| questions | | id | "467" |
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| messages | | column-1 | "Oppose" |
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| column0 | "Neutral" |
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| column+1 | "Support" |
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| text | "'''''Funds Dissemination Committee Election 2015 (five positions available)'''''" |
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| options | | id | "468" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Violetova|Snezhana Shtrkovska|Wikimedia CEE 2014 (2014-12-21) 007.JPG|"Shared knowledge is the only wealth and freedom we need. Everything else will come along."}}" |
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| id | "469" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Tanweer Morshed|Tanweer Morshed|User Tanweer.jpg|
In my opinion, the key responsibility of the FDC is to make a transparent and rational allocation of donors' money for the Wikimedia affiliates, therefore sustaining the Wikimedia movement around the world. Strengthening the movement through all the affiliates by proper allocation of funds and overcoming the burning bureaucratic issues while adhering to the mission goals of the movement are the challenges for FDC. As a member of the FDC, I intend to work on the following issues:
*Better assess the funding proposal through considering the entity's demand and both positive and negative comments on it from the wider Wikimedia community. The process of grant-making should be like agreeing upon a common statement by the both part: grantee and grantor, towards implementing the mission goals of the movement.
*To ensure that the grant-seeking entity does not face any discrimination in terms of ethnicity issues.
*Empower the eligible affiliates through proper and constructive guidance, with inputs from the community members.
I am a founding board member of Wikimedia Bangladesh and I have been involved in managing and organizing programs since its beginning. I've gained experience relating to organizational effectiveness and I would like to bring these experiences to the FDC.}}" |
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| id | "470" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Chsh|Shawn Chen|User_Chsh_Dubai_30_Dec_2014.jpg|
Greetings! I’ve been a longtime user of the Wikimedia platform and wholeheartedly support the foundation’s mission and vision. I believe volunteering my time as a member of the WDC would be the best application of my skills and expertise to help Wikimedia carry out its strategic plan. In addition, I represent not only the NA region, but also a diverse background being part Chinese and part Persian (with English, French, and Spanish running through the family as well).
The Foundation has a tremendous opportunity to create a meaningful, world-wide impact by providing grants, but it relies on the Wikimedia community and the FDC to ensure funds are appropriated effectively. I will engage the community and hold to the following action points:
* Support fund requests that align with the Wikimedia mission and five-year strategic plan, particularly those with a global impact.
* Thoroughly review and weigh applications according to their potential return on investment.
* Ensure that responsible, ethical protocols are upheld as outlined by the FDC framework.
* Publicly self-assess my performance within FDC and compare myself to expectations set out here.
* Ensure the FDC team works effectively and communicates appropriately with the greater Wikimedia organization. I will make sure all the right questions are being asked and that group-think is prevented.}}" |
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| id | "471" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Itzike|Itzik Edri|Behind the transparent scenes of Wikipedia - Meeting of value (22).JPG|
'''The FDC is the executive arm of the movement. Their decisions are crucial for the organizations development and for the whole movement.'''
I have been one of the great supporters for this kind of community committee. The movement was built and is run by volunteers, who are the best suited to lead the movement. As the WMIL chairperson, I took part in the process from the first step, highly involved as a grantee but when necessary, also as critic. I'm pleased that over the years many of my proposals have been implemented, making him better for everyone. One of them is the need to provide the grantees detailed feedback about the decisions. This should be the one of the committee’s major goals - not only to reach decisions regarding grant amounts, but also to share knowledge and best practice with the affiliations in order to teach them.
'''We are not like others foundations – our grantees are part of our movement.''' Our decisions should be professional, but also effective and supportive for them. We will must aim to see more and diverse grantees, working in an effective and transparent way – together, as a movement – not as individuals. It is a terrible waste of money when one organization is spending money to develop the same infrastructure that another organization is also developing. We have brighter future by making the knowledge in the world more accessible and free, and '''we should and can do this together'''. }}" |
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| id | "472" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Mike Peel|Mike Peel|Michael Peel - 8 June 2013.JPG|
The FDC has an important role in ensuring that the largest organisations within our movement effectively and responsibly spend the money donated to the Wikimedia movement in ways that will make measurable and significant differences. As an FDC member, my aims would be to:
* Use my 7 years of experience and insight with the Wikimedia organisations to assess the FDC proposals and recommend appropriate levels of funding for the applying entities, whilst listening to and encouraging the community's input on the applications and about the organisations;
* Maintain and improve the transparency of the FDC, and the entities that it is assessing, whilst respecting confidentiality when necessary;
* Make sure that the FDC application and reporting forms are clear, concise and accessible to the community and the applicants;
* Ensure that Wikimedia organisations appropriately measure the impact of their work, including clearly and frequently report to the community they are working on behalf of;
* Ensure that the organisations meet all of the standards and expectations that the Foundation and the community are setting for them (and vice versa); and
* Encourage other Wikimedia affiliate organisations to apply for FDC funding, where the FDC funding structure would increase their effectiveness and efficiency.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask them!}}" |
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| id | "475" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Smallbones|Peter Ekman||
The FDC's job is to
*make sure that the WMF get funds into the hands of those Wikimedia-related groups that can make the biggest impact in achieving the WMF’s strategic goals, and
* assure the Board, donors, and community that the funds are being responsibly spent.
