Content Partnerships Hub/International partnerships/Concept

Content Partnerships Hub

Improving the Wikimedia movement’s work with content partners

Sharing is caring – An IGO/INGO-Wikimedia content partnerships program around health, gender, climate and different emergencies

TL;DR: Through strategic content partnerships with intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) important content of high importance can be added to the Wikimedia projects. We believe that it is commonplace that both parties deeply care about sharing the best possible material to inform the general public about areas that often are of life and death importance.

The Content Partnerships Hub attempts to provide a service to the Wikimedia movement regarding these types of content partnerships to create new opportunities for Wikimedia affiliates and the Wikimedia Foundation. The work would be done in close collaboration with the Wikimedia Foundation who already have a large number of high value partnerships formed or in the making, as well as with other Wikimedia affiliates and interested volunteers.

Building on the methods, processes and partnerships identified, initiated and developed in the period building up to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hub is in a position to scale and deepen this work immediately. The Hub initiative — spearheaded by Wikimedia Sverige — the Wikimedia Foundation and partners currently have momentum to bring this work forward. By providing structures and frameworks for different content partnerships, other affiliates and Wikimedia volunteers will be able to move along faster than otherwise would be possible. The lack of such structures currently inhibit the much needed development.

From the experience gathered, the Hub has a good sense of what the communities want and need and have the existing relationships, and the technical knowledge to provide content through partnerships and batch uploads. All in all this sums up to the conclusion that the Content Partnerships Hub would be a good facilitator within the movement to do this, and that it would be beneficial to start the work in the very short term.

The co-operations are also likely to lead to expert involvement, increased reach and brand recognition, new funding and new partnerships. To achieve this the work needs to be coordinated and the offer to the IGOs needs to be strong and clear. This pilot project develops a path forward starting with a few selected UN agencies.

Background[edit]

UN agencies, other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) hold unique and valuable educational resources which can be added to the Wikimedia projects through content partnerships. IGOs and INGOs often act as global observatories, collating content from across the world on their areas of expertise. There are hundreds, or even thousands of IGOs in the world, depending on the definition, and tens of thousands of INGOs. And the number is rapidly increasing.

This represents a large number of potential partnerships that so far have been somewhat overlooked by the Wikimedia movement. As IGOs and INGOs work across borders and, in the case of IGOs, not under the rule of any one national government, the Wikimedia movement’s nationally oriented organizations have found it difficult to form partnerships with them. The thematic organizations in the movement have to date been limited by their size and areas of interest. The Wikimedia Foundation has increased their partnerships with IGOs and INGOs the last few years, but are limited when it comes to in what way they can work with including content onto the platforms (both for legal, resource and policy reasons).

There is an increasing insight that the world needs to work together to overcome global crises and challenges. The Agenda 2030 with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals provides the language and framework used by governments, NGOs, companies and others for dealing with this on a global level. However, as several speakers pointed out during Wikimania 2019 in Stockholm, without free knowledge in general and the Wikimedia platforms in specific, there will simply not be enough information and data available to give people the knowledge they need to fulfill the goals. Wikipedia could become the central knowledge repository for the information people need to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. Wikipedia is uniquely placed to fulfill this role, it has the audience, infrastructure and diversity of languages needed to reach a global audience.

The efforts together with IGOs on making content available on the platforms will not start from scratch. Wikimedia Sverige has gained an increasing amount of experience in working with IGOs, such as UNESCO, FAO, WIPO, UNFPA, OHCHR, and several others. Many other Wikimedia organizations and individuals have also collaborated with IGOs (a brief summary can be found below). One of the projects where work with IGOs and international NGOs has taken place is to identify and make available content through the WikiGap campaign. WikiGap has resulted in almost 100,000 new or improved articles on women. WikiGap also works as an engine to create interest and establish new partnerships, especially around content, including with UNFPA, OHCHR and FAO, but has all the potential to scale. There is interest to work in a similar way with several other IGOs, meaning that the partnerships formed can create valuable opportunities for local affiliates. Providing this proposed structure would be an important way of scaling partnerships on a global level.

