tool builders, data re-users). WMDE is building the new product platform to improve the maintainability of this technical base, to reduce the bar to entry for products to build upon; and to minimize risks of limiting or slowing down software product development. We are building this shared technical base as a dedicated internal product platform that supports WMDE’s Linked Open Data software products. The goal of the Wikibase Product Platform is to strengthen the advantages of the shared base; and to make it easier to create specialized products for our various stakeholders. This shared technical foundation will increase the productivity of WMDE teams and enable product teams to focus more on the specific needs of their stakeholders. WMDE’s long-term goals are also guided towards benefiting non-WMDE teams who are creating software products and tools in the Linked Open Data ecosystem.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: WMDE’s Linked Open Data product teams are more efficient in providing a consistent user experience in the Wikibase Ecosystem.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

WMDE’s Linked Open Data products provide standardized APIs that enable their users to access and curate data. A standardized API service has been made available and is being used in at least one of WMDE’s Linked Open Data products.

Strategy: Innovation engine[edit]

Program 16: Innovation for Free Knowledge[edit]

Technical and social innovations can develop only in an innovation culture that promotes creativity. We want to create an inclusive environment in which potential innovations and synergies within the international movement are taken up and promoted, in which innovation and innovators can grow, and experimentation with new products and services for free knowledge is facilitated. By doing this, we will strengthen the movement’s innovative capacity (recommendation #9) and contribute to sustainable development (recommendation #1). To ensure that this is successful, we want to expand the innovation engine for free knowledge globally and are collaborating with stakeholders in the international movement on this.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: People from the international movement benefit from the facilitation of innovation.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

We create the basis to drive forward innovation for free knowledge. At least 2 new approaches to facilitating innovation have been developed and tested. (Baseline from 2022: 0)
At least 5 stakeholders from the international movement have helped to develop the facilitation of innovation through their expertise and experience. (Baseline from 2022: 3)
Interim results/ outputs
  • Systematic mapping of target groups, stakeholders, structures, and processes in the area of innovation has been developed within the movement (baseline from 2022: 1).
  • We participate in at least 5 formats for exchange, collaboration, and joint learning on the topic of facilitating innovation within the movement.

Conditions for Free Knowledge
[edit]

Strategy: Political Frameworks [edit]

Program 17: Civil liberties in the digital realm[edit]

The free exchange of knowledge is also ensured through civil liberties such as free speech and freedom of information, freedom of the arts, academic freedom, and protection of individuals from monitoring by third parties. In dealings with politicians in Germany and Brussels, we therefore campaign to ensure that these civil liberties are not reduced in the digital realm, but instead are ideally strengthened.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: Digital policy is developed further from the point of view of free knowledge.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Those who draw up policies incorporate WMDE’s arguments into draft bills and strategies. The law that was passed or is still under discussion on the right to open data contains as few exceptions as possible.
Institutions that are relevant to us have developed a better understanding of CC licenses. An expert report commissioned by a public body is available and is cited and/or recommended by at least 3 institutions that are relevant to us.
The idea of digital policy for the common good is established and further specified in the work of the F5 Alliance. Arguments from a requirements specification for digital policy for the common good provided by WMDE are incorporated into speeches or written publications by members of parliament or into strategy papers at least twice.

Interim results/ outputs

  • A requirements specification for digital policy for the common good has been developed and communicated by WMDE and competent partners.
  • In the context of the work of the F5 Alliance, WMDE is able to address 2 concerns relating to digital policy at parliamentary breakfasts.
Arguments in WMDE’s position on digital voluntary work are incorporated into the federal government’s funding strategy.
More members of society are aware of knowledge equity (in the sense of our movement strategy) as a concept and as an area in which WMDE is active. Six management-level individuals at social and political institutions that we find relevant take part in the WMDE event series “Wissen.Macht.Gerechtigkeit”.

Program 18: European and International Regulation[edit]

Important general legal conditions are decided at international level and then implemented at national level. We therefore cooperate with other civil society organizations to ensure that our combined expertise is heard when international regulations are drawn up. We are increasingly participating in debates on the regulation of public digital spaces, particularly with regard to disinformation.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: With an active network of civil society organizations, we campaign for general legal conditions at EU and international level that support free knowledge.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Exchanges between WMDE, civil society stakeholders, and EU institutions continue. WMDE is consulted once a quarter on regulatory issues with implications for free knowledge at EU level.
WMDE is asked by key politicians with expertise in the field to provide support with the implementation of the DSA.
More relevant stakeholders are aware that free knowledge is a tool against disinformation. In at least 5 specialist discussions with stakeholders in public broadcasting and those responsible for media policy, we have made the argument that free knowledge is a tool against disinformation.
Free knowledge comes up as an argument for combating disinformation in at least 2 strategies of official bodies.