My priorities as an FDC member would be to:
* Continue to increase the professionalism and efficiency of the FDC and the funds allocation process. In the 3 years of its existence the FDC has gone from a strange new idea to a smooth-running institution that evaluates and funds major parts of the Wiki-movement. The FDC is very different from other non-profit funding organizations, and has created a model for the internet age. We need to keep improving the model.
* Funding *all* types of groups and nationalities, but especially encouraging diversity of people and groups within the movement, such as groups in the global south, and to others currently under-represented in the community.
* Reaching out and helping groups apply for funding and making their experience as smooth and painless as possible.
* Continue to develop quantitative measures of effectiveness and making sure that they are used to supplement rather than replace non-quantitative evaluation.}}" |
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| id | "476" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Flixtey|Felix Nartey|Felix Nartey.jpg|
I am a young energetic individual who is enthused about the vision and goals of the Wikimedia Foundation. I am excited about the opportunities the work we do provides and will provide to the world in the near future.
It is a privilege to be part of this esteemed institution and to play a substantial role in our vision. I believe through the role of the FDC, we can ensure value for our money and to a large extent ensure efficient and judicious use of our resources towards achieving community purpose. The increase in the number of affiliation groups and institutions call for a more autonomous and well versed committee in the areas of grant appraisal, hence the Funds and Dissemination Committee.
I am willing to use my skill sets and experience to compliment the activities of this committee and to ensure prudent and critical grant decision making and advisory services to the board.}}" |
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| id | "477" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Wittylama|Liam Wyatt|Liam_Wyatt_in_India.jpg|
The funds-dissemination process is a fundamental part of our movement’s operations, so for us to succeed in our mission we must proactively support the capacity development of affiliates and the FDC is a crucial component of this. It is vital for helping to ''build professionalism, reward effectiveness, ensure financial transparency and retain community oversight'' across our movement. In this next two-year period I would like the FDC to focus on ensuring that:
* applicants who use proven strategies/projects/activities that have been tested by other affiliates in previous years are rewarded. We have become better at documenting our best practices but need to improve in replicating successes;
* the standards expected of each applicant are appropriate for their development level and professional capacity. The larger the organisation and amount it is requesting, the higher the standard should be. Equally, smaller/younger affiliates requesting smaller amounts should feel that the process is designed to help rather than hinder them;
* all parties (FDC, applicants, the WMF, other affiliates) are clear about what is expected from the beginning, and that rules or expectations will not be changed halfway through the process.}}" |
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| id | "478" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Ad Huikeshoven|Ad Huikeshoven|Wikimedia Conference 2013-04-20 19.JPG|
The FDC is maturing and stabilizing its process, nonetheless sometimes FDC recommendations are unpredictable and have been challenged. FDC applicants experience an ever increasing set of standards to be met for proposals and reports. Accountabilitiy is necessary, though some requirements do not stimulate applicants to innovate. Some affiliates are doing great with impact on their environment without being recognised for their endeavours in the current system of metrics and evaluations. The FDC should stimulate emergence of new affiliates in the Global South rather than impeding growth of current Global North affiliates.
Chapters and other affiliate entities prefer to be evaluated and reviewed by peers. As a former treasurer and current board member of Wikimedia Nederland I’m one of the peers.}}" |
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| id | "479" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Laurentius|Lorenzo Losa|Lorenzo Losa-2012.JPG|
The FDC is a key part of our movement. It's not only grantmaking; it's ''participatory'' grantmaking. Funds are not the only issue at stake here. It essential to remember our key values, and among them:
* '''transparency'''. Let the plans, activities, and decisions be visible and understandable.
