Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2018-20/People/Strategy core team

Overview

Recommendations

Implementation

Reports

FAQ

From March 2018 to June 2020, the Core Team shaped the overall process in a way that supported participation and engagement of the diverse constituents and stakeholders of our movement. Since in 2017 we have agreed upon the Strategic Direction for our movement, from 2018-20 it was time to consider opportunities and obstacles related to making progress towards that direction and discuss some of the most challenging questions for our movement. The Core Team was responsible for advancing the Wikimedia 2030 Movement Strategy Process, its operations, logistics, and focus. This team was made up largely from members of the broader Wikimedia movement, all of whom are working under contract to the Wikimedia Foundation.

Program Manager Movement Strategy

Nicole Ebber (Jason Krüger, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Nicole Ebber from Wikimedia Deutschland held the role of the Program Manager.

As the Program Manager Nicole was leading and advising the core team of the movement strategy process. She created the general concept and led the process design and worked closely with the WMF Executive Director as well as movement stakeholders. Together with Katherine Maher, Nicole was also the ambassador of this phase of the strategic discussions within the movement and beyond.

Nicole ensured an effective yet inclusive change process to determine how the movement moves in its new strategic direction. Her team coordinated and facilitated a process under collective ownership, so each step has been created with, and enriched by, individuals and groups from across and beyond the movement. The main questions the process was trying to answer represent four different levels of movement work:

1. At every level (conceptual): How do we evolve in a healthy and consistent way? What do we need to change or adapt as we move toward the essential infrastructure for free knowledge? A constant and stable change process, inclusive, culturally sensitive and true to our values.
2. Across the movement (structural): What are the critical questions we, as a movement, need to resolve around roles, resources and responsibilities, in order to be successful? Leading to recommendations, agreement and a process for implementation.
3. In movement organizations (programmatic): How do we contextualize and apply the direction? What sort of programs and efforts should we undertake? What are our first priorities? Including support, coordination and innovation across the movement.
4. For projects and individuals (tactical): What are the priorities for individual Wikimedia projects, or within projects? What do contributors need and care about? Product and program support by the key organizations’ departments.

Nicole's focus was at the conceptual and structural level and on identifying and prioritizing the key themes and questions with the movement. She led the team who designed the process and assembled the working groups for each defined key theme. These working groups have developed recommendations on how to agree and implement the answers. The answers will then also inform the programmatic and tactical level work that is being executed by different stakeholders and departments.

Nicole ensured that the whole strategy process, its structure and discussions complied with the core values of Wikimedia and were inclusive and clear. It was also expected from the Program Manager to have an overarching view and capacity to connect the dots within the process and its content, as well as to oversee the coherence and dynamics between all stakeholders and processes.

Nicole's responsibilities were:

• Build, lead and advise the core strategy team
• Create the general concept of the process and lead the design of the change process to determine how the movement moves in its new strategic direction
• Supervise the steps for the conceptual and structural level of the process, incl.  
  • Identify and prioritize the key themes and questions with the movement
  • Assembly of working groups, development of recommendations for the movement
  • Agreement about and implementation of recommendations
• Connect the dots between all process stakeholders and information related to strategic discussions, incl. informing the programmatic and tactical levels of the process, done by other stakeholders and departments
• Oversee the coherence and dynamics between stakeholders and processes
• Ensure that the process is designed in spirit of collective ownership and that individuals and groups from across the movement and beyond are enabled and empowered to contribute to the process
• Oversee strategy process related sessions and discussions on the conferences as well as online discussions and consultations around the process
• Ensure that the whole strategy process, its structure and discussions comply with the core values of Wikimedia and are inclusive and clear.
• Work in close coordination and report to the Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation
• Together with the WMF Executive Director, be the ambassador and owner of this phase of Wikimedia movement strategic discussions within the movement and beyond.  
• Ensure liaison and connection with information and challenges from Phase I.

Strategy Process Architect

Kaarel at the Wikimedia Conference 2018 (Jason Krüger, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kaarel Vaidla, former Executive Director of Wikimedia Eesti was responsible for framing, designing and maintaining the process in consultation with the international Wikimedia community.

Kaarel has been involved with our movement in various ways over the years, and has proven his strategic abilities through his contributions to Phase 1 in various volunteer roles. As Strategy Process Architect, Kaarel framed, designed and maintained the current stage of the Wikimedia movement strategy process in consultation with the international Wikimedia community.

