Wikimedia Foundation elections/2022/Affiliate Organization Participation/Candidate Questions/Question6
How would you approach the many Movement Strategy initiatives that haven’t been started yet?
Farah Jack Mustaklem (Fjmustak)
I would focus on following through with the initiatives that *have* been started and making sure they are well-supported and on track. As for initiatives that haven’t been started, while all are important and should be worked on, prioritisation must be done in order not to spread people too thin. If enough people are willing to spearhead an initiative without negatively impacting others, they should be encouraged to do so.
Mike Peel (Mike Peel)
While some of them might be started by WMF, I think affiliates have to play a big role in getting these underway, along with the Global Council. I think there needs to be a collaborative discussion about who is best placed to lead and implement the different parts of the strategy, and to enable them to go ahead and do so, coupled with support and funding as necessary to do the implementation.
Gilbert Ndihokubwayo (Gilbert Ndihokubwayo)
I would approach the many Movement Strategy initiatives that haven’t been started yet by creating a participatory consultation with different actors and stakeholders. This will require communications with the Wikimedia communities and discussion sessions to debate about the implementation of the Movement Strategy initiatives and establish the plan to involve the communities to adhere the initiatives.
Tobechukwu Precious Friday (Tochiprecious)
As much as every movement strategy initiative is important, I would approach the ones which haven’t started in an order of importance based on what is most required to us as a Movement at the moment, prioritize them and work it down. For example, starting with Initiative 40.
Lionel Scheepmans (Lionel Scheepmans)
That's not clear for me that the strategy initiatives came clearly from the whole movement, but just from a part of the community who is more active in this concern and comfortable talking in English. I'm not sure that initiatives coming from the top as a monolithic decision is the good way to think the movement Strategy. For the rest and until now, the talent of the foundation was to collect money much more than fixing the numerous other problems.
Abderamane Abakar Brahim (Abakar B)
The movement strategies that have not started is because there is a lack of mastery of the platform and follow-up by sharing tasks.
Joris Darlington Quarshie (Joris Darlington Quarshie)
This work must be divided into individual tasks each of which must be given a priority ranking before having an assigned owner. Finally, a schedule with specific checkpoints for completing each task should be established. Owning tasks and advancing them to completion can be done by a variety of movement participants. Accountability and transparency are important, as they prevent efforts from being repeated and make it apparent who is responsible for what and how it relates to other activities.
Egbe Eugene Agbor (Eugene233)
No response yet.
Kunal Mehta (Legoktm)
As a WMF board member, I wouldn't. The Movement Strategy initiatives should not be led nor started by the WMF board (unless they specifically pertain to the board).
As noted by others in various places including on wikimedia-l, I share the concerns about process overload and that Wikimedians can only keep track of so many things at once.
Shani Evenstein Sigalov (Esh77)
- There is indeed a lot of work to do till 2030. This work needs to be broken down into specific action items, which will have to be prioritized, and then owners would be attached to each. Finally, a timeline should be set with detailed milestones for realizing each action item.
- Various entities in the movement can participate in owning action items and moving them forward to fruition. The two most important things would be accountability and transparency, so no efforts are duplicated, and it is clear who is doing what and how it ties to the rest of the efforts
Gina Bennett (Redwidgeon)
I would propose a team or focus group to study the initiatives that haven’t been started yet, perhaps prioritizing them according to which are the most critical to the current Movement strategy and mission, and which have the greatest potential for success given the volunteers and/or projects in place ready to act on those initiatives.
Michał Buczyński (Aegis Maelstrom)
Movement Strategy initiatives need to be supported, however with the proper order and the volunteers' capacity in mind. Each entity, the WMF included, can support the strategic directions and recommendations in its thinking and activity - e.g. including them in planning or doing a gap analysis. Wider initiatives should be responding to grass-root needs and effort, like first hub which are emerging now.