Reflections on the Chairpersons meetings

Intro

For quite some years now we organize an in-person meeting with chairs from the WM-chapters during the Wikimedia Conferences in Berlin and during the annual Wikimania’s. The meetings were initially set up as an opportunity to meet each other but over time the focus changed. The meetings became a platform where discussions about common issues regarding chapters and the international organization take place.

From 2016 onwards we have structured the meetings in advance: an agenda is set up, subjects to be discussed are prepared (ideally with a discussion note) and notes are taken. A meta page (Category:Affiliate Chairpersons meetings) has been set up to keep track of the meetings and discussed issues:

Date	Participants	Discussion notes and statements
July 31, 2016	10	- Wikimedia chapters/Statements/Chapter chairs statement: Wikimania needs to be arranged every year - Boards_training_workshop_April_2016
April 1, 2017	22	-Wikimedia chapters/Statements/Chapter chairs statement: Wikimedia chairs support the Wikimedia strategy process
August 12, 2017	22	- Value and purpose of the Affiliate Chairpersons meetings
April 20, 2018	31	- Development of organisations of the Wikiverse – what do we need to evolve? - Development of organisations of the Wikiverse – how should we disseminate the funds?

The number of participants grew from 10 to 31 (total # of chapters + them.org = 38). The purpose of the meetings is defined. The most important issues that have been discussed during these meetings are: the Strategy process, The Boards Member Trainings, Structure of Affiliates, Funds dissemination.

It is important that these discussions are continued, especially now that phase 2 of the Strategy discussion has been started. We therefore propose an extra meeting at the end of November 2018 to bridge the long timespan between Wikimania 2018 and the next Wikimedia Conference in 2019. WM Czechia has offered to host the November meeting.

Subjects to be discussed in the upcoming meetings

• Strategy process. Discussion where chapters can share their insights about the intermediate results and can coordinate help and assistance to move forward.
• Structures and bodies for the affiliate organisation. Continue discussion about the needs of affiliates. Experiment with structures. Discuss upcoming White paper from Affcom.
• Funds dissemination. Prepare new discussion note with ideas about the restructuring of current funds dissemination procedures.
• Conflict management. New initiative. How can affiliates help each other during periods of (governance) crisis and conflicts.
• Boards Training. Improve the quality of WM Boards. Discuss scope and target group for the 2019 training. Explore possibility of trainings during regional conferences.

And as for the chairs meetings itself:

• Should we extend the chairpersons meetings to user groups or encourage user groups to set up a similar meeting?
• Leadership qualities. Idea to make the November meeting more productive and meaningful by combining it with a training on leadership competencies.

Please give your feedback

Go to the discussion page and:

1. Indicate your presence during Wikimania Cape Town
2. Express your interest in the proposed chairpersons meeting in Czechia end of November 2018
3. Give feedback of the ideas expressed in the above reflections