Kaarel was responsible for designing a process for the Wikimedia movement to contextualize its strategic direction and initiate the change process. He ensured that the process was coherent with Wikimedia values and common practices. He has an excellent understanding of diverse stakeholders and general functioning of the Wikimedia movement, as well as prior strategic meta-level discussions within the movement. In collaboration with the Project Lead, these skills allowed him to ensure that essential issues and opportunities for the movement were be addressed in the framework of strategic discussions.

The role was complemented by a Process Support Lead with external expertise and prior experience with strategy processes and transformation outside of the Wikimedia movement. This combination ensured a broad perspective during design process, and strong thought partnership across these two positions.

Kaarel's responsibilities were:

• Design the process to define, agree upon and address key themes and questions that need to be solved for the movement to successfully move towards the strategic direction
• Support development of a theory of change for the movement
• Define meaningful deliverables and outputs from each step in the process
• With the Program Manager, external Process Support Lead and Information Manager, define how input should be sought, decide on method and formats, and define how input should be organized and synthesized.
• Support the Information Manager in synthesizing all the input that is gathered throughout the process
• In collaboration with the coach/facilitator, support program design of conferences to ensure that the essential themes and necessary questions are addressed and a “diversity of voices” is included
• Ensure good reuse of materials from prior movement strategic conversations, especially those of Phase I in design and implementation of Phase II of the strategy process.
• Be an agent of change, supporting the movement in thinking about transformations needed in the context of the strategic direction and key thematic areas of current stage of the process, as well as designing action and development plans that will help advancing in that direction.
• Be a thinking partner for the Information & Knowledge Manager in the sense-making processes
• In each step of the process design ensure consultation with the international community and consideration of the values of the movement.

Process Support Lead

Bhav at the Wikimedia Conference 2018 (Jason Krüger, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bhavesh Patel was an external partner to the Program Manager and Process Architect.

He participated in process design and helped us find experience from outside Wikimedia when needed.

Bhav is a “conversational architect” who works with many different movement organizations around the globe. You may know Bhav from his outstanding facilitation at WMCON 2017, Wikimania Montreal, and WMCON 2018.

As Process Support Lead he brought in expertise in process design, transformation, adaptive approaches, and complex systems from outside of the Wikimedia movement to frame, design and maintain Phases II and III of the Wikimedia movement strategy process in consultation with the international Wikimedia community.

Bhav was responsible for designing a process for the Wikimedia movement to contextualize its strategic direction and initiate the change process. He ensured that common practices and change process methodologies inform the process, enriching the design and implementation with external perspective and experience. He was selected for this role for his good general understanding of  process architecture and discussion facilitation, including practical knowledge about various formats of input collection and stakeholder engagement, as well as for is ability to structure diverse process outputs.

The role was complemented by the Process Architect with expertise regarding Wikimedia movement and prior experience with strategic discussions within the movement. This combination ensured a broad perspective during design process, and strong thought partnership across these two positions.

Bhav's responsibilities were:

Support the design and delivery of Phase II and III of the Wikimedia movement strategy process:

• Design the process to define, agree upon and address key themes and questions that need to be solved for the movement to successfully move towards the strategic direction
• Design the sense-making processes needed for decision-making
• Stay focused on the processes related to the content, not the content itself
• Support development of a theory of change for the movement
• Define deliverables and outputs from each step of the process
• With the Program Manager and Movement Process Architect, define how input should be sought, decide on method and formats, and define how input should be organized and synthesized
• In collaboration with the coach/facilitator, as well as the Movement Process Architect and Program Manager, support program design of conferences to ensure that the essential themes and necessary questions are addressed and a “diversity of voices” is included
• In each step of the process design, ensure an awareness of the complexities of the movement and the dynamics of diversity, equity, inclusion, power, politics, and privilege; ensuring  consultation with the international community
• Bring in relevant experience from outside Wikimedia when needed, including experience of other movements, individuals working at a global level with complex networks, specific methods, processes, framework, theories that are relevant.

Project Manager

Jodi McMurray (Jason Krüger, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Jodi McMurray was the Project Manager for this phase of the Movement Strategy process.

As the Project Manager Jodi coordinated and managed the core strategy team and ensured effective workflows as well as the core team’s ability to execute on priorities. Jodi designed project management tools to support the core team’s work, and ensured that the work across the core team was coherent, effective and aligned with the objectives of the Movement Strategy.

As Project Manager, Jodi  brought expertise in project management, process design, and change management from outside of the Wikimedia movement to frame, design and support the Wikimedia movement strategy process.

