Grants talk:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/GOIF Annual Plan 2025

Feedback from the Middle East and Africa Regional Funding Committee regarding your application

Dear Global Open Initiative Foundation,

Thank you very much for submitting an application for Round 1 FY 24/25 of the Wikimedia General Support Fund. We appreciate you taking the time to describe your activities and projects in support of the Wikimedia projects and the Wikimedia movement. The Regional Funds Committee has initially reviewed the proposal, and wishes to offer some initial feedback and questions for your review:

• The Committee commends your efforts in developing a concrete proposal. There are several interesting projects detailed, including 1Lib1Ref, the Supreme Court cases, the Oral Documentation project and the AfroCuration project.
• The Committee would appreciate more clarity on the metrics outlined in the Outreach Dashboard. It appears that there are a lot of events but not as many edits reflected. May you share more on this point?

Kindly find a breakdown of our metrics for next year in comparison to this year.

Project	Metric for this Year	Metric for last Year	Difference
Wikidata	7300	4000	2800
Wikipedia	3140	3100	40
Wikimedia commons	551	600	-49

• May you share why the metrics are lower than the previous year, although the budget has increased by 31%?

From the table above, Comparing our metrics with those of last year, we’ve observed a 42% increase in our metrics. There has been a decrease in our metrics for Commons, primarily due to our focus on beads and our deliberate efforts to avoid duplication of images, informed by our learnings from the Kente Weaving project. However, we plan to upload any additional images exceeding 551 distinct entries to Commons.

Regarding the budget increase, this is partly attributed to an added expense for WikiMovement conferences and largely due to inflation. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the inflation rate for June 2024 is 22.8%.

• The Committee would appreciate further clarification on the below budget-related inquiries:

• • May you share more information on the high internet services costs? Is there no group access to the internet that can reduce the costs?

Due to the instability of internet connections during workshops, we rely on MTN and Telecel data bundles, switching between these networks to achieve better connectivity. For context, MTN fixed 93GB costs 350 cedis (approximately $21.50), while Telecel fixed 200GB costs 400 cedis (approximately $24.57) per month.

Unfortunately in some instances, group access to the internet often leads to lag issues, especially when multiple users are connected simultaneously. This limitation prompted us to adopt an alternative solution: providing data allowances for volunteers to purchase individual data plans to ensure smoother internet access during and after workshops.

• • It would be great to also share why WikiClubs and workshops costs are relatively high

In the previous budget, we worked with five universities (Islamic University College, Presbyterian University College, Heritage Christian University College, Knutsford University, and West End University College), each hosting eight events. However, the previous budget did not include Lakeside University College. Based on Veronica's suggestions, we included this institution while maintaining the same number of events per university. In addition to the above, WikiClubs events tend to have a higher number of participants (an average of 40) compared to other events, which typically attract around 20 participants. This contributes to the relatively higher costs associated with WikiClubs. Another contributing factor to the higher costs in this year's budget is inflation, which has increased expenses across various activities.

• You mention that some of your requested budget is allocated to maintain a website for the Supreme Court cases, but no link is provided. May you share a link to this website?

Yes, a link was not available at the time of submitting our proposal. However, we now have a link to our web application, which will be moved and hosted on Codeberg. Here is a link to what has been developed so far: https://legaldata.amadaa.tech/.

We are currently collaborating with developers to refine the User Interface while testing the backend functions to ensure the application is fully operational before the project deadline. Additionally, during Software Freedom Day, our lead developer delivered a presentation showcasing the progress made so far and explaining how it was achieved.

• The Committee advises that you focus on elaborating further on your strategic plan, including outlining data and learning collected from the previous years, risks associated to your planned proposal and showing your progressive trend of the years. This will optimize your development as a community.

Thank you for the feedback. We have noted this and will work on elaborating our strategic plan by including data and learnings from previous years, identifying risks associated with our proposal, and demonstrating our progressive trend over the years.

We would greatly appreciate any support, such as connections to resource persons or helpful links, to guide us in this process. Additionally, we are planning to seek assistance from the Wikimedians of Uganda, following a discussion with their lead, Geofrey, during WikiIndaba.