Interim results/ outputs

  • WMDE has published its position on free knowledge and disinformation.
  • WMDE has publicly taken a position with a publication, appearances at special events, conferences (on the digital public and disinformation).
WMDE creates structures to ensure that free knowledge gets on the agenda at WIPO. WMDE has regular exchanges with organizations that are members of WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), in order to contribute content through them.
Other members of WIPO have shown their support for including Wikimedia as an observer through oral agreements or participation in open letters or similar.

Program 19: Public money - public good[edit]

What is financed with public money is also a public good. Or should be, in our opinion. This includes publicly financed research and software as well as everything that government agencies create or commission themselves, content from public broadcasting, state-financed museums, etc. Many such institutions are setting an example and making their collections and other products freely available in digital form. We are working toward anchoring this as a principle in law and institutional practice, and encourage, educate, and advise on this issue. Our tools range from confidential discussions to public campaigns.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: The working practices of societal stakeholders that are relevant to us facilitate the creation and dissemination of free knowledge.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

More educational content from public broadcasters is available under a free license. Another broadcaster has drawn up a telecommunications policy that includes publications under a CC license as a strategic goal.
Another ARD institution is starting a pilot project for free licenses.
Management-level individuals from relevant bodies take part in the 6th Round Table; an agreement is reached on further release policies.
“Public Money—Public Good” is gaining influence as a desirable principle in politics and management. Our arguments for “Public Money—Public Good” are taken up in the context of Platform 5 at the 2023 Digital Summit.
At least 3 politicians with expertise in the field adopt WMDE’s arguments for “Public Money—Public Good” in speeches and/or written publications.
WMDE successfully places “Public Money—Public Good” on at least one specialist panel at the eGov conference.
More parliamentary groups have policies that provide for publication under a free license. At least 3 parliamentary authorities or parliamentary groups make images available under a free license.
At least one meeting is held per quarter with representatives of each democratic parliamentary group.
§ 5 Copyright Act is reformed in such a way that official works not currently covered are also free of copyright and there is no longer a prohibition on modification. WMDE has compiled an expert report on legislative amendment on behalf of a public body.
The Federal Ministry of Justice announces a change in the law and, in preparation for this, makes substantial use of the proposal of WMDE and its partners in draft bills if applicable.
Authorities make more publicly financed expert reports public by default. A survey has been conducted into the proportion of publicly financed expert reports that are published and the obstacles to publication.
At least 5 expert reports are released as an emergency under freedom of information requests.

Strategy: Institutional Practise[edit]

Program 20: GLAM – Open cultural and memorial institutions[edit]

We campaign for open and free access to cultural heritage and open cultural content and data. We build on close collaboration with those who promote openness in a professional context and who wish to collaborate with volunteers on Wikimedia projects. At the same time, we support volunteers in the Wikimedia communities so that they gain access to cultural heritage and simultaneously contribute to free knowledge. We follow two approaches in this.

With the community-based approach, we support and develop formats, campaigns, and projects by and for the volunteers together with the Wikimedia community. We see our task as being to facilitate the volunteers’ access to cultural and memorial institutions and thus to cultural heritage in its diverse forms, and to establish contact and relationships with GLAM institutions.

With the institution-based approach, we develop advisory services and formats based on the needs and wishes of institutions, which help them contribute to the knowledge commons and become part of the Wikimedia community. We create formats for meetings between institutions and Wikimedia volunteers, for example, initiate action days and campaigns, and provide advice and support with building up capacity for the donation of data and participation in Wikimedia projects.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: Individuals and institutions should be able to contribute to the cultural knowledge commons.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Stakeholders from cultural and memorial institutions who want to campaign for the continuation of their involvement in Wikimedia projects, together with volunteers and Wikimedia Deutschland, are gained as supporters. We will particularly be targeting stakeholders from the field of archiving in 2023. At least 50 stakeholders from cultural and memorial institutions gain initial experience with the Wikimedia volunteers, Wikimedia projects, or open cultural data, for example by
  • Attending talks/webinars on Wikimedia projects
  • Taking part in competitions such as 1lib1ref
  • Actively participating in GLAM digital / GLAM on Tour
Key individuals (e.g., department heads, those responsible for digitalization and digital strategies) from at least 10 institutions take advice from Wikimedia and/or the community on opening up collections or contributing to Wikimedia projects.
The Wikimedia community is aware of the GLAM services and sees them as useful for its voluntary work. At least 250 participants from the Wikimedia community take part in the available formats and rate the GLAM formats as useful.
Cultural ambassadors from the GLAM wiki community regularly participate in our exchange and qualification events.
Cultural ambassadors feel adequately supported by Wikimedia when implementing their GLAM projects.
Cultural and memorial institutions continue their collaboration with Wikimedia projects or volunteers on Wikimedia projects, in order to establish openness in working practices and institutional structures. At least five cultural and memorial institutions or professional associations collaborate with Wikimedia and volunteers repeatedly or on a long-term basis, e.g., by
  • Supporting volunteers and giving them access to their collections, or publishing their collections under free licenses
  • Contributing to Wikimedia projects together with volunteers (e.g., in edit-a-thons)
  • Including Wikimedia Deutschland in the development of project proposals and in committee work.
At least two cultural and memorial institutions or culture-related research initiatives use Wikimedia projects to make their digital collections openly available (content partnerships).

