DISCLAIMER: This post includes the statement of intent for the Roles & Responsibilities chapter of the Movement Charter. If you have feedback, there are many ways to participate in the consultation period.
Introduction
With the draft below, the MCDC introduces its main intentions for the foundation of the Roles & Responsibilities chapter of the Movement Charter. This brief explanation, up to the actual intentions below, will not be part of the final version of the Movement Charter but is only intended as an explanation during the consultation processes.
The Roles and Responsibilities chapter will present an overview of the various roles and responsibilities within the Wikimedia Movement, and its division across involved stakeholders. We intend to engage with different stakeholders in the process of redefining and organizing the governance model for the Wikimedia Movement.
Overall, this chapter will define the adoption of our values and principles in practice. It will describe the distribution of roles and responsibilities for entities across the Wikimedia Movement, including the suggested but unexplored structures of Global Council and Hubs.
The Movement Charter will be written in simple English to provide a low entry barrier to the complexity of our ecosystem.
It is important to note, that the Movement Charter Drafting Committee does not have a decision making power by itself, but once the Movement Charter is formally ratified, it will redefine our governance structure. The exact ratification process is yet to be determined.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Roles & Responsibilities chapter will be based on the following intentions:
- As the Wikimedia Movement has changed over the last 20 years, the committee understands that roles and responsibilities need to evolve accordingly. They also need to provide space for future growth, adjustment and innovation.
- This chapter will provide an overview of the Wikimedia Movement and will introduce two new entities: Hubs and the Global Council. The chapter will also introduce and define the mandates of these new entities, when and where they seem fit. The committee will provide clarity of structure, functions, hierarchy and interactions for all stakeholders. We will work to come to a common agreement for a Hubs definition, taking into account the on-going pilots and community perspectives. Considering the anticipated stature of the Global Council, there will be a dedicated chapter in the Movement Charter.
- The roles and responsibilities that currently exist in the Wikimedia Movement may be modified, in part or whole. While doing this, the MCDC will review the previous work by the Movement Strategy 2030 working groups, as well as other relevant resources.
- Our Movement is constantly evolving. The MCDC will consider alternative governance structures and their potential for future applications.
- The MCDC will propose new roles and responsibilities for the Movement, fill identified gaps and aim for decentralization and subsidiarity.
[end of statement of intent]
Guidelines for Engagement
- Keep it focused, concise, constructive.
- If you don’t like something, suggest improvement.
- Stick to the text. Feedback ideas/intentions/max sentences, not single words.
- Focus on the idea, not the people behind it.
- Listen to others and be receptive to different viewpoints.
Prompts for Discussion
In addition to the question posed at the end of the draft text, below are other questions to prompt discussion.
- In general or specifically, do you agree with the draft text above?
- If you disagree with a certain section, please quote it in your response and suggest an alternative phrasing.
- Is anything missing from the draft text that you would like to be considered or included?
- Do you have a clarifying question about the draft text?
To feedback on the other chapters of the draft texts, check the links below:
