Movement Charter/Supplementary Document/Hubs: revised piloting guideline

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This document describes the revised guidelines for implementing Regional and Thematic Hubs. It includes general guidance for ensuring high quality, transparent, and connected work on Hubs across the Wikimedia Movement. This is a proposed, decentralized process to advance aspiring Hubs. Advancing the Hubs is useful to experiment and learn about this new type of organization within the Wikimedia Movement. These guidelines may be changed in the future as a result of lessons learned.

Set up checklist

To qualify as a Movement Strategy Hub project, it must meet the requirements of:

• A stated goal;
• Initial membership and interested stakeholders;
• Public documentation;
• Needs assessment/research;
• Clear and effective implementation or action plan; and
• A connection to Movement Strategy implementation.

Support

The project team of a Hub will be responsible for requesting any support that they need. It can reach out to the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia Movement Organizations for support that will be beneficial in advancing the project.

Existing Wikimedia Movement Bodies and committees are available to provide advisory support in advancing the Hubs. These include:

• Wikimedia Foundation staff members and teams, who are available to allocate their time and resources to:
  • Provide support in formalizing or starting up the Hubs;
  • Foster exchange between Hubs;
  • Provide information in relation to overall Movement Strategy implementation; and
  • Provide consultation on specific topics in relation to their area of expertise.
• Wikimedia Movement Organizations and committees may be available in an advisory role in their specific expertise areas.

Financial support

While not all Hubs require financial support to advance their work, in many cases, financial resources are essential in advancing the project. There are some implications related to the aspect of funding:

• If the Hub is capable of finding its own funding, there are no additional requirements.
• If the Hub needs funding, the appropriate committee within the Global Council will assess the proposal and may suggest improvements to the proposed project as per the Wikimedia Community Fund process. In the Global Council’s absence, the Wikimedia Foundation will assume this responsibility.

Trademark

While not all Hubs require the use of Wikimedia trademark, it is beneficial in some cases to meet the goal of the project.

If the use of Wikimedia trademarks is needed, the usual process of setting up trademark agreements will apply.

A Wikimedia Hub must

• Have a clear purpose that:
  • Defines how the Hub contributes to the achievement of Wikimedia Movement’s vision,
  • Links the Hub’s goals to the Movement Strategy, and
  • Does not duplicate or significantly overlap with the purpose of another Hub.
• Determine its governance mode and accountability, including:
  • Clear decision-making mechanisms,
  • Membership model and criteria,
  • Defined relation with the communities they serve, and
  • Public documentation of the progress towards its stated purpose and key decisions.
• Be responsible to support conflict resolution within their scope and membership, including:
  • Adopting a Conflict of Interest policy created by the Global Council.
• Be committed to work toward their goals and impact, approved by the Global Council. In the Global Council’s absence, the Wikimedia Foundation will assume this responsibility.

A Wikimedia Hub should

• Collaborate with other Wikimedia Movement Bodies, including, but not limited to:
  • Other Wikimedia Hubs,
  • Informal groups, and
  • Individuals that seek their advice or ask their support.
• Stay informed of the related activities of other Hubs and Wikimedia Movement Organizations to:
  • Be aware of and cooperate on common interests or goals, and
  • Avoid duplications or overlaps.
• Be committed to diverse and inclusive leadership, meaning:
  • Demonstrating a continuous effort made to ensure diversity of leadership (for example, representation of gender, age, languages, regions, projects, and others).

A Wikimedia Hub could

• Organize itself to do additional activity coordination in alignment with the Hub purpose, such as:
  • Organizing events and conferences,
  • Initiating activities around revenue generation and funds distribution following the global guidelines established by the Global Council,
  • Networking with external partners, or
  • Undertaking advocacy activities.

Support entities in managing their grants as a fiscal sponsor, if the Hub is incorporated.

Notes