Grants:Conference/Northern Europe Meeting 2018

Please give a brief description of the event you are planning. What do you hope to accomplish during the event? Why is this event important for your community?

We want active participants from the Wikimedia organizations in the Northern European countries to meet and share knowledge, network and create new joint initiatives and projects.

The following tangible outcomes aimed for with this event are:

The start of at least three cooperation projects between the Wikimedia organizations in Northern Europe.
An established model for continuous communication between affiliates in the region.
Increased capacities of regional affiliates and individual members to achieve goals in at least two specific areas.
The establishment of a structure for a recurring regional event.

As the first regional conference in Northern Europe it marks a new day of cooperation between regional affiliates. It is important as we believe that by sharing our experiences and knowledge with other organizations acting in similar contexts, we will be able to both save time and effort and also have a bigger impact with our work and efforts. This role for knowledge sharing at regional events, rather than international events, is something that has been discussed over the last few years. This enhanced focus on regional and thematic conferences is an interesting development, and we would be happy to share lessons and experience from this event to help facilitate this transformation.

Important details

Please add key information to the table below. The dates, location and number of participants can be estimates and do not need to be finalized at this time.

Proposed date(s)	5-7 October
Proposed location	Stockholm, Sweden
Number of participants	20-25
Event page	On meta
Primary contact person	John Andersson

Background

Community input

Use the results from the community engagement survey to fill in the table below. Since you cannot cover all topics or meet all needs at one event, prioritisation is important. Please rank the priority of each topic, skill, project or problem as high, medium or low. Finally, please answer the questions below the table.

A large number of ideas for topics were presented in the survey.

	Description	Priority
Strategic discussions: What are the top issues affecting your community that need to be discussed in person?	How to form cooperations between the chapters in the region, e.g. around communities, joint initiatives, trainings, politics.	High priority
Capacity development: Are there important skills that many people in your community need to learn?	How to best share information and what platforms to use. How to form partnerships. How can the organizations be more professional/move from volunteers to staff. How to do advocacy. How to access resources.	High priority
Working groups: Are there joint projects that need to be planned in person?	Future events (Wikimania 2019). Diversity projects. Educational projects. Volunteer driven projects. Communication projects, Technical projects.	Medium priority
Community building: Are there other in-person activities that are important for community building?	Face-to-face interactions and taking active part in interactive sessions are crucial.	Medium priority

Survey analysis:

How many people did you send the survey to? How many people responded to the survey?
1. 26 people received the survey representing 8 chapters. Out of them 14 people answered (some of them stating that they answered representing their chapter). As some of the answers represent more than one person we are happy with this response rate.
Did you see consensus around shared goals that this community wants to focus on in the next 12 months? What were the top 2 goals?
1. Strategic discussions and growing communities
Based on survey responses, what are the most important things your community should do at the conference to achieve those goals?
1. Organize well prepared interactive sessions (discussions) to share experiences and ideas on equal footing

Context

It is helpful to get an understanding of why this event is important to your community, and what experiences you have had in the past. Please answer the applicable questions below.

1. What inspired your community to begin planning this event?

Wikimedia Nordic affiliates have met for a number of years on various conferences and meetings (see Nordic Wikimedia page on meta). Also a number of collaborative activities have been organized (e.g. see yearbook) During previous meetings the idea of organizing a separate working/sharing meeting has been discussed several times and got a more concrete form during discussion on WMCON 2017, followed by a meet-up on Wikimania 2017. Sweden has been approved by members of Nordic Wikimedia as an ideal location for organizing this event for its central geographical location and for notable experience that local chapter Wikimedia Sverige and its staff has in organizing international events (e.g. Diversity Conference 2017). Wikimedia Sverige will be backbone organizer of the event, but its program will be developed in collaborative manner with other regional affiliates. During discussions so far 7 key thematic areas for collaboration have been highlighted:

Board training
Organizations
GLAM
Education
Tech
Advocacy
Communication Wikimedia Sverige has proven competence in all these fields and as an organizer can facilitate and support discussion in all these areas (although priority is given to collaborative effort).

