Grants talk:Simple/Applications/Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda/2020

Questions from WMF

Hello colleagues at WCUG Uganda! I have a few quick questions on your application:

Objectives

You state your objectives, in each program, which is good, but a few of them are not clear or, not clearly related to your stated targets in the metrics document. What I mean by this is:

• Program PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITIONS:
  • Example: Create awareness for Wikimedia projects is a very broad and not SMART objectives. It would be more accurate to give an explanation of what you consider to be "create awareness". What is it you're measuring to make sure you've created more awareness? How is it tied to your grants metrics targets?
  • Example 2: Increased partnerships with Photographers: who are the photographers? Are these volunteer editors that do photography, are they professionals? How do you "partner" with them?
• Program DIVERSITY AND CONTENT GENERATION
  • Example 1: Closing content gap about Uganda: where? How? Any particular content focus?
  • Example 2: Same as above about the increasing awareness.

Program: Diversity and Content Generation program

This program's description talks a lot about past achievements but does not really explain what your plans are for 2020. It looks like you will be doing more of what you've been doing,but it is not clear what that exactly entails. For example, what are the partnerships, with whom, how will you go about strengthening them or creating new ones? What are the plan with the Makerere University? On the specific topic of the Luganda Wikipedia, are you training students? How would you arate the content created? Is it of good quality? What are the things you intend to focus on to do this further?

Program: Open Education resources

The program seems to be included in the above program, since it hinges especially on the Luganda Wikipedia. Make sure this is differentiated from the above. It is clearer here what you are looking at doing,t hanks to the stated goals, but since the above program is not as clear, it is difficult to dissociate both.

Budget question

• Can you confirm what "volunteer allowances" are? And internet subscriptions? (mostly in the Education program). Thanks!
• Also, what do you mean by "Wikimedia Conference" in the Travel budget? Is that the Berlin Summit? Wikimania? Thanks.
• Finally, can you confirm what "accounting software + accountant exactly means? If this is for a software and someone to operate the software, or some outsourced accounting services, 100 USD seems very low.

Thank you for answering these questions as soon as possible so we can integrate your answers in our review. Delphine (WMF) (talk) 08:09, 18 November 2019 (UTC)

Response from Erina

Objectives

• Program PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITIONS:
  • Example:Awareness is for people to know the existence of wikimedia project. to know the uses and advantages of contributing to such platforms but also how to consume knowledge on the platforms. Having new participants would imply we have created some awareness but also the number of people who attend our launch, editing and upload sessions. Media coverage would be another indication of this
  • Example 2: We want to create partnerships with professional photographers who bring a better quality of photos
• Program DIVERSITY AND CONTENT GENERATION
  • Example 1:

Closing the content gap on wikimedia projects through the creation of content by Ugandans. the focus will women in Uganda(wikiGap, wiki women), content in local languages(Translator-thon) and Uganda related topics(Africa Month)

Program: Diversity and Content Generation program

For the most part these are continuing activities that we have been doing for the past three years.

• For the Luganda Translator thons we have had a solid partnership for past three year with makerere university languages department. We have just never had a budget to offer more than our training capabilities. This will definitely help us have more consistent engagements and meet our targets. Makerere university Department of languages provides us with space during lectures to train students and engage in edit-athons . These are university students studying luganda , and in the past projects we have done, they have proved to create better content versus secondary students. we want to commit to consistent sessions and build a momentum in this partnership. They are the key to growing luganda wikipedia

• Wikigap also leads to strengthening existing partnership but we are targeting new media and activists partnerships in the related field
• Wiki women is aimed at strengthening the partnerships we made last year

Program: Open Education resources

this program focuses on creating a viewing, usage and creation cycle. Its primary focus is creating content is luganda wikipedia just like the diversity sessions. But this involves students and teachers using wikipedia as a learning tool in the classroom. Teachers are trained to implement and inturn teach their students.

University students (a focus group not whole class as per diversity explanation) will be able to create material for students to consume during classes.

