Hubs/Implementation/Hubs Research in West Africa/Interview 3

This page is part of the Implementation Report for West Africa Regional Hubs. It regards specifically Interview 3.

Background

Date: September 24, 2022
Duration: 1 hour
Profile: Wikimedia Uganda User Group co-founders
Region: East Africa
Gender: Man
Interview language: English

Questions and answers

1. What is your understanding of movement strategy concerning the regional and thematic hubs?

The Wikimedia movement has this strategy for the things they want to achieve as a movement by the year 2030, and it has been moving in a different directions with various activities to achieve the goals set. Currently, it has undergone multiple stages. Now we are in the implementation stage of the movement strategies, with the recommendations undergoing upgrades by the movement. In this implementation stage, different groups are doing activities to contribute. By 2030, we will be able to achieve what we want as the Wikimedia movement. So, according to my understanding, the idea around hubs is to have regional and thematic hubs that solve challenges on the thematic or regional levels. It's all about trying to make sure that local problems are solved using local solutions because the challenges that are faced in, for example, challenges faced in East Africa may not be the same as those faced in Europe. So you can use different solutions. A solution should also be locally designed and have more representation and diversity within the movements. So that's my understanding of this.

2. Please give us a brief understanding of regional and thematic hubs.

Okay, so when it comes to the hubs, they were like about the 10 recommendations that were put forward by the movement. And narrow down to 10 things that are most important for the movement. So, the hubs is where now things have to be done, at a regional level, or at a kind of thematic level. Where if it is thematic, then it is about a particular kind of topic within the Wikimedia movement and if it is regional, then it would be like a hub that is representing other regions. So, for example, if it is West Africa, then it will be a hub for West Africa, where decisions are made at a regional level.

4. I believe you mentioned that there are 10 recommendations but can you list some of the recommendations?

So they are different recommendations: one on equity and decision-making, and one on skills and leadership development. One on improving results experience and one on the sustainability of the movements. And there's one on innovation in between knowledge. Those are the ones I can remember just of my head.

5. Are all these things about the regional and thematic hubs, or do we have specific recommendations for the regional and thematic hubs?

I know they will solve or respond to some of these recommendations; for example, skills and leadership development can work for thematic hubs. The regional hubs can work on things like the sustainability of the movement. Also, managing knowledge and the coordination of stakeholders. I see the regional hubs as something that would help the movement achieve these recommendations.

6. So what are some of the benefits of the Regional and thematic hubs?

The main benefit would be ensuring that local challenges are addressed at the local level. For example, one of the most significant issues we have in the movements, you may write an article on something on Wikipedia, and you may want that article to be approved. But then someone from the Czech Republic, who has no knowledge or understanding of what happens in Uganda, comes and says the person you are writing about is not a notable topic on Wikipedia. This topic may not be well covered on the internet when you do a google search, whereas for me in Uganda, there is no content on the topic, although it is notable locally. There are notable topics to be written on Wikipedia. There may be other sources which I can use to confirm what are not online. So for that to be handled in a good way, it would be good if we had regional administrators. That is, people who make sure at least things are handled at the regional level and ensure that the knowledge put on Wikipedia from the region takes into consideration the local context even in situations where not everything is documented online but is still of local significance. So that's one of the importance the hubs will play. I think to make sure that local challenges that Wikimedians in East Africa and West Africa, at least have kind of solutions, which are regional as well.

7. But how do these hubs contribute to movement strategies?

When you look at the movement strategy, like the sustainability of the movement, equity in decision-making, and innovation. When we look at skills and leadership development, equity in decision-making, the hubs are one of the ways to help achieve these recommendations. The hubs can really take the lead on making sure that the movement succeeds in reaching or achieving these recommendations that are being put in place. And specifically, equity and decision-making: if we have a regional hub to represent regional voices, they can represent the region. So that there is more equity in decision-making within the movement. The other one where the hubs are more fundamental is skills and leadership development, evaluation and adaptation and even coordination among the stakeholders. The regional hubs can help to achieve that. The biggest ones are skills and leadership development and equity and decision making. Still, even with other recommendations, the hubs would have significant contributions that will help in achieving them.

8. What are the contribution of the hubs to community affiliation to the movement strategy?

There are different affiliates within the movement. For example, the Wikimedia Communities User Group in Uganda is affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation. If it is the regional hub, it should represent the regional affiliates somehow. There have to be some relations where all the regional affiliates subscribe to the regional hubs because the regional hubs would be there to represent their interests within the movement. I think it is crucial that the Regional hubs are formulated or established with conservation with the user groups or affiliates in the region. So that at least when the regional hubs' purpose is defined, their needs are considered. Because if that is not done and the regional hubs are put in place, but then they're not serving the needs of the affiliates, or the user groups, then I think people will not see the need for them and they'll be there, but just on paper, but then not responding to the needs of the users in the region and the affiliates in the regional.