At least one of these represents positions that are critical of power (e.g., marginalized or decolonial).

Interim results/ outputs
  • We develop online resources to help experts from cultural and memorial institutions or culture-related research initiatives to contribute data to Wikimedia projects.
  • We collaborate with the community to develop and expand capacity to support content partnerships.

Program 21 Marginalized knowledge[edit]

Archives, museums, media, and research are shaped by the context of their respective culture. What finds its way into the body of knowledge and official accounts is determined to a large extent by questions of power. This applies similarly to open, collaborative projects like Wikipedia. We want to ensure that individuals and institutions that want to incorporate marginalized knowledge and perspectives into free knowledge can contribute to this. To do this, we collaborate with representatives of marginalized positions and perspectives, with Wikimedia communities, and with professional communities from education, science, and culture.

Success criteria 2023
Program Goal: Individuals and institutions that want to improve the representation of marginalized knowledge and perspectives in Free Knowledge are able to contribute.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Institutions, initiatives, and multipliers representing marginalized positions engage with us to improve the visibility of their knowledge and perspectives in free knowledge. In at least 10 projects and activities, people actively engage with us to make improvements.

Interim results/ outputs

  • Launch of a funding program
Community members from the Wikimedia projects work with us to reduce barriers for marginalized knowledge and perspectives. At least five individuals from the Wikimedia community engage with us to make improvements.

Program 22: Free and open education[edit]

The momentum for critical educational digital policy is very good, with the publication of the nationwide OER strategy and the project to create a National Education Platform, and there is the prospect of further stages of development. As an influential and well-connected stakeholder (Wikimedia and Open Education Alliance) within the open community, we want to establish ourselves as an educational digital corrective for free and open education in the digital world. We actively help to shape development processes in the areas of OER, educational technologies and infrastructure, and the associated discussions. Education in the digital world also requires a fundamental rethink of teaching and learning processes. We want to promote collaborative, modern educational practices. We support people and enable them to apply and establish open educational practices, e.g., through and while working on Wikimedia projects. This then enables them to help shape Wikimedia projects themselves.

Success criteria 2023
Program goal 1: Our arguments for open education for the common good in the digital world are being taken up in educational policy.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Wikimedia is regarded by relevant stakeholders in digital educational policy (politics, administration, media) as a corrective for free, open education. Wikimedia has contact in person at least three times per quarter with decision-makers (relevant representatives of democratic parties, ministries, or stakeholders in educational administration).
Wikimedia actively participates in at least two advisory discussions or consultation processes initiated by politicians with responsibility for education or by public institutions (e.g., Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, Commission for UNESCO).

If a consultation process relating to the National Education Platform takes place with the involvement of civil society, Wikimedia is involved directly.

Wikimedia puts forward positions on digital education policy with at least two articles in the media or at events, so that the relevant stakeholders are aware of these.

Interim results/ outputs

  • Wikimedia or the Open Education Alliance carry out at least three activities relating to open education for the common good, to inform politicians/decision-makers and civil society and network with each other.  
Program goal 2: Practices relating to open education and free knowledge, e.g., Open Educational Practices (OEP), are applied in the field of education on a lasting basis.
Objectives 2023:

What we want to achieve by the end of 2023:

Indicator(s) 2023:

How we will decide whether we have been successful:

Stakeholders from the field of education (teachers and learners) have obtained knowledge of Wikimedia projects and the principles of open education and free knowledge and are able to apply this in practice and pass it on. Wikimedia supports at least two educational projects that communicate knowledge of Wikimedia projects and the principles of open education and free knowledge and enable people to apply this in practice and pass it on.