Budget question

• volunteer allowances- this an allowance to offset their expenses as volunteers
• internet subscriptions- cost of internet i.e packages we would pay for monthly

• Wikimedia Conference- wikiIndaba conference and wikimedia education conference
• accounting software + accountant - software(quickbooks online) and someone to operate the software

Thank you @Erinamukuta:. The budget questions are also important for me to understand before we can give our feedback! Delphine (WMF) (talk) 11:03, 20 November 2019 (UTC)

simple APG Committee recommendation

We recommend that Wikimedia User Group Uganda receives a grant for 14,774 USD. WUG Uganda in the past year has grown thanks to a dedicated and strong team that has managed to deliver impactful programs. This first annual plan, with programs and activities focusing on content gaps and diversity, is clearly structured, with clear activities that will lead to impact. We are confident that they can deliver on this plan, and probably more, and will be looking forward to this year's program developments.

For the committee, Islahaddow (talk) 11:30, 27 November 2019 (UTC)

Wikimedia User Group Uganda APG approved in the amount of 14,774 USD

Congratulations! Your grant is approved in the amount of 14,774 USD, with a grant term starting 1 January 2020 and ending 31 December 2020.

While the community in Uganda has been active since 2014 in the region, the Wikimedia User Group Uganda as such has been an active group since 2018, led by a number of very active volunteers. Their core team just expanded with two more volunteers joining in the past few months.

Wikimedia User Group Uganda's annual plan is focused around four programs, which all serve specific goals but also support two major stated objectives, to increase awareness in the country around Wikimedia Projects, and to add quality and diverse content, all of this under a diversity lense.

The program Photographic competitions includes major Wikimedia Campaigns such as WLE, WLM and Wiki loves Africa. The group will be steering those campaigns by supporting the volunteers in launching the competitions, organizing photo hunts and upload sessions, as well as working on finding people to be part of the juries, work that they have done with great results in previous years.

In their program Diversity and content generation, WUG Uganda aims at closing the content gap in contributors but also in topics, through activities such as Wiki Gap and Wiki Women. They will tackle the local language needs for digital source of information by working with the Luganda Wikipedia. While this Wikipedia is still very barebones, it has grown thanks to previous efforts from the group. The work in the Luganda Wikipedia will also be around improving the interface access in Luganda, in a partnership with the Department of Languages at the Makerere University as part of their Education program. In that program, WUG Uganda also plans to focus on work with teachers to present Wikipedia and opportunities for them to work with the Wikimedia projects in general.

Creating awareness towards Wikimedia projects in Uganda's institutions will be a big part of their GLAM program, which, through activities such as participation in 1lib1ref and heightened partnerships with especially library collective associations, will aim to train GLAM staff and users to various Wikimedia projects, with a focus on Commons, Wikipedia and Wikidata. GLAM partnerships will also serve as a way to secure better access and better sharing of content related to Uganda.

Previous projects from the WUG Uganda have been successful, and their experience and dedication will serve to attain their objectives in this first Annual Plan Grant. The number of partnerships they seek to attain might be a bit too ambitious for a year, but other targets seem achievable given their past results.

WUG Uganda's plan is thoughtful and strategic and we are looking forward to see their presence grow this year and work in their context in the years to come to continue and support Wikimedia Projects efficiently, while raising awareness about free knowledge in their region.

Best regards, Delphine (WMF) (talk) 16:46, 27 November 2019 (UTC)

Request for extension

i request for extension of half way report to 30th july Erinamukuta (talk) 10:50, 2 July 2020 (UTC)

Extension approved

Hello Erinamukuta, thank you for putting your request here. I am approving your request to submit the midpoint report on July 30th, 2020. Best regards, WJifar (WMF) (talk) 22:12, 13 July 2020 (UTC)

Request for extension

i request for extension of half way report to 15th August due to some few pending issues Erinamukuta (talk) 09:49, 7 August 2020 (UTC)

Hello Erinamukuta, I approve your extension request. Best regards, DSaroyan (WMF) (talk) 09:31, 10 August 2020 (UTC)

Request for re-allocation of funds to a new project

Dear sAPG team,

We request to re-allocate USD 3975 to a new pilot usergroup project in our grant period. The funds to be re-allocated were part of the USD 4000 travel budget to Wikimedia events which were cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Usergroup has planned for implementation of this pilot project since 16 May 2020
• The project idea was developed in November 2019 at Wiki Indaba in Abuja.