• The Committee recognizes that clubs and hubs are very important for sustainability, but there is a concern that you are expanding relatively quickly in a very short period of time. The planned events in the locations outlined are inconsistent with the proposal. The budget says 48 events will take place, while the proposal says about 60 events. Given the high number of events, it may be worthwhile to incorporate online events to reduce the burden of event planning.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I would like to clarify that the total number of events planned for WikiClubs is 48, not 60, as mentioned in the proposal. These 48 events represent 8 events in each of the 6 universities.

Over the years, we have found that one-on-one interactions with participants are the most effective approach for achieving our objectives. This is why we have prioritized offline events, which allow for deeper engagement and stronger connections. While we recognize the potential benefits of online events in reducing planning burdens, our focus remains on creating impactful, in-person interactions to foster lasting sustainability.

• The Committee would like to recommend  alternative approach to how you collect feedback from your community, given that the usernames of the participants are included. This may not be ideal since you need consent from community members to include their names for privacy purposes. We recommend you to maintain anonymity when gathering insights and feedback from your community while highlighting transparently what was collected.

This is well understood and appreciated. Thank you.

• May you please outline the metrics related to the Nzema language program? And is there a plan on when you will have a standalone Wikipedia in the language?

The Nzema program aims to create 200 new articles by the end of next year. We’ve completed 83% of the required translations on Translatewiki, as noted by Amir. Once localization reaches 100%, we’ll focus on sustaining activity in the Nzema Incubator to meet the Wikimedia Language Committee’s requirements for a standalone Wikipedia, which we hope to achieve next year.

• May you please share how you sought feedback from the community to align on the proposal and the planned activities mentioned?

Our feedback for proposals has primarily come from community members through offline events and feedback forms. For instance, the decision to host more offline events was driven by participants expressing interest in attending such gatherings. Similarly, our focus on specific projects is guided by participants' suggestions about what they would like to learn.

In terms of providing support, we closely review the feedback forms, especially the comments section, to understand the needs and preferences of our community members. This process ensures that the proposal and planned activities are aligned with their expectations and priorities.

Here’s a link to one of our feedback forms, where we asked community members what they would like to see implemented next year. Please feel free to explore the responses for additional insights.

• Similar to the application from the previous year, may you provide metrics per program similar to last year's grant proposal so that the Committee may understand the six different proposals deeply?

Program	Wikipedia (new)	Wikipedia (to be edited)	Wikidata (new)	Wikidata (to be edited)	Wikimedia Commons
GOIF and Partners (Nubuke, Ghana Library Authority, and CSIR) Workshop and Editathon Series	20	800	1500	2000
Democratising and Promoting Access to Supreme Court Cases	10	10
Documenting and Preserving Ghana and Africa’s Culture on Twi Wikipedia Through the AfroCuration Initiative	500	400		500	200
Oral History Documentation: Bead Making Documentation					351
Wiki Clubs	500	700	3000	300
Nzema Workshops and contests	200
Total	1230	1910	4500	2800	551

• Would you consider training a wider audience in audiovisual documentation? The documentary on bead making is very interesting but may not be scalable given the high costs and specific expertise.

This is a great idea, and we are open to training a wider audience in audiovisual documentation. However, we believe this can be accomplished in the years to come, but not by 2025. For the 2025 documentation, we will need expert videographers and photographers to train community members, as well as the necessary equipment for their training. Once these preparations are in place, we are confident that we can expand our training efforts in audiovisual documentation for future projects. We would also like to share that though we are unable to train individuals on the technical aspects of audiovisual documentation, we did share our learnings on embarking on audiovisual related documentation projects at Indaba, 2024.

• Can you provide more details on how you plan to assess the success of your partnerships? What specific metrics or feedback mechanisms will you use?

To assess the success of our partnerships, we will use the following specific metrics and feedback mechanisms:

Training and Skill Development: We will measure success by analyzing the percentage of participants who successfully complete assigned tasks during training sessions. For example, tasks related to Wikidata Query or OpenRefine will be distributed, and participants’ ability to demonstrate competency in completing these tasks will serve as an indicator of their skill development. Success can be quantified by setting a benchmark, such as 80% task completion among participants, and tracking improvement over successive sessions.