Connection to the strategic recommendations[edit]

This initiative is aimed to contribute directly to the fulfillment of the following strategic recommendations:

1. Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement, especially "Explore new opportunities for both revenue generation and free knowledge dissemination through partnerships", as these types of partnerships have the potential to open up for significant project funding opportunities from e.g. the aid sector.
2. Improve User Experience, especially "Easy-to-find and easy-to-understand resources for newcomers, including onboarding media and guiding interfaces helping them independently learn and navigate”, as user journeys needed for IGOs and INGOs to contribute to Wikimedia projects will be developed, raising the quality of documentation and the experience of partners and users more widely.
4. Ensure Equity in Decision-making, especially "These structures will work toward high standards of diversity", as the work with the IGOs and INGOs are international in their very nature one aim is to organize the partnerships in a way that they support the local Wikimedia communities, e.g. around co-organizing joint events or by hiring of local Wikimedians for so called Wikimedian in Residence positions at the IGOs.
5. Coordinate Across Stakeholders, especially "Create and keep updated shared documents defining clear responsibilities and expected capabilities for specific activities like [...] partnerships [...]", as these types of partnerships are fairly unexplored in the Wikimedia movement and how hubs, affiliates and the Wikimedia Foundation could and should work together is still unclear and will be explored through the work. For these types of content partnerships there might also be specific needs for technical tools, methods and documentation that need to be developed in coordination with different Wikimedia stakeholders.
8. Identify Topics for Impact, especially "Map topic areas in close collaboration with projects, partners and local communities to benefit from their expertise and ensure their autonomy and independence" and "Implement initiatives and prioritize resources to fill content gaps on topics which may have more impact", as these global actors have insights in what topics are of key importance for the some of the most vulnerable populations.
9. Innovate in Free Knowledge, especially "Create tools and partnerships to facilitate bringing content from other data and knowledge bases to our projects", as these types of partnerships are fairly unexplored in the Wikimedia movement the data and knowledge bases are still to be explored.

Partnerships with IGOs and INGOs in the Wikimedia movement[edit]

The Wikimedia movement has had a number of experiments with IGOs and INGOs over the years. Below are some examples that are relevant to continue building upon in the near future to deliver more high value content to the Wikimedia projects.

Wikimedia Sverige has worked closely together with UNESCO since 2016, lending a staff member to the UN agency as a Wikimedian in Residence. The work includes the Connected Open Heritage project and the FindingGLAMs project — projects focused on creating the first worldwide map of cultural heritage institutions and on moving Wiki Loves Monuments data to Wikidata. As part of the process related documentation was improved and a number of case studies were developed. The projects also included a number of events that were organized including a photo exhibition on cultural heritage at risk, displayed at the United Nations Office at Geneva, UNESCO HQ in Paris and 10 other locations. The Wikimedian in Residence has also supported several other UN agencies in sharing their knowledge over the years, with half the funding coming from a Wikimedia community grant and half from Wikimedia Sverige.

Wikimedia Sverige also has a formalized agreement in place with UNESCO Archives about sharing their content through the Wikimedia platforms. The partnership with the UNESCO Archives has been very successful with more than 8.6 million views of their content, by June 2024.

Through the WikiGap campaign Wikimedia Sverige has reached a number of UN agencies. Wikimedia Sverige formalized a partnership with UNFPA which included both crisis information, with COVID-19 as a test case, and work with content for WikiGap. The chapter has also fostered a number of early partnerships with other IGOs/INGOs in connection to the campaign, a number of them initiated and performed in close collaboration with the Partnership team at the Wikimedia Foundation. This includes WHO, UN Women, OHCHR (where also Wikimedia Argentina has had a successful partnership, see below), FAO, WIPO and Global citizens.

