Grants talk:Project/MSIG/Hatch-A-Wikimedian Project

Feedback for improvement

• Areas for improvement
  • Provide a more detailed breakdown of the budget: How were costs calculated? What rates and units were used to determine each line item (e.g., for transportation costs, what was the rate and how many people were used to calculate the amount?)?
    • Consider using this budget template to break down the budget further for clarification purposes.
    • We also recommend a downward review of the budget line items related to renting a space and for meals.
  • Clarify and strengthen metrics and evaluation plan:
    • For all target metrics: Share how you will track progress towards the target. For example, for edit contributions, you will monitor the edit count through edit tracking tools. How about for the other metrics?
    • WikiProject Contributions metrics: How does this project -  which develops organizers and admins, not editors - increase edit contributions? Can you make the connection clearer? Maybe it relates to the “Campaign Immersion” phase of the program where learners will be editing?
    • Missing metrics related to adminship and organizers: The metrics section is missing the most important metrics that show the change in behavior you seek from learners who complete the program. That is, the metrics that relate to adminship and organizing:
      • Add metrics for Adminship (only the ones your team can feasibly track). Examples:
        • Number of learners who run for adminship (and how this number compares to the number of members in the community who didn’t undergo the program but still ran for adminship - comparing these two numbers will help show that your program made a difference)
        • Number of learners who are elected as admins after running
        • Anything else that would indicate the program was successful for creating admins…
      • Add metrics for Organizing (only the ones your team can feasibly track). Examples:
        • Number of learners who start their own campaigns
        • Number of new campaigns started by learners
        • Number of edit contributions made during the campaigns hosted by learners
        • Number of newcomers who join the campaigns started by learners
        • Number of newcomers who stay in the community for 3, 6, 9 months after joining the campaigns started by learners
        • Anything else that would indicate the program was successful for creating campaign organizers…
      • Immersion into Wider Community metric: Can you define the “5 volunteers” target further? What would count as immersion? Is it if 5 people engage in one global community call, many calls? Is it if 5 people become members of global governance committees?
        • These questions also apply to the Organizational Role metric: Can you define what it means for 3 people to “take initiative in leading the organization”? You also write that it is “not mandatory” – if that’s the case, then this target may not be reached. Maybe this is not a necessary or real target then?
    • Share the process for translating and customizing the LDP so that it is “compatible based on the needs of [y]our community”. How will you assess community needs and use those insights to modify the LDP? Do you already know the community needs? If yes, can you share? If not, what is your process to determine community needs?
    • Provide the rationale for printing: Printing brochures is noted in the Translation and Contextualization section. What is the need for printing? What value does financing printed materials have for the goals of this initiative? Could the same result be achieved through sharing the resources digitally?
    • Outline and foresee risks: What are the risks to the project’s success and what do you plan to do to mitigate those risks? Please include a section about this.  Some areas that can be addressed are: participant drop-out and how you will try to retain participants; participant diversity and how you will attract and include people of marginalized identities in the program; and learner competence and how to ensure that participants who graduate are truly capable of doing their roles well.
• Questions
  • You write: “We foresee that these volunteers will be ambassadors of the Movement Strategy….We will be able to amplify the purpose and aim of the overall movement strategy.”  Can you share why this is important? (note from Bev: the initiative does not need to necessarily promote Movement Strategy, so don't feel the obligation to prove you are explicitly promoting Movement Strategy. Developing leaders in the community who will contribute to bringing newcomers, making the movement a safer and welcoming place, and adding more content to the Wikimedia projects, is already doing work that aligns with Movement Strategy).
  • What is the connection between the capacity building program and the translation of the LDP? Can you make this connection clearer?

YPam (WMF) (talk) 11:40, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

Thank you for these feedback and here are our responses:

Areas for Improvement:

• Changes in the budget plan

1. This is our new budget breakdown considering the changes that you requested.
2. We have reviewed the budget for the meals and considered reducing the number of in-person meetings from 4 times a month to twice. However, we can no longer lower them as they cover two snacks and lunch for the whole day of training for 30 people, the participants, and volunteers who will assist during the training.
3. Also, with regards to the venue, we would be happy to accommodate this program at the WAP office; however, it would be helpful if this program had a separate budget for renting a space in the event that their in-person session coincided with a scheduled WAP activity.
4. Additional note: We added a new line item for a Program Coordinator for 12 months as this project needs focus and consistent follow-up and facilitation to be successful. We also decided to remove any expenses relating to translations, proofreading, and publication of materials, as we are leaning toward promoting this program fully virtual. Also, it might need more time, capacity, and facilitation despite being able to pay for such services.

• Metrics and Evaluation plan

1. For all the questions on metrics, we are proposing the newly revised metrics and evaluation plan: Target Metrics. We will also reflect these changes in the main project proposal plan in Meta.
2. As experienced Movement organizers, we find it helpful to translate and contextualize Wikimedia Movement topics and activities for better community engagement. We initially viewed the process as simple as inviting existing editors to translate content and seeking support from local writers in proofreading the materials created by editors. This is also our way of involving the local writers' community in the cause of open knowledge initiative. We determine community needs based on how our active editors perceive movement information and how they think about and understand its impact in general.
3. Our User Group maintains a Community Learning Hub. It is a place for members of the community to get to know our group, learn more about it, and be able to contribute to the Movement. It is also our place for inviting other groups to maximize our capacity to teach them about anything that we can and do, especially about open knowledge ecosystems, open access resources, etc. We are providing printouts for walk-ins like the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom modules, training kits, etc. However, for this project, we agreed to forestall distributing printed copies and will opt to promote and share results virtually.
4. Please see the last section of this document for the established the Risk and Mitigation Plan for this project.

Questions:

• An important factor in volunteer retention is knowing where the overall activities, projects, and article edits are for. While they will be made aware that this is indeed for open knowledge, these volunteers should see the wider perspective of where the Wikimedia Movement intends to be in the next few years. Knowing that even their small contributions could be part of the wider whole would mean that their purpose is grounded in the objectives of the movement. We expect that at the end of the program, each graduated participant will know exactly what role they have in the movement, the responsibilities attached to it, and how they can contribute practical things aside from editing. Edit counts, awards from global campaigns, and the number of organized events are considered external motivators. Whereas, if they know the deeper purpose of becoming a Wikimedia volunteer, there’ll be something that could be considered an internal motivator. The latter is usually the reason a volunteer commits for a long time to the movement and initiates actions that bring growth not only to the local community but also globally.
• There will be a clear connection to this after the implementation of the program. The translation of the LDP will also include adding relevant information based on the conducted leadership training and omitting parts we consider less relevant based on our local context and culture. We don’t see Hatch-A-Wikimedian as a one-time implementation. Later on, for the next cohorts, the translated LDP will be utilized by the next batch. As stated in the plan, the published localized LDP would also include testimonials from the participants. This will provide a brief understanding for the next participants of what journey they’ll be on.
  

Thank you.

On behalf of the Wiki Advocates Philippines UG Board Members,

Ballardmaize (Talk) 03:51, 4 December 2023 (UTC)