Grants talk:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Afroyanga Cultural Enlightenment Initiative Annual Plans 2024
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Proposal Feedback and Invite for Response edit
Thank you for submitting your application. After the review process please find the feedback - comments and questions below for your response;
- We recognize the importance of your work in convening and training volunteers on Wikimedia projects.
- We see you want to organize 3 wiki camps ; we noticed that this far you have not organized any of them and we are keen on learning the impact they hold to your work and the movement. In case this has already happened and we are not aware, please let us know by sharing a brief progress report or existing activity reports that you have created to support your documentation and learning. Please include the other programs in the progress report.
- We find the metrics to not align with the requested resources - they are low.
- Budget : the personnel costs are high / operational costs - they are not aligned with the data we have on working in Nigeria - based on the research we did. Additionally , the proposed costs are high for the scope of work.
- We also find that the project involves many people and we are not sure what informs this especially given the scope of the work.
It is not clear how you involved the community in the proposal development and how you will involve them in the implementation.
- We see the need to review your metrics session including sharing on how you seek to measure metrics such as editor retention and the tools to be used.
- Previously you worked on an LMS program - please share a data oriented report that speaks to the impact of the program.Is the program working? Is it yielding the results you envisioned? Please share more.
- Kindly review your timeline of activities to support in a having an overview of activities in the grant period.
- You mentioned working with partners - who are the partners and what is the alignment of work.
- Please share with us the curriculum of the leap program for us to expand our understanding of the program beyond what is shared in the proposal. Please also let us know who you intent to measure the effectiveness of the boot camp.
- Please review programs to indicate metrics per program for us to understand how you will measure progress per program.
Response from Afroyanga Cultural Enlightenment Initiative team edit
Dear @User:VThamaini (WMF) and Team,
Thank you for reviewing our application. Please find below responses to the questions
QUESTION 1. We see you want to organize 3 wiki camps ; we noticed that this far you have not organized any of them and we are keen on learning the impact they hold to your work and the movement. In case this has already happened and we are not aware, please let us know by sharing a brief progress report or existing activity reports that you have created to support your documentation and learning. Please include the other programs in the progress report.
RESPONSE 1:
We are actually only organizing one Wiki bootcamp, called Afroyanga Bootcamp 2.0, building on the successes already recorded from the recently completed Afroyanga 1.0. Afroyanga Bootcamp has been able to gather together 30 individuals from a whooping over 300 applications gathered in a space of putting out the application, the application featured different groups and location in Nigeria, and we came together to learn about Wikimedia Projects, the participants was a mix of experienced and new editors we had 17 new editors and 13 existing editors, we were able to touch base on different Wikimedia Projects including English Wikipedia, Yoruba Wikipedia, Igbo Wikipedia, Wikibooks, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata. We had different sessions where participants/delegates were introduced to these projects.
Some of the important metrics gathered from data we have (pre, during and post-event) is that most participants enjoy editing Wikidata and even post events, they still interact with Wikidata.
Data below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xx9w1JdkqjBlORUG3--larKENV_x9tf8JSJUxIQb49w/edit
We host a post event mentorship program, which we have used to develop our participants and individual capability on Wikimedia Projects. For example, we had participants who are really vast in editing Igbo Wikipedia, but are not bold enough to try English Wikipedia, we highlighted challenges and have a structured calendar for the post event (mentorship), the post event mentorship program holds twice a month with an online session with Afroyanga fellows (Delegates from the event) coming together to share knowledge and improve our Wikimedia skill set.