Wikimedia Sverige has also initiated work with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) focusing on providing crisis information connected to infectious diseases. Work has also taken place with the European Commission to develop the priorities for future EU funding around digitization of cultural heritage through the multi-billion programs Horizon Europe and Digital Europe and with expert advice around EU-wide digitization practices.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Wikimedia Argentina and the Wikimedia Foundation are working together to improve the quality and quantity of human rights content on Wikipedia. They are working to strengthen awareness of human rights and to combat misinformation, to help people know their rights and claim them. In partnership with Wikimedia Sverige the OHCHR’s expert teams use expertise and networks to collate lists of women human rights defenders that are missing from Wikipedia, as a resource for the volunteer community to work with in WikiGap.

The World Health Organization has formed a partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation initially focused on COVID-19, and began sharing content under an open license on Wikimedia Commons.

What is the Sharing is caring concept? What opportunities does it bring?[edit]

Sharing is caring is a service to the Wikimedia movement which engages with all three stages of content partnership with IGOs/INGOs, preparation, execution and follow-up.

Preparation

A service to the Wikimedia movement to provide high value content through the forming of new partnerships and with batch uploads from IGOs/INGOs. This content is global in scope and includes data, media files, source material and possibly other types of material as well. The service also acts to promote the usage of this content across the movement.
An effort where the Wikimedia movement forms strategic partnerships with international expert organizations to bring high value content about some of the largest issues facing the world today, to one of the most well used platforms in the world.
A close partnership between the thematic hub and the Wikimedia Foundation around forming new types of partnerships.
A close partnership between the thematic hub and multiple Wikimedia organizations across the world where there are e.g. regional offices to engage with, or where there is room for other kinds of involvement (such as training). Many Wikimedia affiliates have stated their interest to work more closely with e.g. UN agencies but have struggled to reach the right people.
A structured approach to increasing the amount of Wikimedian in Residence positions at IGOs/INGOs. This includes both a database of potential WiR candidates and a new training course for WiRs at IGOs.
A service to support the IGOs and INGOs to adopt the necessary licenses and open policies to allow their content to be included onto the Wikimedia platforms.

Execution

A structured and coordinated effort on a global scale to initiate formal long-term partnerships with IGOs and INGOs, for content to be added to the Wikimedia platforms, for new venues of collaborations to be unlocked, and for Wikimedian in Residence positions to spread throughout the IGOs and INGOs. To form partnerships with these types of organizations a central agreement with the head quarter (HQ) is often needed, and based on that local agreements are formed.
An innovative effort to stop misinformation on the national level. The information from international expert organizations can provide a counterweight to misinformation, or incomplete information, on the national level. By providing high quality content and sources from non-state actors in multiple languages fact based information can be shared with people across the world.
A powerful engine to identify needs and to share high quality information in a timely manner during a crisis to people across the world. When a crisis strikes there is often a need to quickly disseminate information. For that to be possible there needs to be preparatory work done, e.g. to identify existing knowledge gaps, to familiarize the organizations well in advance and to negotiate to have broad organizational agreements in place, to have expert teams formed both amongst volunteers and in the organizations and more.

Follow-up

A support function to organize events and activities to improve the shared content in close with different Wikimedia affiliates.
A service through which activities that create interest to share content from IGOs and INGOs can be organized, e.g. presentations at conferences or for different leaders in the organizations.
A pathfinder for the specific needs from IGOs and INGOs regarding technical tools or documentation that need to be developed.

What is the Sharing is caring concept not?[edit]

A partnership with an IGOs or INGOs can take many shapes and include many types of activities or funding opportunities. This initiative does not encompass all, but rather is focusing on finding ways to share and improve content from these organizations.
Partnerships with IGOs or INGOs are not owned by the thematic hub, this is a dedicated effort to fill the gaps and ensure progress. These efforts do not prevent other Wikimedia movement actors that have interest, capacity and ability to form partnerships with IGOs or INGOs. They are all completely free and encouraged to do so.

