Grants:Conference/WM DE/Wikimedia Summit 2019
wikimedia.de• michelle.poltierwikimedia.de
Event overview edit
Purpose and vision edit
Please give a brief description of the event you are planning. What do you hope to accomplish during the event? Why is this event important for your community?
The Wikimedia Summit will be a focused annual event for conversations on strategy, governance and organizational development across affiliates, the WMF and its committees. An event that carries the conversations from the Movement Strategy Process further into the future, and is constantly developed along with the structural changes that will also support the organized part of the movement to successfully implement the strategic direction in programmatic work.
The Wikimedia Summit 2019 will be designed along the needs and status of the Movement Strategy Process and its Working Groups, as well as the participants’ input. The 2019 event will be an important milestone of the Movement Strategy Process serving following purposes:
- The Summit will be an occasion where the affiliates’ and WMF’s leadership will come together to check in on the broader direction of the Strategy Process, with the opportunity to reinforce their co-ownership in this process. Also, the Summit will focus on organizational questions including movement level decision-making and governance.
- After creating and assembling the Working Groups at/after the Wikimania 2018 in Cape Town, they will have had the time to diversify themselves and to work on their scope. Some Working Groups might have had the chance to commission research on their topics. The Wikimedia Summit will be a chance for many Working Groups (depending on their members’ presence) to meet for the first time, as well as to synchronize among the nine Working Groups. Thus, the Summit will be a good opportunity to look back and to give feedback (to the Core Team) on what happened over the last months.
- At the same time, the Summit provides the opportunity to look ahead on the next steps within the Strategy Process until Wikimania 2019, being an important platform for in-person discussions regarding the development of recommendations of the nine Working Groups. Ideally, by the Summit, all Working Groups will have reached the point in their work where they prepare to draft and discuss first recommendations within their thematic area.
The Wikimedia Summit will be an event with one thematic focus, that brings all participants together in broader plenary sessions and more specific break-out sessions. It will be three intense days where results will be reviewed and next steps will be designed. Participating in the event means that representatives will need to be present in the sessions all the time. We will make sure that the essential conversations will be held in the sessions, and don’t need to be moved to the corridor track.
While the Wikimedia Summit is a further evolution of the previous Wikimedia Conferences, Wikimedia Deutschland is aware of the political and especially legitimatory risks of the event. Already prior to this grant proposal, Wikimedia affiliates were made aware of this change and the new focus of the event at various events, and WMDE will continue to do so. WMDE will communicate accordingly before, at and after the event, and will ensure enough transparency and clarity around the Wikimedia Summit.
Important details edit
Please add key information to the table below. The dates, location and number of participants can be estimates and do not need to be finalized at this time.
| Proposed date(s) | March 29, 2019 - March 31, 2019 |
| Proposed location | Mercure Hotel Tempelhof, Berlin |
| Number of participants | 200 |
| Event page | Wikimedia Summit 2019 |
| Primary contact person | Cornelius Kibelka, Daniela Gentner |
Background edit
Community input edit
Use the results from the community engagement survey to fill in the table below. Since you cannot cover all topics or meet all needs at one event, prioritisation is important. Please rank the priority of each topic, skill, project or problem as high, medium or low. Finally, please answer the questions below the table.
We did not use the “Community Input survey”, the program for this event will be aligned, as stated above, along the Movement Strategy Process and its outcomes.
Context edit
It is helpful to get an understanding of why this event is important to your community, and what experiences you have had in the past. Please answer the applicable questions below.
The main purposes for this event are listed above. Wikimedia Deutschland has extensive experience in organizing large events and has organized the Wikimedia Conferences 2010–2012 and 2014–2018, that were similar to this event. Our learnings of the last years of organizing were published in a dedicated report on Meta.