New project objectives and targets

The new project (Wikisoccerthons), will be part of the Usergroup's Diversity and content Generation programes, with two additional objectives;

1. Increasing the diversity of Wikimedia volunteers
2. Increasing the geographical reach (footprint) of the Usergroup in Uganda

Some of the project targets will be ;

• 75 total participants
• 10 new active editors
• 20 content pages created or improved
• Partnership with one or some of the national soccer affiliate(s)

Budget breakdown

Expense details for project activities, are available on this spreadsheet

Thanks. --Douglaseru (talk) 04:32, 12 August 2020 (UTC)

Hello Douglaseru, thanks for putting your request on the discussion page! Have have reviewed and approved it! Best regards, DSaroyan (WMF) (talk) 12:50, 19 August 2020 (UTC)

Thank you for this DSaroyan (WMF) much appreciated. --Douglaseru (talk) 00:31, 20 August 2020 (UTC)

Midpoint Report Accepted

Hello Douglaseru and Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda Colleagues, thanks for submitting your midpoint report. We have reviewed the metrics, budget, and report and marked them as accepted. Thank you for your work for the Wikimedia Movement! Best regards, DSaroyan (WMF) (talk) 07:17, 20 August 2020 (UTC)

Request for re-allocation of funds in the budget

The original budget for communication was 100 dollars but due to the pandemic we had to procure zoom subscription for our online events that cost us 150 dollars.

• i request we re allocate 50 dollars from office supplies to communication
• i request for transfer of 300 dollars from luganda translator thons to GLAM budget and have the luganda tranlator-thons incorporated into the education project which is also focusing on the use of luganda wikipedia. The request is due to an online GLAM campaign hosted by Uganda and Tanzania and it is meant to cover voice and data costs of participants.

Erinamukuta (talk) 11:12, 26 August 2020 (UTC)

Questions on prizes, meetings, and in-country travel

Hi DSaroyan (WMF), sAPG team,

We have previously/recently provided prizes like t-shirts to only the top winners from the photographic competitions, however, the Usergroup received a donation to the community from one of the winners from the Wiki Loves Earth 2020 competition; the top 2 choices from the community were

1. A social event, like a lunch/dinner since they have barely met each other (in-person) since the WMF ban on physical offline events. (This would be a maximum of 30 people).
2. To have t-shirts as prizes for all the participants.

The Usergroup is considering option 2 of providing t-shirts, but what's the sAPG's opinion on the above?

Secondly, as we await the new WMF guidelines on in-person gatherings, a COVID-19 planning section (which will be expanded/updated with time) has been developed for one of the Usergroup's projects

1. Can in-country travel or offline meetings of 3 - 10 people be allowed at the moment, respectively, or this should also wait for the new WMF guidelines?
   1. The Usergroup is currently holding online events/meetings, and waiting on new WMF guidelines for offline events and gatherings.

Thanks. --Douglaseru (talk) 05:02, 1 September 2020 (UTC)

Hello Douglaseru, thanks for posting your questions. For the WLE 2020 competition donation, I suggest choosing the second option since an in-person event with 30 participants will not be allowed, even when the WMF guidelines are published. For your second questions, I encourage you to wait until the end of this week when the WMF guidelines and COVID-19 risk assessment tools on offline gatherings will be published. Best regards, DSaroyan (WMF) (talk) 07:54, 1 September 2020 (UTC)

Hi DSaroyan (WMF) thank you for the response, we shall wait for the new guidelines and COVID-19 risk assessment tools on offline gatherings. Regards. --Douglaseru (talk) 02:55, 2 September 2020 (UTC)

Request for extension

We request for an extension of the final reporting date for the Wikipedia Community User Group Uganda from 31st January 2021 to 1st March (preferably). Due to elections in Uganda this January , we experienced an internet shutdown and a complete social media blackout. This delayed our ability to work on the report as a team online or offline due to uncertainties. Thanks in advance for your consideration Erinamukuta (talk) 07:56, 17 February 2021 (UTC)

Hello Erina, Thank you for reaching out with your request for an extension. Thank you for your patience as well. We definitely understand that the circumstances in Uganda following the elections influenced your activities and reporting timelines. Please find this request granted and we look forward to having the report on 1st March. Please let us know once the report has been updated. Thank you and wishing you the very best. Kind regards, Veronica.--VThamaini (WMF) (talk) 16:53, 27 February 2021 (UTC)