How will the Sharing is caring concept be organized?[edit]

Preparation

The Hub (through Wikimedia Sverige, at least initially) will negotiate partnerships with relevant organizations. This will be coordinated with the Wikimedia Foundation and other suitable Wikimedia affiliates. Frequently the agreements will be signed by multiple parties. The Hub can pursue partnerships independently from the Wikimedia Foundation and other affiliates, but coordination is always key. The problem to date for the Hub has not been to form partnerships with important content owners, but to fill them with purpose and solid plans. The agreements need to cover both short term commitments and long term directions together, while being open for other affiliates to join and form separate agreements with the IGOs/INGOs.
The Wikimedia Foundation will negotiate partnerships with relevant organizations as they see fit. This will be coordinated with the Hub and relevant Wikimedia affiliates. Frequently the agreements will be signed by multiple parties. Agreements can be pursued independently from the Hub and other affiliates, but coordination is always key. Especially to fill them with purpose and to develop solid plans.
The Hub will lead the work to organize and facilitate an advisory expert group. The expert group will proactively and ongoingly identify material that is of key importance to share to solve real world problems, identify what IGO/INGO has which content and, depending on the people in the expert group, whom to contact at different organizations. This will be coordinated with the research team at the Wikimedia Foundation which is working on ways to identify central articles of poor quality. The expert group will also support, encompass and build capacity for WiRs at IGOs and INGOs, and work actively with the WREN network to this end.
The Hub will provide material needed for free knowledge actors to work with IGOs and INGOs to adopt policies to open up their content and explain the value and benefit with Creative Commons licenses.

Execution

The Hub, in close collaboration with Wikimedia affiliates and volunteers, will lead the work to upload the agreed-upon content from the IGOs and INGOs. This can be both small and large scale content donations depending on what type of material is sought after. This work will inform the development of batch upload tools and other pieces of technical infrastructure long term.
The Hub portal on Meta will be developed and facilitated to ongoingly collect ideas from the online community of what content they would like to see added.
The Hub will lead the work on the internal communication efforts to highlight the work for the Wikimedia community.
The Hub’s staff will, in close collaboration with other Wikimedia affiliates, develop an educational and documentation plan for the IGOs and INGOs. This includes the compilation of information helping these international organizations to understand the impact of them working with Wikimedia, but also training of WiR candidates and execution of WiR positions.
The Hub will lead and facilitate a Wikimedian in Residence program for IGOs, in close collaboration with other Wikimedia affiliates and volunteers.
The Hub will identify what tools these types of organizations need to engage in content partnerships and share the knowledge to help include the findings in the different product plans developed by different Wikimedia organizations.
The Hub will train staff at the IGO/INGO to achieve internal buy-in and commitment. A strong focus on this will help to achieve success in the execution of all other parts.
The Hub will prepare and support events to improve the content shared on, or being prepared for, the Wikimedia platforms. E.g. toolkits will be developed to lower the barriers for smaller affiliates to organize events independently.
The Hub will lead the work to engage and include volunteers, both short and long term, to ensure that the content that has been uploaded through the Hub’s partnerships are used and improved upon, for example through Wiki Loves campaigns.

Follow-up

The Wikimedia Foundation will look into how the partnerships can be utilized in fundraising and brand building activities and to secure large donations.
The Hub will look into developing a fundraising model focusing on external grants based on the initial work.

Outstanding questions to solve[edit]

How do we form agreements that provide a clear path for the practical work?
How do we make it easy to find out what central collaborative frameworks have been agreed upon and that other affiliates can join?
How do we make it easy to find out what collaborations are active both locally and centrally and avoid multiple Wikimedia organizations approaching the same IGOs/INGOs –- unaware that they already have an ongoing collaboration with another Wikimedia organization.
How do we prioritize between different IGOs and INGOs? I.e. who do we decide to work with?
What does success look like? Is it based on the amount of content or the quality and importance of it? Something else?
What should we base the evaluation of success on? We need to define what success looks like.
How to provide long term sustainable partnership, support and capacity building with uncertain funding? How do we prioritize with limited resources?
Are we proactive (picking the themes) or reactive (working with cool partners that reach out)? If proactive, we can be more strategic but governance is key and complicated and can create a lot of in-fighting. If reactive, the narrative is weaker and we will be "all over the place", but the threshold to start is much lower.