Plan edit
Goals and metrics edit
Based on our previous experiences with organizing the Wikimedia Conference and in accordance of the goals of the Movement Strategy Process and its coordinating Strategy Core Team, we have developed the following goals, objectives and metrics. Nevertheless, especially the metrics are assumptions made in October 2018, five months ahead of the event. It might be necessary to adapt them accordingly.
| Goal | Objective | Indicators/Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Affiliates and WMF exercise their ownership of the Movement Strategy Process | WMF and Affiliates have stated that they have better understanding of the big picture of the Strategy Process including their role and their possibilities to contribute. |
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| WMF and Affiliates have made programmatic plans to engage with the Movement Strategy Process within their organization/groups and have appointed “Strategy liaisons” for the structural reform. |
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| An essential part of WMF/Affiliates agree that the process goes into the right direction. |
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| Movement Strategy Working Groups work better | Each Working Group has the chance to give feedback, identify problems and next steps for the upcoming months (until Wikimania 2019). |
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| All Working Groups exchange and synchronize among each other. After the Wikimedia Summit Working Groups are more prepared for the recommendation drafting phase. |
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| Working Group members have improved their understanding of the big picture within the Movement Strategy Process. |
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| Affiliates have established an event where they have engaged with movement structures and strategic thinking | Participants are satisfied with the program of the event. |
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| Participants are satisfied with the logistics of the event. |
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| In 2020, there will be again an event focusing on movement structures and strategic thinking (besides Wikimania). |
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Venue and Logistics edit
- 1. If the venue is more than 1 hour away from a major airport or transportation hub, how will participants travel to the event venue?
- The venue is located less than 1 hour away from both Berlin airports as well as the Central Railway Station.
- 2. Is the event venue within walking distance from the hotel? If not, how will people travel between the two locations?
- The event venue and the hotel are located under one roof.
- 3. Is the event venue and hotel accessible for people with physical disabilities?
- Yes.
- 4. Do you anticipate any challenges with using the space for the event you are planning?
- In previous years, participants mentioned the noise and the missing daylight in the plenary room. However, after researching other venues, this is still our preferred one - price, accessibility as well as flexibility in terms availability of rooms etc. considered.
Friendly space policy edit
Please link to the friendly space policy that your community will be using for this event.
We will use the WMF Friendly Space Policy.
Participation edit
It is crucial that most participants have a minimum level of Wikimedia experience so that they can engage actively in workshops and discussions. Please answer all applicable questions below.
The 2019 event will be designed to be a working event where we bring a diverse audience from across the organized part of the movement together. Based on the movement’s experiences at the 2018 Developers Summit and the 2017 Diversity Conference, we aim for a participant structure of not more than 200 representatives (plus WMDE supporting staff) that are engaged and interested in conversations about movement strategy and governance. Based on the needs of the Movement Strategy Process we envision the participant structure as follows:
| Wikimedia Affiliates | Wikimedia Foundation | Wikimedia Committees
(those relevant to the Affiliates issues) |
Movement Strategy Working Groups + further experts |
| Leadership
(Chair or other board member, Executive Director (paid)) |
Board of Trustees, Executive Director, C level team | Funds Dissemination Committee, Affiliations Committee, Simple APG committee | Members of all Working Groups (if not already present through the other groups) |
| ~135* | ~30 | ~15 | ~20* |
* We expect, based on our experiences from the previous years, that not all Affiliates might be eligible to come to the Summit. Seats not taken by affiliate delegates will be shifted towards the group of working group members, to be able to invite as many working group members as possible.
To make the event a success it will be essential for the invited affiliates to deliberately select their delegate. We are seeking delegates who will be actively engaged before, during and after the event and can represent their affiliates. Ideal delegates are those who are involved in the decision making processes of the organization and striving to help shape the future of the movement. We envision the delegates as “connectors” between the overall conversation about the movement’s future and strategy, and their home organizations and groups.
Scholarships edit
We do not provide usual “scholarships”. All affiliates that are not self-funded (means: are not part of the APG process via the FDC), are invited to send one (1) delegate, as long as the affiliate is eligible according to the prior published eligibility criteria.
Resources and risks edit
Describe the resource potential for successfully executing this project and the key risks/threats.