links below: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Afroyanga_Cultural_Enlightenment_Initiative/Afroyanga_1.0
Some Participants from the bootcamp also shared their experience on how the bootcamp had helped improve them and the benefit for them.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SU79Ip6gvc_Mio_cP7H8heAh_BgKOGaW/view?usp=drive_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OatReITldUD1UplW81LatlZcE9A11eUw/view?usp=drive_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19mxx4a4MFHlzidnISVOBfZ2GxhweZVVP/view?usp=drive_link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OatReITldUD1UplW81LatlZcE9A11eUw/view?usp=drive_link
Key Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Report - Afroyanga Bootcamp 2023
Bootcamp Participant Information
Overview: Total Participants: 30
Key Metrics: Level of Impact before the start of Bootcamp
Contributions to Wikimedia Projects:
English Wikipedia: 9 participants
Yoruba Wikipedia: 3 participants
Igbo Wikipedia: 9 participants
Wikidata: 5 participants
Wikimedia Commons: 3 participants
Wikibooks: 8 participants
None: 13 participants
Result: We discovered pre-event that most participants that engage with Wikimedia Projects engage more with English Wikipedia and Igbo Wikipedia.
Familiarity with Wikimedia Foundation Projects:
High Familiarity (Rating 5): 3 participants
Moderate Familiarity (Rating 4): 10 participants
Low Familiarity (Rating 3): 17 participants Post-Event Metrics:
1. Increased Wikimedia Contributions:
Metric: 45% Increase in Wikimedia Contributions Post-Bootcamp Explanation: Participants joined cohort of classes - cohorts were: 1.English Wikipedia. 2. Yoruba Wikipedia. 3. Igbo Wikipedia. 4. Wikidata 5. Wikibooks. 6. Wikimedia commons, and in the various cohorts, participants created and edited Wikimedia articles, there was knowledge sharing and people were able to move round the cohort of classes to get a more rounded knowledge.
2. Collaborative Contributions:
Metric: 25% Increase in Collaborative Contributions Explanation: Instances of collaborative contributions increased by 25%, this is evident as we have built a community of fellows where we have WhatsApp group and mailing list where we engage in collaborative contribution highlighting improved teamwork and knowledge-sharing. Some Participants feedback on Linkedln:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7109907295181914113
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7109907433438769152
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7110498949748158464
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7110498981876502528
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7111238455036194816
QUESTION 2: We find the metrics to not align with the requested resources - they are low.
RESPONSE 2: As a progressive organization, we are keen on growth and building on our successes in current fiscal year and using that build to get to a larger success rate in the coming year.
Based on the metrics gotten from our programs in 2023 below are our predicted metrics for 2024 for each programs;
Afrocuisine Projected Metrics;
Editors:
2023: 38
2024 Target: Increase by 30% to approximately 50 editors to account for growth and more aggressive outreach.
New Editors: 2023: 2
2024 Target: Aim to quadruple to 8, focusing on recruitment and introductory sessions.
Wikidata Edits:
2024: Targeting a total of 3000 edits both improvements, creating new data
English Wikipedia Edits: 2023: 132
2024 Target: Increase by 25% to around 165 edits to reflect more in-depth contributions.
English Wikipedia Articles Edited: 2023: 27
2024 Target: Increase by 30% to about 35 articles, encouraging a broader scope of edits.
English Wikipedia Articles Created: 2023: 3
2024 Target: Double to 6 new articles, incentivizing the creation of new content.
English Wikibooks Edits: 2023: 1370
2024 Target: Increase by 20% to around 1644 edits, supporting the development of comprehensive educational resources.
Wikimedia Commons Edits: 2023: 613
2024 Target: Increase by 25% to around 767 edits, contributing to the repository of freely usable media files.
Afroyanga 2024 Predicted Metrics;
Editors: 2023: 17 returning instructors, 17 new editors, 13 existing editors
2024 Target: Increase to 25 returning instructors (35% increase), and add a half to the new editors
Articles Edited: 2023: 4851 articles edited
2024 Target: Increase by 25% to around 6064 articles edited.
Articles Created: 2023: 330 articles created
2024 Target: Increase by 30% to about 429 articles created.
Bytes Added: 2023: 2,566,172 bytes added
2024 Target: Increase by 20% to over 3,079,406 bytes added.
References Added: 2023: 300 references added
2024 Target: Increase by 33% to approximately 400 references added.
Total Edits: 2023: 6982 total edits
2024 Target: Increase by 25% to about 8728 total edits.
Mainspace Edits: 2023: 6305 mainspace edits
2024 Target: Increase by 25% to about 7881 mainspace edits.
Upload Count: 2023: 361 uploads
2024 Target: Increase by 20% to about 433 uploads.
Uploads Used in Articles: 2023: 6 uploads used in articles
2024 Target: Increase to 15 uploads used in articles.
Upload Usage Count Across All Wikis: 2023: 21
2024 Target: Increase by 50% to about 32.
Retained New Editors: 2023: 15
2024 Target: Continue to retain 100% of new editors.
‘’’Cultural Connect 2024 Initial Metrics:’’’
Number of Articles Created:
Target: We aim for the creation of 50-100 articles across all Wikimedia platforms. This range allows for a successful launch while accounting for the learning curve of a new project.
Number of Editors:
Target: We aim to engage 30-50 editors. For a new project, this would be a strong start and provide a foundation for community growth.
Number of New Editors:
Target: We aim to recruit 10-20 new editors. New projects are an excellent opportunity to attract individuals who have not previously contributed to Wikimedia projects. Retention Rate:
Target: Retain at least 30-50% of new editors six months post-project.
‘’’Leadership Leap Program 2024 Predicted Metrics:’’’ Number of Workshop Attendees: Target: 35-50 per session. Assuming two sessions are held, one in April and one in July, this would give a total of 70-10 unique participants across both sessions.
Number of Articles Improved: Target: 50-75 articles. This number depends on the focus of the workshops and the number of attendees actively editing. It aims for a significant impact without overwhelming new editors.
Number of New Editors Trained: Target: 20-40 new editors. This target aims to attract new contributors interested in developing soft skills and contributing to Wikipedia.
Retention Rate of Editors: Target: Retain at least 40-60% of new editors six months after the workshop. Given that the program includes mentorship and follow-up, this is an ambitious yet achievable target.
Soft Skills Articles Reached Good or Featured Article Status: Target: 5-10 articles. This is a stretch goal that aims to bring a smaller number of articles to a high standard of quality.
Number of Participants Applying Learned Skills: Target: At least 50% of workshop attendees. Post-event surveys and follow-up can gauge the application of skills learned in the sessions.
Participant Satisfaction Rate: Target: Over 80% positive feedback. Surveys immediately after the workshops and follow-up feedback will measure satisfaction.
Number of Ongoing Community Projects Initiated: Target: 2-5 projects. These could be edit-a-thons, WikiProjects, or other initiatives that participants start or join following the workshops.
QUESTION 3: Budget : the personnel costs are high / operational costs - they are not aligned with the data we have on working in Nigeria - based on the research we did. Additionally , the proposed costs are high for the scope of work.
RESPONSE 3:
Adjustments to the Personnel Costs:
We have decided to remove the maintenance budget for our Learning Management System (LMS) and form a merger of our resource to the Wiki-learn platform, we will further discuss with Melissa and team on how to integrate this. This strategic decision allows us to reallocate funds more efficiently and support the utilization of Wiki-learn as a community resource. Revision of Monthly Stipends:
Additionally, we have revised the monthly stipend for the two paid staff members, reducing it to $700 each. This adjustment is made considering the cost of living and the standard wage rates in Nigeria for similar roles in the non-profit sector.
Reviewed and Revised accordingly.
QUESTION 4: We also find that the project involves many people and we are not sure what informs this especially given the scope of the work.
RESPONSE 4:
Project Evolution: In our first year, our project served as a foundation, allowing us to refine and solidify its scope and objectives. This foundational year was essential for understanding the intricacies of the work and identifying areas for improvement.
Strategic Expansion:
As we progressed into the second year, we strategically chose to broaden the project's scope based on the lessons learned and the evolving needs of our community. This expansion aligns with our commitment to meeting the diverse requirements of our community members.
Community Engagement:
Recognizing the collaborative nature of Wikimedia projects, we actively sought to involve more individuals in our initiative. Increased community engagement brings a diversity of perspectives, skills, and experiences, enriching the overall project outcomes.
Continuous Improvement:
Our approach is rooted in a culture of continuous improvement. By involving more people, we enhance our collective ability to address challenges, leverage diverse skill sets, and ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the project.
We believe that the increased involvement of individuals in the second year is a positive and strategic step forward, and we remain committed to transparent communication and collaboration within the Wikimedia community.
QUESTION 5: It is not clear how you involved the community in the proposal development and how you will involve them in the implementation.
RESPONSE 5:
All members (Participant of any Afroyanga event) are all added to Afroyanga mailing list and are involved in all activities. Fellows/Delegates from Afroyanga Bootcamp 1.0 are all going to be returning as mentors to new delegates in 2.0, infact most have been carried along during the planning as they've expressed optimism about Afroyanga 2.0
QUESTION 6: We see the need to review your metrics session including sharing on how you seek to measure metrics such as editor retention and the tools to be used.
RESPONSE: Metrics reviewed and details provided.
Tool to be used: PAWS
To accurately measure this engagement, we will utilize PAWS (Python Anywhere Wikimedia Services), which allows us to run Python scripts and Jupyter Notebooks to interact with Wikimedia databases. We will execute SQL queries to monitor the editing activity and track the persistence of contributions from participants.
How we seek to measure metrics such as editor retention
In addressing the measurement of editor retention, our approach is inclusive of both new and existing contributors. We aim to assess the sustained engagement of participants with Wikimedia platforms, particularly following the conclusion of targeted initiatives/activities
The analysis will be twofold:
Short-Term Retention: We will track the number of active contributors who continue to edit within the first three months after the conclusion of an initiative like Afrocuisine.
Long-Term Retention: By setting a subsequent tracking point at six months and one year, we will measure long-term retention, reflecting the initiative's lasting impact on editor activity.
Comprehensive Retention Strategy: Our retention metrics will not only track the initial engagement period but also extend to monitor ongoing activity, thus capturing the long-term commitment of contributors.
Tracking Activity Beyond Events: To gauge continuous involvement, we will employ PAWS to conduct follow-up analyses at regular intervals after the conclusion of programs, events, or contests. This includes querying the Wikimedia database for edits made by participants of Afrocuisine and similar projects to observe if they continue contributing in the absence of active programming.
Retention Metrics for New and Existing Contributors:
Retention will be measured by:
The frequency of contributions from both new and existing editors over a defined period post-event. The diversity of their contributions in terms of articles edited and topics covered. The progression of their editing skills and responsibilities within the community
Engagement Depth Analysis: In addition to counting edits, we will evaluate the depth of engagement. For example, whether participants are starting new articles, improving existing content, engaging in community discussions, or participating in further Wikimedia events and projects.
Automated Data Retrieval and Analysis: Using PAWS, we will script automated, scheduled data retrievals to generate longitudinal engagement profiles for each participant. These profiles will help us identify patterns and predict future engagement levels.
Qualitative Feedback: Surveys will be used to complement the quantitative data that will be gathered using PAWS, providing insights into the motivations behind contributors' ongoing participation or reasons for reduced activity.
Data Privacy and Compliance: All analysis will adhere to privacy policies and ethical guidelines, ensuring that contributors' information is respected and protected.
This dual approach, using PAWS for quantitative tracking and surveys for qualitative feedback, will provide a well-rounded picture of contributor retention. It will allow us to understand not only how many contributors remain active but also why they choose to continue their involvement, or what barriers they may encounter. Our goal is to foster a vibrant, self-sustaining community of contributors who are active on Wikimedia platforms regardless of specific events or programs.
QUESTION 7: Previously you worked on an LMS program - please share a data oriented report that speaks to the impact of the program.Is the program working? Is it yielding the results you envisioned? Please share more.
RESPONSE 7:
LMS link: https://learn.africanandproud.org/
The LMS has been really impactful for users and even project coordinators of other projects as they have been able to further engage participants from their own project to interact with the LMS as a follow up resource post physical editathon
Answer: See LMS analysis here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16EIHFzgJpGRtpCLhR7POVp2cDJ3QC8mNPSjhLtDI8Mk/edit#heading=h.gc4ndtrkqwmp See data sheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OpAdYHRX6Ohomxudr98e7EQy8VLS2Ra6zHW57ybpO8Y/edit#gid=0
QUESTION 8: Kindly review your timeline of activities to support in a having an overview of activities in the grant period.