2. How does this event relate to other activities that your community is working on?

Wikimedia Sverige has a long standing interest in increasing the cooperation between the Wikimedia organizations in Northern Europe. We frequently share information and discuss joint issues and have recently started working on developing different joint initiatives. Some examples of this include initiatives and projects regarding the native population in Northern Europe, the Sami, work around gender diversity, cultural heritage and education (as these systems are similar across Northern Europe). We also discuss political issues and share lessons, but we strongly believe that there are more actions that could and should be taken in this regard. 2018/19 will also be a transition year for Wikimedia 2030 strategy discussions, where as part of Phase II we determine roles and responsibilities of local affiliates, as well as discuss concrete opportunities to move in strategic direction (i.e. establish Wikimedia as the essential infrastructure for free knowledge, work on knowledge equity and knowledge as a service) with our local and regional programmatic work. Regional meeting provides an excellent platform for such discussions in the context of Northern European collaboration. Also Wikimedia Sverige and Wikimedia Norge have had an important role in discussions about affiliate led partnerships and resources development, with executive director of WMSE having been core team member for this initiative since the beginning. Northern European meet-up would be an excellent event to extend the reach of that work and an opportunity to build actual partnerships and peer mentorship initiatives. Furthermore we hope to have a clear Nordic dimension at Wikimania 2019 that recently was awarded Wikimedia Sverige and this regional Wikimedia meeting would serve as a good place to discuss some of the ideas related to creation of such regionally special dimension on the biggest Wikimedia event of the year. We consider the cooperation to be in the early stages and believe there are many benefits with setting aside time and meeting in person to quickly share insights and develop the ideas further. This event would be a first small attempt around this.

3. Please list the priorities identified in the report from the last conference organized by this community. What progress have you made in those areas?

This would be the first conference for the Wikimedia organizations in Northern Europe. However, the need to organize such a conference have been discussed at numerous other conferences over the years. See question 1 above.

4. If your community has hosted a similar conference in the past, what key lessons were learned, and what would you like to improve on?

Wikimedia Sverige took the initiative to organize the international Wikimedia Diversity Conference 2017 (WikiDivCon) where participants from across the globe met in Stockholm to discuss diversity within our movement. The process helped us develop our skills around logistics, program development and scholarships. This event will be smaller in scale with a lot less complexity around e.g. visa application and travel. The WikiDivCon was practical in scope which participants appreciated. At this event we will continue along this par and focus on developing joint projects and share practical knowledge to further the development of the local chapters.

Plan

Venue and Logistics

1. If the venue is more than 1 hour away from a major airport or transportation hub, how will participants travel to the event venue?

The venue will be at Wikimedia Sverige's new office. Public transport in Stockholm is excellent and these are the ways we suggest you travel from the airport. See Wikivoyage for more info. To get from Arlanda Airport to central Stockholm you can either use Arlanda Express (fast and a bit pricey train), Flygbussarna (ordinary transfer bus) or taxi (make sure to use the fixed price). Arlanda Express Departs from both terminals 5 and 4, and takes 20 minutes to get to the central station. Buy tickets in the machines at the platform, or download the app (Arlanda Express) and buy tickets there. The ticket (single journey) is 280 SEK. Flygbussarna Departs outside terminals 5 and 4, and takes about 45 minutes to get to the central station. Buy tickets in the machines outside the terminals or on the bus (credit card only) or download the app (Flygbussarna, at Google Play or App Store) and buy tickets there. The ticket (including return ticket) is 198 SEK. Taxi Major taxi companies operate on a fixed price basis between Arlanda and central Stockholm. Prices at the taxi stands range from 450 SEK to 520 SEK. Generally, you can freely choose among the waiting taxis, or ask the operator for a specific company. Beware of the smaller, expensive, taxi companies. Each taxi has a yellow and white price tag (per 10 km and 15 minutes) on the right rear window; prefer cabs where the price is no more than 350 kr. A taxi ride from Arlanda to Sheraton takes approximately 40 minutes, from the central station a taxi ride almost takes longer time then if you walk.

