2014 Activity Plan/International Chapter Support

Lead member of staff

Jon Davies

Indicative budget amount

£10,000

Description and overall rationale

We are planning initiatives to share our best practice with other chapters and support them in our joint aims. We have allocated a budget specifically to helping with this work. Being one of the bigger chapters, and being based in London (the location of Wikimania this year), we are unusually placed to offer support to other chapters, particularly those which are developing.

Timelines - i.e. what happens quarter by quarter

Success criteria and Metrics - overall and quarter by quarter breakdown if relevant

Goals

A thriving set of other Wikimedia communities:

• >7 joint initiatives with other chapters (civi). 'Exchanges' can probably be tracked as the number of events, and from that we will count the activity units spent on these initiatives.

An increased diversity of Wikimedia contributors (of other Wikimedia communities, not WMUK):

• 1 event to foster diversity at other Chapters (civi). E.g. support Diversity Conference

Wikimedia communities are skilled and capable (other Wikimedia communities, not WMUK):

• 1 international learning event organised (civi). E.g. Train the Trainer

We have best practice governance and resource management processes, and are recognised for such within the Wikimedia movement and the UK charity sector:

• 1 training event to share good practice (civi). E.g. international board workshop

We are planning specific events that will allow us to contribute to the goals as outlined above and which are the core of this area of activity. For illustration, however, here are other activities that could be delivered in 2014-15:

• Host at least one large scale international event per year, such as GLAM-Wiki or EduWiki (on wiki)
• Sending members of the Wikimedia UK community to visit other chapters to share materials, increase dialogue between organisations, strengthen relationships and encourage international participation on the UK wiki
• Fund Wikimedia UK volunteers to attend international events such as the Chapters Conference or Hackathons
• Provide funding for at least two Wikimedians from economically less developed countries to attend an important international event such as Wikimania or the Chapters’ Conference
• Work with those in the UK community for whom English or Welsh is not their mother tongue to develop two projects on other language wikis such as Bengali or Gujurati
• Offer other chapters access to Wikimedia UK staff where this may be useful for their development, such as communications and fundraising
• Support any reasonable request from any chapter or Wikimedian who is seeking access to the UK’s cultural material

Risks

• Unable to find relevant opportunities to support other chapters.
• Chapters unable to find common purpose in order to share initiative.
• Negativity from individual chapters sours atmosphere of cooperation leading to nil outcomes.