Resources edit
- Organizing team
| Team | User Names |
|---|---|
| WMF Liaison | Cornelius Kibelka, Daniela Gentner |
| Logistics | Daniela Gentner, Michelle Poltier |
| Conference Program | Cornelius Kibelka |
| Scholarships | n/a (we don’t give out ‘traditional’ scholarships. Everything around participant management is handled by Daniela Gentner and Michelle Poltier) |
| Communications | Cornelius Kibelka, Daniela Gentner |
| Volunteer Coordinators | n/a |
| Other team members | Visiting Wikimedian |
Risks edit
Legitimatory risks
The new format of the event is quite different from the previous one of the Wikimedia Conference: Less people are invited, and the main focus and topic is the Movement Strategy Process – a process that some perceive as far away from the “core mission” of Wikimedia. Also, it will be again a non-public event to be able to create a safe space for conversations. All of this could create some legitimatory risks for the event, for its host (WMDE) and its funder (WMF).
Over the past months, since the Wikimedia Conference 2018, we have made publicly clear in various events what we are planning for the Wikimedia Summit. Furthermore, we will try again to be highly transparent in what participants will have done during the three days event. Both, explaining the purpose of the event, and what happened during the event, is from our point of view the best way to prevent such risks.
Higher quota of visa denials
With more affiliates being officially recognized by the Wikimedia Foundation and thus being able to become eligible for participating in the Wikimedia Summit, it is likely that the number of participants in need of a visa will increase. Based on our experiences in supporting visa applicants for the past Wikimedia Conferences, the poor availability of visa appointments and stricter conditions for visa approvals at several embassies/consulates proved very challenging.
Considering the growing number of recognized affiliates in countries, which require a visa for Germany (Botswana, Cameroon, India, just to mention a few), it can be assumed that we’ll be facing the above mentioned challenges more frequently, ultimately resulting in the risk of a less diverse group of participants due to visa denials.
We try to counter this risk with several measures: First of all, we are stressing the utmost importance of starting the visa application process as early as possible via various communication channels. It is crucial to take care of visa formalities at an early stage to cushion unforseen long processing times or any problems. Moreover, we individually support visa applicants during their application process by providing documents, advice and recommendations and if necessary reaching out to the embassies/consulates.
Unfortunately in the end though, the appointment allocation and decision making of the embassies/consulates is beyond our control.
Budget edit
Please provide a detailed breakdown of project expenses according to the instructions here. See Budget Guidelines.
- Event budget table
| Item Description | Costs | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Conference Costs | €110.000 | Including venue rental, catering, technical equipment, Wi-Fi, facilitators, note takers, child care |
| Dinner Snack and Social Event Costs | €35.000 | Including catering, party venue rental, personnel costs, DJ |
| Communication Costs | €9.000 | Including production of conference material, photographer, visa costs |
| Staff Costs | €85.000 | Including Logistics and Event Coordinator, Programme and Engagement Coordinator, Assistant Logistics Support, Visiting Wikimedian |
| Accommodation Costs | €41.000 | Including for approx. 120 participants who do not belong to Group 1 or Group 3 according to the eligibility criteria, including but not limited to hotel accomodation on each applicable conference day |
| Travel Costs | €108.000 | Including for approx. 120 participants who do not belong to Group 1 or Group 3 according to the eligibility criteria, including but not limited to travel insurance, airline tickets, and reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred by attendees |
| Overhead Costs (10%) | €38.800 | |
| TOTAL WMSUMMIT19 COSTS | €426.800 |
- Total cost of event
- €426.800
- Total amount requested from the Conference and Event Grants program
- €426.800
- Additional sources of revenue that may fund part of this event, and amounts funded
- The event will not be funded by an additional source of revenue.
- Please confirm that you are aware that changes to the approved budget beyond 20% in any category must be approved in advance.
- We herewith confirm that we are aware that changes to the approved budget beyond 20% must be approved in advance.
Discussion edit
Endorsements edit
Do you think this project should be selected for a Conference Grant? Please add your name and rationale for endorsing this project in the list below. Other feedback, questions or concerns from community members are also highly valued, but please post them on the talk page of this proposal.