Jodi's responsibilities were:

• Coordinate and manage the core strategy team and ensure effective workflows as well as the core team’s ability to execute on priorities
• Create clear and realistic timelines, track progress and help the team stick to the deadlines, always considering the dynamic and flexibility of the process
• Break down big work packages and define action items for the team
• Manage the budget, keep track of strategy process finances and report on spendings
• Enforce information flows and decision-making structures within the core team
• Identify blockers and other issues throughout the process and participate in design and application of remediation strategies, including inclusive retrospectives and clear documentation as necessary
• With the Information Manager ensure that stakeholders are timely informed about the status of the strategy process, including regular reports
• Support the creation of materials for milestone meetings and decision-making within the strategy process
• Manage and lead the Project Assistant and ensure collaboration with the Thought and Process Facilitator as well as with the Information Manager.

Information and Knowledge Manager

Mehrdad Pourzaki (Georgia Esporlas, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mehrdad Pourzaki was the Information and Knowledge Manager of the Core Team for phase II of the Movement Strategy Process. Mehrdad is a community activist with more than 7 years of international experience, particularly with youth-driven volunteer movements in the response to HIV across Asia and the Pacific, primarily based out of Bangkok. His experience crosscuts social justice, access equity, gender and sexual diversity, migration, and human rights, at grassroots and global coordination levels. With over 10 years of professional experience, he has worked with civil society and NGOs, the UN, academia, media, and the private sector. Before joining the Wikimedia Foundation, Mehrdad was working with UNESCO in Afghanistan on education reform, 21st century skills development, digital literacy, and critical engagement with information and knowledge, where he first discovered the value of Wikimedia projects in education and community development. Mehrdad is originally from Iran and is currently based in Toronto, Canada.

Mehrdad's responsibilities were:

• Ensuring continuous information flow and knowledge transfer within and between Working Groups, facilitators, the Steering Group, and internally with the Core Team, including the Community Engagement team
• Setting up information and knowledge management systems
• Manage and share the knowledge and information throughout the process across the Core Team, the Working Groups and the larger movement
• Ensure critical information and key decisions are identified, prioritized, presented, and addressed in a timely fashion
• Coordinate the Working Groups in developing and delivering recommendations on key questions and themes of Phase II on time
• Provide the Working Groups with the resources, information, research, analysis and considerations needed for making informed decisions
• Based on Working Group need and relevance, ensure reuse of materials from prior strategic conversations and research, especially those of Phase I
• Synthesize all the input that is gathered throughout the process and manage sense-making and data analysis processes
• Write reports from Phase II discussions, synthesized inputs and Working Group recommendations
• In collaboration with the Foundation’s communications team, oversee and coordinate effective regular communication with movement stakeholders, including Wikimedia Foundation, affiliates, community members and partner organizations
• Ensure clarity in all steps of the process, towards all stakeholders

Information and Knowledge Liaison

Tanveer Hasan (Jason Krüger, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Tanveer Hasan was the Information & Knowledge Liaison for this phase of the Movement Strategy process. Tanveer has been working with the Wikimedia projects for over 5 years. His earlier work has provided him experience of working with emerging communities. As a member of the Core Team he worked closely with Working Groups and identified opportunities of synergy and collaborative work among them.

Tanveer's responsibilities were:

• Developing and enhancing relationships with Working Groups, Core Team and other stakeholders to advance Movement Strategy
• Supporting Working Groups with diverse needs to ensure discussions are fruitful, needs are met, and the strategy process collaboratively progresses

Develop an information & knowledge management strategy and system for the process, including maps of how information moves through the system and where decisions need to be made

• Manage and share the knowledge and information throughout the process across Working Groups, the Information and Knowledge Management Team and the Core Team, as well as other stakeholders
• Ensure critical information and key decisions are identified, prioritized, presented, and addressed in a timely fashion
• Ensure timely response from Working Groups to feedback from communities
• Coordinate the Working Groups in developing and delivering recommendations on key questions, steps and themes of Phase II on time
• Provide the Working Groups with the information, research, analysis and considerations needed for making informed decisions
• Ensure good reuse of existing materials, such as those from other Working Groups and prior conversations, especially Phase I
• Collaborating on information and knowledge management systems
• Collaborate on reports from Phase II discussions, synthesized inputs and Working Group recommendations
• Ensure Working Group clarity and engagement in all steps of the process

Information and Knowledge Assistant

Abbad Diraneyya at Wikimedia Summit 2019 (Aida Kadrispahic, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Abbad Diraneyya was the Information & Knowledge assistant.

Abbad has been a volunteer Wikipedia contributor for slightly more than a decade, mainly as an editor on the Arabic version, occasionally as a sysop or a reviewer. As an organizer, he contributed to to activities such as the Wikipedia Education Program, Wiki Loves Monuments and The Wikipedia Library in different countries throughout the Arabic-speaking region. He was also a co-founder of Wikimedia Levant user group, and is the group's leader since three years. In the Core Team, he closely supported the working groups with documentation, meeting-notes, providing analysis and other tasks needed to help the workflow.