2. Is the event venue within walking distance from the hotel? If not, how will people travel between the two locations?

Wikimedia Sverige will negotiate rates with a couple of hotels and hostels which will be offered to the participants.

3. Is the event venue and hotel accessible for people with physical disabilities?

Yes. We will have the event at street level without stairs. There are door openers and handicap toilets available.

4. Do you anticipate any challenges with using the space for the event you are planning?

No, we have put in a preliminary booking already.

Friendly space policy

Please link to the friendly space policy that your community will be using for this event.

Riktlinjer för inkluderande möten

Participation

It is crucial that most participants have a minimum level of Wikimedia experience so that they can engage actively in workshops and discussions. Please answer all applicable questions below.

1. Please describe the target audience for this conference or event.

The target group is people already actively involved in the local Wikimedia organizations in the Nordic countries (such as staff, board members or volunteers actively working within a programmatic area). It will be up to the local Wikimedia organizations to decide who to send.

2. If your conference has an outreach component, how will you ensure engagement with these participants after the conference, and what impact do you see them having on the projects?

The main focus group are people already active in the Wikimedia movement, many of them in their roles as board or staff members. There is a Wikimedia-Northern-Europe email list that will be used for sending out a community engagement survey to get Community input for the planning of the event program. After the event there will be a survey send out to all participants to get feedback on how useful it was to participate at the Northern Europe Meeting 2018 and to gather learnings for a possible later Northern Europe Meeting. The survey might also include questions to follow up on the idea of establishing peer mentorships. As part of communication activities there will be a Facebook group created for the event to keep participants updated on issues and discussions before and after the event.

3. Are you thinking about inviting WMF staff to attend or participate in the event? If yes, please list individuals or teams who you may want to invite, or describe how you would like WMF staff to be involved in the event.

This event is targeted towards the local organizations, but we are considering if this could be an opportunity to have someone to discuss strategy on structural and programmatic level.

Scholarships

1. How many scholarships would you like to offer?

15 scholarships.

2. What expenses will the scholarship cover?

It will cover travel costs to and from the conference and/or accommodation, up to a total of 3,000 SEK.

3. How will scholarship recipients be selected?

Each chapter will nominate up to five participants - and inform the organizers if scholarships are requested for them. Wikimedia Sverige and Wikimedia Norway will not require any scholarships.

Resources and risks

Describe the resource potential for successfully executing this project and the key risks/threats.

Resources

Organizing team

Team	User Names
WMF Liaison	John Andersson (WMSE)
Logistics	Axel Pettersson (WMSE)
Conference Program	Led by Ivo Kruusamägi (WMEE). The program will be developed in collaborative manner with other regional affiliates.
Scholarships	Astrid Carlsen (WMNO)
Communications	TBD
Volunteer Coordinators	Axel Pettersson (WMSE)
Other team members	Sara Mörtsell (WMSE), André Costa (WMSE), Sebastian Berlin (WMSE), Evelina Bång (WMSE)

Risks

Examples of risks, along with how you would minimize or overcome them, are:

Skill gaps in project leadership team (e.g. no financial management experience)
Components of the measurement process that are hard to quantify

Examples of how to minimize these risks include:

Recruiting volunteers with desired skills to project leadership team.
Working with the WMF Learning & Evaluation Team to develop an appropriate measurement and evaluation plan.