Retention of Participants: A random sampling of participants who return for future sessions or events will help measure long-term engagement and growth. Metrics such as the rate of return (e.g., 60% of attendees from one event participating in the next) will provide insights into the sustainability of our training efforts. Participant Feedback:

Anonymous feedback forms will be shared after each event to gather participants’ thoughts and suggestions. Feedback questions will assess specific aspects, such as the relevance of training content, the quality of facilitation, and the likelihood of participants recommending the program to others. Trends from feedback, such as an average satisfaction score of 4 out of 5, will help us refine future programs. Editor Engagement and Growth:

We will evaluate the participation of trained volunteers in Wikimedia movement-related initiatives outside our organization. Indicators include the number of participants contributing to other projects, assuming leadership roles, or engaging with stakeholder groups in the movement. For instance, tracking contributions on platforms like Wikidata or involvement in global Wikimedia campaigns can quantify engagement.

Partnership-Specific Outcomes: If applicable, we will assess outcomes directly tied to partnerships, such as collaborative projects completed, shared resources utilized, or joint events organized. These outcomes will be evaluated against predefined goals set with the partner organization, ensuring alignment with the partnership's objectives.

• The Committee recommends that you create and share training materials or resources that can be used by participants and people outside Ghana even after your projects conclude. These could include guides on editing Wikipedia, sourcing materials, or best practices for Wikidata

Thank you for your recommendation. We recognize the importance of knowledge sharing and have added a section to our resources page on Meta. This section includes links to some of our slides and training materials. We are committed to continuing this effort to ensure accessibility and support for participants and others, even beyond our projects.

• The Committee also recommends that you document and share case studies of successful contributions or stories from old participants. Those narratives can serve as powerful testimonials that illustrate the impact of the project and can be utilized for learning and outreach purposes.

Thank you for the recommendation. We will make better our efforts of documenting and sharing case studies of successful contributions and stories from past participants across most of our projects.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you on the comments shared and if you would like to meet with the regional funding committee, please inform the program officer. FElgueretly-WMF (talk) 09:33, 1 November 2024 (UTC)

General Support Fund Approved at Local Currency Equivalent of 55,000 USD

Dear Global Open Initiative Foundation Team,

Thank you for submitting your detailed proposal for the General Support Fund for Round 1 of FY24/25. Your commitment to fostering growth in the Wikimedia movement in Ghana is evident, and we appreciate the significant progress you've reported, including a 42% increase in your metrics from last year.

After a thorough review of your application, the MEA Regional Funding Committee has decided to award 55,000 USD for this funding round. This decision takes into account inflation and currency fluctuations in Ghana while addressing concerns raised during the review process. Please allow us to explain the rationale for the funding decision below.

Strategic planning. Your proposal reflects a commendable level of ambition. However, a more detailed and focused strategic plan is crucial for ensuring long-term sustainability and impact. We strongly encourage you to develop a clear strategy that outlines goals and objectives (i.e. why the activities are being carried out and what outcomes you aim to achieve) and prioritize fewer and more targeted activities that allow for higher-quality outputs.

To streamline operations and ensure alignment with capacity and impact goals, we recommend reducing or optimizing the following:

• Wiki Clubs: While valuable, their costs (approx. 23,000 USD) are high. Reducing the number of clubs will allow you to focus on quality over quantity.
• Internet costs: We still see the internet costs to be quite high, so we encourage you to consider cost-efficient solutions to reduce these significantly.
• Management costs: We also think that you could streamline management costs to better reflect the organization’s scale and focus resources on impactful activities.

Focus on quality. As mentioned above, while the increase in activities (48 events across six universities) demonstrates ambition, such an extensive scope may jeopardize the overall quality of outputs. Consider focusing on fewer events with a greater emphasis on delivering high-quality content and outcomes. This is a concern about your future activities and does not reflect any concern over the quality of past activities conducted by the user group.

The Committee recognizes your team’s dedication and the potential of your projects to make a significant impact in Ghana and beyond. With these adjustments, we anticipate that the Global Open Initiative Foundation will continue to grow and inspire others in the Wikimedia community.

We look forward to supporting your efforts and seeing your continued success.

On behalf of the MEA Regional Funds Committee, FElgueretly-WMF (talk) 09:39, 14 December 2024 (UTC)