Abbad's responsibilities were:

• Support production and sharing of knowledge and information throughout the process across the Core Team, the Working Groups and the larger movement
• Monitor inputs from the wider movement and ensure timely responses to feedback from communities
• Support the Working Groups in developing and delivering recommendations on key questions and themes of Phase II on time
• Assist the IKM with providing the Working Groups with the information, research, analysis and considerations needed for making informed decisions
• Help to synthesize all the input that is gathered throughout the process and support sense-making and data analysis processes
• Write reports from Phase II discussions, synthesized inputs and Working Group recommendations
• Help to ensure clarity in all steps of the process, towards all stakeholders, and make sure everyone understands the implications it has for them.

Community Engagement Specialist

Kelsi Stine-Rowe (Jason Krüger, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kelsi Stine-Rowe was the Community Relations Specialist for the Movement Strategy Process. In this role, Kelsi was responsible for ensuring that Wikimedia communities and affiliates were aware of and engaging in the Movement Strategy Process. She led the Core Team’s Community Conversations efforts around how to make Wikimedia more inclusive, equitable, and diverse.

Kelsi brought expertise in project management, multicultural engagement, communication, program learning, and team leadership from outside the Wikimedia movement to help support community engagement from across the Wikimedia movement.

Kelsi's responsibilities were:

• Design and implement outreach and engagement approaches for key communities to advance the Movement Strategy Process
• Manage a team of 8 Community Strategy Liaisons in facilitating dialog around the Movement Strategy Process with project-based language communities in Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Farsi, Arabic, Hindi, and Mandarin.
• Coordinate with approximately 50 Organized Strategy Liaisons in facilitate engagement in the Movement Strategy Process from organized groups and affiliates
• Ensure timely quality translation services of community-developed content into English
• Monitor movement, community and organized group level discussions, map out connection points between them and facilitate information transfers between the communities and the process
• Prepare and brief the Core Team on community feedback and needs received through the Strategy Liaisons.

Project Assistant

Anna Rees from Wikimedia Deutschland assisted the core team to manage the administrative and communications side of the process.

She assisted the work flow of the team by taking care of administrative tasks around the strategy process and provides support for strategy related meetings, including conferences, core team meetings and working group meetings. She also supported the core team with communications and documentation.

Anna's responsibilities were

In close coordination with the Project Manager, provide administrative, logistical and communicative support for the core strategy team, incl.

• Assist the Project Manager in ensuring a fluent workflow for the team:
  • Assist in preparing meeting agendas, briefing notes and presentations, take minutes, and coordinate appointments for team meetings and team participation in movement events
  • Coordinate the team’s travel operations (e.g. coordinating hotel and flight bookings), and maintain the team calendar
  • Support the Project Manager in task and responsibilities management of the core team and good information flow between team members
• Assist the Project Manager and Information Manager in the documentation of the strategy process and discussions
  • Support the written documentation from movement events, and other fora where discussions will take place
  • Support the drafting and/or editing of reports
  • Assist the Information Manager in sorting data and input
  • Assist communication about the strategy process within the Wikimedia movement (e.g. draft/edit blog posts, assist Project Manager and Information Manager in updating Meta-wiki pages, etc).
• Generally support the team with research and analysis of relevant information as needed by team members.

Program Assistant

Ellie McMillan coordinated and managed all travel arrangements, event planning, and reconciliation for the core team, working groups, and strategy liaisons travelling with this phase of the Movement Strategy process.

As the Program Assistant, Ellie brought years of project planning, travel, and project management from a diverse set of experiences outside of the Movement from owning her own businesses to assisting others in running a profitable and fulfilling business.

Ellie’s responsibilities were:

• Develop travel forecasts for budget planning and approval.
• Assisting in preparing, planning, and coordinating the logistics for the core team, working groups, and strategy liaisons for their travel needs.
• Liaising with travel agency and travellers to ensure that all their travel needs are met.
• Support travellers with obtaining necessary travel documents.
• Develop and provide core team and working group members with travel briefs to ensure needs are met and safe travel is had.
• Develop event planning concepts to ensure that hotels, meeting rooms and venues are set up with tools, catering, and equipment needed for a successful event.
• Liaise with travellers to provide reconciliation documentation and verify that all information is correct and accurate.
• Support budget monitoring and financial reporting for travel, event procurement, and reimbursements.