RESPONSE 8: Done, check timeline for update. Activity overview added to the month of June.
Question 9: You mentioned working with partners - who are the partners and what is the alignment of work.
RESPONSE 9:
Media house (Pulse Nigeria) has indicated interest in being part of our media partner for Afroyanga bootcamp and Afrocuisine, Pulse NG is a reliable news agency in Nigeria, their partnering and alignment with us will further foster and broaden the reach of our organizational activity.
We will also partner with Wikimedia Nigeria as well as the language Wikimedia groups like the Igbo Wikimedia group, Yoruba groupand Hausa Wikimedia group to foster programs like the culture connect which is largely language and cultural based.
QUESTION 10: Please share with us the curriculum of the leap program for us to expand our understanding of the program beyond what is shared in the proposal. Please also let us know who you intent to measure the effectiveness of the boot camp.
RESPONSE 10:
Find below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G0AMV9O56U5dZKvx5eiGjhTa_fhQr7p1ReCv_gswLQI/edit
QUESTION 11: Please review programs to indicate metrics per program for us to understand how you will measure progress per program.
RESPONSE 11: DONE
Expert reviewer - GLAM edit
The submission does a really good job of offering a proposal on how to address and encourage leadership development in the community.
It's not that clear to me how their GLAM initiatives will take part from just reading this proposal. I see an effort with AfroCuisine and their idea of creating a Wikibook to preserve African cuisine, but still: Are they considering improving, for example, "African culture-focused content on Wikipedia" and "African visual media and festivals" through some sort of a cultural and heritage/GLAM institution partnership? If not, could they? The same goes for the Afrocuisine idea and their goal of "...create a comprehensive and structured database of African foods on Wikidata." Maybe that could be accomplished by working with an institution that specializes in African cuisine, even if it is considered a living heritage type of initiative – and not just content (media/metadata) donation.
We highly recommend you get in touch with the regional program officer to support you in understanding the questions raised or if you find it useful to meet with the committee as well, please let them know and they can organize a conversation meeting.
Thank you and we look forward to receiving your responses to support us in the next steps. On behalf of the MEA Regional Committee and Staff - VThamaini (WMF) (talk) 08:48, 25 October 2023 (UTC)
Response edit
Dear Team,
It was an error selecting GLAM, our projects are not GLAM initiatives. Thank you B.Korlah (talk) 22:30, 13 November 2023 (UTC)
General Support Fund Approved at 22,000 inclusive of fiscal partner fees edit
Dear Africa & Proud,
Thank you for submitting your application seeking General Support Funds - Wikimedia Community Fund. The MEA Regional Committee and Staff have thoroughly reviewed, discussed and deliberated upon your application and made the decision to fund you at 22,000 USD inclusive of fiscal sponsorship fees for the grant period of 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024.
Here are a few points to note;
- We see the need to focus on 1-2 projects with clear deliverables and qualitative and quantitative metrics to measure both cognitive and action outcomes.
- We request that you make your curriculum available for others to learn from and to reach out to experts in education within the movement to support in strengthening of the curriculum.
- We watched some of the materials you shared and see a clear need for professionalism as an aspect of movement brand stewardship. This is also to multi-media materials produced.
- Please adjust your budget and include the adjusted budget in the already shared spreadsheet.
We hope to continue having regular conversations over the course of your grant implementation. Do set up a regular schedule to connect with your MEA Programme Officer based on your needs.
The reporting requirements for the grant will shared in your grant agreement and on Fluxx. All reports are to be completed and submitted via Fluxx.
Once again, Congratulations! We thank you for your participation in the grant application process and hope to continue to journey with you as you embark on a new year of project implementation. Nehaoua (talk) 18:58, 15 December 2023 (UTC)