9. How do you perceive a Regional or thematic hub? Do you perceive it to be a mortar and brick structure with tangible infrastructure or is it just an intangible infrastructure?

I envision the regional hubs to be a network. So there doesn't need to be a physical space because to be regional, it has to be able to work in different countries. The way this is going to happen is first of all to have staff who are from different countries within the region. It wouldn't be a regional hub if for example, it has 10 staff members and all those are just from one country. So they have to be spread out, but hubs have to be able to work for the interests of the different countries. The staff have to be able to move around quickly to other countries for trainings, projects and give assistance. At least the money that would be used to rent a physical space in just one country can be spent on transportation, where the staff are about to move around. So it is a role where it's value is inflexibility in terms of moving around. So I don't see the need for a physical space, but I see the need for the staff to be able to move around. Of course, it is possible to have both, like having people move around and a physical space. Choosing the location of the physical space might become trickier because if it is for West Africa, people in Nigeria may recommend the site in Nigeria. If Accra, they may also recommend it to be in Accra. So to avoid that kind of challenge, it should be online, so it can be seen as a network of affiliates in the region so that it connects all the different entities in the region, but in an online space.

10. But what challenges do you think implementing these hubs can solve with respect to regional and thematic hubs?

Some of the challenges are access to resources. Because when you look at it, we have very few user groups in Africa. For example, if there was a regional hub, that could help solve that challenge, then someone in West Africa in no user group or maybe in Mauritania, how can we support the community there to start up our user group together? If there is no user group in Mali, how can we help them start a user group? So that's one challenge. We need more diversity and inclusion within the movement, and the regional hubs may help to solve some of those challenges. When it comes to capacity building, with the skills and leadership development, can we have a regional hub which is impacting skills and developing leadership within the region and are they very much interested and invested in that? Can we have a hub that is solving the problem of innovation and the needed tools to access them? So the regional hub would also look at such a challenge, initiate local solutions to those challenges, and facilitate knowledge transfer across user groups in the region. So in such a way, if there is a group in Uganda and Kenya, the regional group can facilitate knowledge transfer from Uganda to Kenya. Also, to organize regional conferences that can bring Wikimedians in the region together and learn from each other.

11. But what are some of the challenges? I've heard you mentioning lack of resources? Is that the only one?

Lack of skills, lack of leadership.

12. How do you think these challenges can be managed?

By having a regional hub, at least some of the solutions that we need would look towards the hub to facilitate that kind of transfer of knowledge. For example, suppose the user group in Uganda is facing a challenge of managing finances and such challenges are faced in Uganda. In that case, Kenya, Tanzania and there is someone at the regional hub who is a specialist in finance management and is conducting trainings or webinars on how to do finance management for regional user groups, that becomes a solution which can be led by the hubs and to serve in several groups within the region.

13. Do you think that the foundation should control hubs or do you think they can exist on their own as independent entities outside the foundation?

The hubs should be controlled by the foundation to some extent although both have their advantages. Independence will mean financial independence, so they would not indeed be independent if the foundation funds them. They can only be independent if they can raise their own funds. I would prefer hubs to be under the foundation because that is how they can access funds from the foundation for their projects.

The second reason will be to stay in line with the vision as the hub is part of the initiatives under the 2030 Wikimedia vision. Hubs being independent will cause a drift in the vision. I believe hubs are one of the ways that the movement will attain its vision so I think there could be some level of independence and some level of control. There should be a good balance of both.

14. Do you think hubs can/should absorb grant committees?

Some of the decision making can come from the hubs. The grant committees can exist together with the grant committees, but some of the decisions regarding grants can come from the hubs.

15. Do you think every community needs a hub?

The hub will only be relevant if it solves the challenges of the user groups and communities in its region. Suppose they are not doing that for some groups or communities. In that case, it will not be necessary or mandatory for every user group or mission-aligned affiliate or community to belong to a hub. There should be obvious benefits for all groups involved to subscribe to hubs for instance, through grants. So if the hub is providing grants or workshop training or capacity-building conferences for these groups, then the need is there, but if there is no value, then the groups are not obliged to join the hub.

Key Takeaways - Interview 3

The regional and thematic hubs can work on sustainability, knowledge management, and movement stakeholder coordination.
It should ensure that the knowledge added to Wikipedia from the region takes into account the local context since not everything is documented and accessible via the internet.
It will aid in implementing leadership development, equity, and decision-making recommendations.
It should be developed or established in collaboration with regional user groups or affiliates.
It must be able to operate in the interests of several countries, and its personnel must travel readily to different countries.
It should be diverse and inclusive enough within the movement to promote knowledge transfer between user groups in the region.