* '''collaboration & participation'''. It's the core of our movement.
* '''empowering the volunteers'''. Our people have amazing ideas. Our organizations are built to translate them in amazing programs.
To fulfill its role, and effectively allocate donors' money, I believe the FDC is facing a few challenges:
* '''understanding the diversity'''. Affiliates have different sizes, contexts, and approaches. That's one of our richnesses.
* '''thinking long term'''. It's not only about the next year: the plans, and the recommendations of the FDC, shape the movement on a longer term.
* '''clarity'''. Being transparent means making information not only available, but also accessible and understandable; being participative means not only allowing people to participate, but also effectively enabling them to do so.
The FDC is more than a technical committee. It makes technical decisions, but in order to support our mission and according to our values. Those values are the reason why we have a committee. The Foundation could have hired nine technicians; but that wouldn't work. It wouldn't be as participative and transparent. It wouldn't be as tied in our movement.}}" |
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| id | "480" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdc candidate links|Aegis Maelstrom|Michał Buczyński|Aegis Lodz 2012.jpg|
FDC is the financial steward of Wikimedia.<br>
It is much more than a pesky evaluator when it helps to steer the Movement, serving as a platform for Volunteers, Affiliates, Staff and Board. FDC can be:
*your partner, learning from stakeholders and translating their viewpoints to each other in the process,
*your coach, explaining and keeping goals and standards set by the Board,
*your advisor, serving with own experience to reach the most efficient solution.
FDC can help to keep the Movement global and diverse, respecting and building on local circumstances while reaching higher standards and some bigger bang for every penny.
If elected, I would take it as a service towards common goal and my efforts would include:
* Reaching out the partners to learn their needs, hopes and worries to pass it forward.
* Search for role models and golden standards, including proven concepts like WLM.
* Assistance to the applicants.
* Partnership and seeking a common goal (''be soft on people, harder on problems'')
* Work on quantitative and qualitative data, seeking for patterns and benchmarks.
* Work on reporting standards, as transparency is healthy and actual data are crucial for decision making but forms can be a huge burden for the majority of affiliates. Possibly meaningful and automated solutions should be worked out together.
* Encourage co-operation between affiliates, advocate distributed nature of the Movement, e.g. competence centres.}}" |
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| id | "473" |
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| messages | | column-1 | "Oppose" |
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| column0 | "Neutral" |
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| column+1 | "Support" |
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| text | "'''''Funds Dissemination Committee Ombudsperson Election 2015 (one position available)'''''" |
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| options | | id | "474" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdco candidate links|Kirill Lokshin|Kirill Lokshin|Kirill Lokshin (2013).jpg|
I've been a Wikimedian for almost ten years, having first started editing in June 2005. In that time, I've held numerous roles across the movement, including serving on Wikimedia DC's board and being a member of the Affiliations Committee, English Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee, and a number of other advisory groups.
While the FDC process has matured and improved significantly over the past several years, I believe that further enhancements is always possible, and that a philosophy of continuous evaluation and improvement of such key processes is healthy for the Funds Dissemination Committee, the Wikimedia Foundation, and the rest of the Wikimedia movement. The Ombudsperson has a key role to play in advocating for such continuous improvement and ensuring that participants' and stakeholders' concerns with the process are addressed in a constructive fashion.}}" |
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| id | "481" |
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| messages | | text | "{{Fdco candidate links|NickK|Mykola Kozlenko|Wikimedia UK visitors photo wall August 2013 (01).JPG|
The position of FDC Ombudsperson is not the most visible one, but it plays a key role in improving the work of Funds Dissemination Committee. Annual Plan Grants programme is constantly evolving, and it would be beneficial to the Wikimedia movement to take into consideration suggestions of interested parties: organisations submitting proposals, FDC and board members involved in review of proposals, staff members of Wikimedia Foundations facilitating the process as well as community members in general. An important mission of the FDC Ombudsperson would be making sure that transparency of the process is maintained and all concerns are handled.
I am active in Wikimedia movement for 7 years, and I have a good knowledge of both Global South (Ukraine) and Global North (France) Wikimedia communities. Online, I am an administrator, checkuser and former arbitrator of Ukrainian Wikipedia, and I also contributed to a number of Wikimedia projects in other languages. Offline, I am a member of Wikimedia Ukraine since 2009, its board member since 2012 and treasurer since 2013, and I am involved in a number of projects, such as Wiki Loves Monuments & Wiki Loves Earth, article contests, QRpedia and others.}}" |
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