Grants talk:Project/Rapid/Zblace/SEEQingFuturity

Some questions to the grantee

Dear Zblace, thank you so much for putting forward the grant application to organize movement strategy conversations in the SEE region. We have not had too much traction with the movement strategy in the region and I truly hope that these events could help us in hearing. Here are some of the things I really appreciate regarding this proposal:

• Clear plan that includes retrospective to frame and contextualize the future discussions.
• Focus on qualitative small group conversations that supports inclusion of perspectives.
• Planned engagement with GLAM, education and civil society activists.

However, I have some clarifying questions that could help me understand the proposal better. I hope you can provide the clarity, so I can understand the plan even better:

1. Maybe you could describe in some sentences the nature of "preparatory research" - it is a great concept and I would like to understand better the plan. Also I would like to hear how did you calculate the costs for this?
2. In previous applications we have usually had 1 facilitator for these smaller meetings. What is the thinking behind having 2 facilitators? What is the significant added value of this approach?
3. Looking at your documentation plan I see that you have facilitators also working on documentation (with an option from volunteer input from participants). This means that you are essentially proposing 100 USD hourly rate for facilitators / documenters, which feels rather high. Could you provide insight into your thinking and calculation behind that?

Thank you for your time and kind attention! Looking forward to learning about your thinking in relation to my questions! --KVaidla (WMF) (talk) 15:49, 23 November 2020 (UTC)

Thank you for your fast and detailed response! We will answer in opposite order for clarity and overview.

(3)

Not 100 USD hourly, as it is not calculated per hour but per meeting. Though the meeting itself is not likely to last more than 60min, it also includes work towards and after it (likely to take additional hours before and after each) to have results ready for Global conversations, communicate our methods to others and also keep participants informed. Also it is two people doing preparation, facilitation, documentation and reporting after the meeting with a maximum budget of 200 USD (if more meetings then less).

(2)

There are few reasons:

Our aim is to gather multiple ideas and explore a consensus on these ideas and decisions across several countries, meaning we will need two facilitators to conduct that work and hold the complexity of such a process.

Activity is based on collaboration across post-conflict communities and based on our previous experience of feminist-queer organizing - two facilitators meet the needs of horizontal and collaborative group learning process and as such participate in a model of a shared leadership within the group. Having 2 people of different ethnic backgrounds, gender identity and working on different projects diffuses potential critique of polarizing-skewing the organization of process and interpretation.

Technically having 2 people reduces risks of possible last minute complications (as dropouts) or technical halts in online meetings (connectivity or other tech issues). Involving different people in facilitation gives opportunity for preparing and experimenting with diverse methods of collaborative work and gaining capacity for future follow-ups.

(1)

Preparatory research would be commissioned as the basis of understanding possible relations between the local environment and global opportunities for action. Further, we see it as an important part of the outreach and coordination efforts among diverse groups/individuals across the region. These documents will later be used as a pool of participants for potential regional collaborations as it is likely that most of the members will meet for the first time in a shared online space. Mapping the context specific environment of institutions, individuals, groups, resources. Participatory research includes making a baseline / map of relevant actors across several countries and fields as we aim to map queer, feminist, tech, environmental, youth, civil society and archivist groups/collectives/individuals *(ideally also their needs and opportunities).

--Zblace (talk) 20:45, 23 November 2020 (UTC) --Azaresist (talk) 21:22, 23 November 2020 (UTC)Azaresist

Approved

Dear Zblace, thank you for answering the clarifying questions and again for your application to fund a movement strategy event through a rapid grant! I truly apologize for the delays in the approval process.

We have reviewed your application and I am excited to inform you that we have decided to support the SEEQingFuturity in the full amount of $2,000.00.

We hope that you will have successful conversations that will have a strong effect on building connections in the South East European region. I look forward to hearing how the conversations go! If you have any questions or specifications regarding the grant, don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your contribution to the global movement strategy conversations! --KVaidla (WMF) (talk) 15:30, 4 December 2020 (UTC)

Request for extending the finalizing of report

Hi! As you know from email correspondance I had multiple issues preventing me in finalizing this report. Here is an official request to extend this reporting at least until end of the month. Thank you. --Zblace (talk) 08:25, 12 February 2022 (UTC)

Update with email

This is on Meta update to go with email update I sent earlier about A. Causevic, C. Brkovic and D. Pejic (as original co-applicants of this project grant from 2020) gave consent for it to be modified to compensate wikimedians I worked in 2021, 2022 and now. Hope you can confirm this is OK with you? --Zblace (talk) 08:33, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

I am sending another update with proposed closing activity that would hopefully bring new Wikimedians and CEE Hub people together in Zagreb at the end of the month. With this we would close the project and propose new implementation work for Movement Strategy 2030. I understand that this extension is beyond your administrative capacity to approve so I will propose it to a level higher. Hope you are OK with this. --Zblace (talk) 11:34, 10 March 2023 (UTC)