Risk	Probability	Management
Skill gaps between the different affiliate groups: There is differences in how developed the different affiliates are and the meeting needs to offer a relevant program for all participants.	High	There will be general needs and capacity mapping prior to development of program for the conference; There will be additional survey for conference participants for fine tuning of the program; During the conference parallel tracks will take place to accommodate different needs, capacities and expectations.
Lack of coordination of follow-up activities: It is possible that ideas related to next steps after the in-person meeting will not be sufficiently coordinated and so developed action plan will not be realized.	High	Discussions on the meeting will be facilitated to ensure concreteness and clearness of next steps / action items; During the meeting every next step will be assigned to someone who will take responsibility for realization of action plan and coordination of activity around designated theme.
Financial resources for participation: For affiliates without funding it can be difficult to have necessary financial resources to participate.	Medium	Organizers will provide scholarships to ensure participation from all Northern European countries; Different types of accommodations will be identified.
Conflicting perspectives: Some of the representatives will be paid staff members of local organizations, others are volunteers, so there is a probability of conflicting perspectives that needs to be managed.	Medium	As part of needs, capacity and expectation mapping of participants the type of their roles will be also mapped; The organizer of the event has a wide experience with collaboration of staff members, but also with volunteers from other affiliates and will facilitate the discussions to avoid perspective conflicts.
Gender balance among the participants: There is a possibility that there will be a gender gap among participants what could hinder general diversity on the meeting.	Low	Participating affiliates will be encouraged to have a gender balance among the delegates they select to participate.

Budget

Please provide a detailed breakdown of project expenses according to the instructions here. See Budget Guidelines.

Event budget table

Item description	Unit	Quantity	Cost per unit (SEK)	Total cost (SEK)	WMF contribution	Other sources	Comments
Scholarship
Scholarships for conference participation, accommodation and travel	People	15	3,000	45,000	45,000	0	Travel and accommodation up to 3,000 SEK (booked by the participant, reimbursed against receipts).
Social event
Museum tour	Tours	0	0	0	0	0	Will only take place if it can be done free of charge, otherwise we will organize a dinner covered by the participants
Worktime
Program organization	Days	10	2,500	25,000	0	25,000	Paid for with WMSE’s FDC grant
Scholarship organization	Days	5	2,500	12,500	0	12,500
Follow-up work and administrative preparations	Days	25	2,500	62,500	62,500	0	To enhance the outcomes, prepare for future follow-up events, reporting etc.
Facilitator at conference	Days	2	10,000	20,000	20,000	0
Other
Catering	Meals	75	150	11,250	11,250	0	Lunch for 2 days + dinner for 1 day for 25 people (3×25). Breakfast included at the hotel.
10% unforeseen expenses			17,625	17,625	17,625	0

			TOTAL	193,875	156,375	37,500

Total cost of event: 193,875 SEK

Total amount requested from the Conference and Event Grants program: 156,375 SEK

Additional sources of revenue that may fund part of this event, and amounts funded: Wikimedia Sverige’s and Wikimedia Norway’s FDC grants. A total of 37,500 SEK.

Please confirm that you are aware that changes to the approved budget beyond 10% in any category must be approved in advance.

Yes

Discussion

Endorsements

Do you think this project should be selected for a Conference Grant? Please add your name and rationale for endorsing this project in the list below. Other feedback, questions or concerns from community members are also highly valued, but please post them on the talk page of this proposal.

Having been involved with cross-chapter cooperation and regional collaboration in CEE, also having participated on some meetings on bigger conferences of Northern European affiliates, I believe that a separate Northern Europe Meeting would be excellent in supporting a more efficient and extended collaboration between affiliates in the region, as well as encourage peer mentorship and capacity building fitting to regional context. --Misosoof (talk) 09:06, 2 March 2018 (UTC)

A Northern Europe Meeting will be very useful for the affiliates in the Northern Europe: it will be a great opportunity to discuss possible joint projects, to decide on how we can encourage peer mentorship and capacity building fitting to regional context, as mentioned above, and explore funding opportunities and joint advocacy approaches. These tasks are difficult to online and requires in person meetings. I strongly endorses having a Northern Europe Meeting in 2018 and Wikimedia Norge look forward to help out in organizing a meeting and establish contact with more of our neighboring affiliates. --Astrid Carlsen (WMNO) (talk) 09:57, 2 March 2018 (UTC)

A lot of good projects from each of the Nordic chapters are applicable for the whole region. In a Nordic meeting, more actors from each of the languages can meet, and I'm sure a lot of collaboration will occur. Remember that people from Sweden, Denmark and Norway are able to speak to each other in their native language, and also have similar culture. Projects from this region also often are to the benefit for communities outside the region. Hogne (talk) 11:02, 5 March 2018 (UTC)

Aside from one question I have, this looks like a good, worthwhile regional event and I am confident that the team delivering it will do a good job. I do have a question about the specifics of the follow up for the event though; 25 days of work at 2500 SEK is a large portion of the total event cost. I think follow-up on events is often not a priority, but incredibly important and an area that we should all focus on improving as I think that this is where the real impact can be (I think WMCON is a good example of maintaining more continuous engagement). It being identified as a risk of being neglected is great, and this could be a good precedent to set in terms of how the budget for events is portioned out. But, 5 weeks of F/T work is almost another project in itself, and I would like to see a more detailed summary of what activities and outcomes that would entail, in part to explain better the costs, and in part out of pure interest at what the plan is as it's clearly been thought through. Stuart Prior (WMUK) (talk) 12:12, 7 March 2018 (UTC)

Hi Stuart,

Thank you for your question. We want to make sure that we have resources for the following:

Administrative support for participants needing assistance with travel and accommodation etc. (probably limited)
Support the different groups that form during the event to move forward with their joint work (such as events, trainings, projects that the participants decide to work on together). This include establishing communication platforms, organizing online meetings to ensure that the efforts move forward, create learning patterns, create and add documentation on different portal pages. From our experience from WikiDivCon last year, this is rather time consuming work. As this is the first time we are organizing the regional meeting we expect that the workload will be bigger this time than for future regional events.
Prepare, deploy and analyze a survey for the participants to learn what they would like to see from future events. As regional events, from our understanding, are to be more prioritized by the Wikimedia movement in the future and more common we believe it to be important to share our insights as a new regional event. Furthermore as this is the first Nordic event it will help us to organize future events.
Writing a grant report for WMF.

Best, John Andersson (WMSE) (talk) 12:42, 16 March 2018 (UTC)

Regional cooperation has by the WMCEE model has clearly proven successful and should be well adaptable for the Nordic area, too. As for why meet in person, in addition to the usual planning and brainstorming which tends to be more effective offline, there is one certain area that has been stressed in the WMF's current strategy documents and where cooperation, not very tight in the Nordic region till now, needs extensive delicate and complicated discussions, namely public policy. It would be impossible for the Wikimedia movement to be an effective advocate of free knowledge and free culture in general, without working towards international cooperation in public policy fields like copyright. And heaven knows there's enough problems with that in our region. Hence, that would be money well spent. --Oop

I'm more than happy that Wikimedia Sverige and Wikimedia Norge are taking the lead to create this regional event. I'm more than convinced that we need more spaces for creating cross-affiliate partnerships and to enhance deeper collaborations and cooperations among Wikimedia affiliates. Furthermore, I also think that regional events should be the place for learning, as global events haven't proved to be too effective for trainings & learning sessions. So I like to see the strong emphasis on this. Speaking in my staff capacity, I'm happy to advise on the program for the conference, but also, if there's interest, in contributing directly to it. --Cornelius Kibelka (WMDE) (talk) 23:47, 7 March 2018 (UTC)

Wikimedia Denmark support this effort wholeheartedly. Our collaboration with other chapters has fallen behind a bit in recent years due to various factors, so reestablishing contact and learning from our counterparts around NE is a welcome opportunity. This endorsement is on behalf of the board/organization as a whole. --InsaneHacker, WMDK Vice-chairman (talk) 11:26, 10 March 2018 (UTC)