Grants:Simple/Applications/Wiki In Africa 2021/Staffing and Organisational Dev Plan

Staffing Plan 2021

Wiki In Africa, as an organisation, runs on a very efficient model of two main leads with the addition of team members (paid via stipend or voluntary in most cases) per project and as funding allows. Historically, all the funding for organisational time, project management and communications work have been drawn from project-to-project budgets. Over 2020 the organisation made strides to move away from this model to ensure stability within, and the long term growth of, the organisation towards longevity and the synergistic scaling of its programmes.

Due to the expected limitations of applying for the first time to Simple APG, the 2020 budget did not reflect the true staffing costs of the organisation, and only a portion of the time for the organisational tasks required were covered in that budget. Although the tasks have not significantly changed for 2021, the budget relating to Staff is more realistic and equal. Although, it is still only set at 0.5 of full time for both principals due, again, to budget expectations and constraints.

A new addition for the 2021 Wiki In Africa budget is that the team proposes to expand to include an Intern during 2021. The addition of an intern is to support the programme activities and community development goals of Wiki In Africa. The internship is intended to expand the intern’s skill set from a local organising role towards a regional-focused, programme development and organiser’s role. Further detail on this position can be found below.

Wiki In Africa Staffing Plan 2021

Prior to and since the organisation’s inception in 2017, the two main principles – User:Anthere and User:Islahaddow – have collaborated extensively, sharing equally the responsibilities and tasks across their work. Although in the APG grant for 2020 it was intended to change this, in reality, it does not work this way. Due to budget constraints in 2020, the plan did not reflect sufficiently the time spent by Isla on institutional, organisational, and programmatic tasks. Tasks, as previously, have been apportioned equitably, which was not reflected in the remuneration. Further, both members in order to get the work done, went over and above the expectations as detailed in the Staffing Plan for 2020.

For 2021, the staffing plan below does not differ significantly over 2020, although the amounts reflected in the budget have increased. These should not be viewed as increases, more as a realistic reflection and fair compensation for the reality of running these programmes over and beyond a year. Details on expectations can be found below. It is also expected that the hours of the work reflected below will exceed the amount currently stipulated at 0.5 FTE and both principals are aware of this possibility.

Wiki In Africa Co-Lead

Who

Florence Devouard (User:Anthere) has been the co-founder, co-creator and co-project lead on all of Wiki In Africa’s projects and several WikiAfrica projects in the past (since 2013). In addition to her organisational and programme management skills, and her in-depth knowledge and links within the Wikimedia Movement, she also works in both English and French. Florence has been co-leading Wiki In Africa since its inception in 2017 and has, to date, focused on the financial accountability side of the organisation. Among her considerable, diverse and many strengths are project management, person-to-person mentoring, Wikimedia movement navigation, on-wiki coordination, financial administration, and dual-language project implementation.

Considerations
The rate for an association director in France would typically range from 50-55k euros (gross salary). This includes salary + 22% social taxes paid by the employee. This does not include social taxes paid by the company for this staff, which are on average 42% of the gross salary. Accordingly, the average full cost of an Association Director would be around 71-78k euros (77k-85k dollars) as paid by the company hiring her. Note that this does not take into account “environmental expenses”, traditionally paid by the company (computer, office…). Also, it would be complex to have Florence in a formal staff-employee role of Wiki in Africa given that Wiki in Africa is incorporated in South Africa whilst Florence lives in France. Our proposition in 2020 was that, just as many people working for the Wikimedia Foundation, she be a contractor of Wiki in Africa. This solution worked well in 2020 and we propose to keep it as-is. Florence has registered an individual company in 2008 and routinely operates by invoicing from this structure. France has some interesting employment requirements that need to be navigated. The invoice submitted by an individual company include an amount that will cover:

1. salary (resulting benefit for the individual)
2. taxes expenses (entirely paid by the individual company to the state, those represent 30%)
3. non-taxes operating expenses (typically phone, internet, equipment, insurance, bank services, accounting costs, software packages, post office, travel….)

On average the elements add to the following: 100% invoiced = 30% taxes, 25% “non-tax” expenses, 45% salary. We separated those three lines in the budget with the understanding that some operating expenses would be paid (or reimbursed) by WiA from the WiA budget (typically travel expenses), whilst some of the operating expenses would be actually directly paid by Florence from the proposed salary for the sake of simplicity (typically, on the French side, banking services, accounting costs etc.). We estimate overall that “taxes + direct expenses” make a a total of around 43% (this is a low-end figure). Given the weight of Florence’s experience, she proposes to work at 0.5 FTE for 12 months, which would add up to 26000 (salary) + 11050 euros (social taxes).

Key Responsibilities:

The Wiki In Africa Co-Lead will manage the Wiki In Africa programmes that are listed in the annual plan detailed here. Her work will ensure the success and effectiveness of the programmes that are being implemented and researched over this year cycle.

The Wiki In Africa Co-Lead’s responsibilities include:

• Co-manage the administrative tasks of the organization.
• Manage the organization's data and metrics management platforms: MailChimp, Dashboard, etc..
• Update and maintain the accounts and repositories of information of the organization: email accounts, Google Drive.
• Work with the Wiki In Africa Chair to analyze and improve operations and workflows.
• Collaborate with the co-lead to strategise, plan and implement each aspect of the Wiki In Africa programmes over 2021.
• Support the co-lead in writing grant strategies, requests and reports
• Represent the organization (presentations at conferences, media interviews etc.).

Programmatic management

• Manage the back-end, and the on-wiki work required for Wiki Loves Africa program to run smoothly,
• Oversee all programmatic tasks associated to WikiChallenge, ISA and WikiFundi,
• Work with the implementing teams on the programmes as they are activated,
• Coordinate with, or facilitate and encourage conversations with, existing and new partners (in particular on WLA, WLW, WikiFundi and WikiChallenge projects),
• Work with the co-lead to develop an internal communication strategy.
• Co-organise and host train-the-trainer sessions and leadership skills activities in the WLW program
• Oversee the following programmatic tasks associated with Wiki Loves Women:

• Training-the-trainer/teacher programme and
• one online drive.

• Input into and approve an external communication strategy developed by the co-lead for each programme and the organisation, and
• Document, monitor, evaluate and manage the submission of reports on each of the programmatic areas for the final grant report/s, with the support of the Communication lead.

Finances

• Track programmatic and volunteer remuneration, notification and reimbursement.
• Monitor and keep records of all financial payments and reporting

Wiki In Africa Co-Lead

Who

Isla Haddow-Flood (User:Islahaddow) has been the co-founder, co-creator and co-project lead on all of Wiki In Africa’s projects and many of the WikiAfrica movement projects since 2011. In addition to her organisational and programme management, her strengths lie project strategy, grant applications and fundraising, communications and publicity strategy, creation, liaison and implementation. Her responsibilities are detailed below.

Key Responsibilities:

General Communications and Grants Management

• Raise Wiki In Africa’s and each project’s profile and brand through the implementation of integrated strategies, and through strategic communications, and public relations efforts;
• Conceptualise and develop the brand of each programme across all public interface deliverables, such as design, website, online, merchandising, social management, animations, video, etc.;
• Consult with the Wiki In Africa Co-Lead to develop both internal and external communication strategies and networking opportunities;
• Donor management support by identifying platforms for and raising the profile of Wiki In Africa’s existing funders through existing and new communications platforms;
• Supporting organisational development and funder management through communications.
• Financial management and documentation of all communications elements;
• In consultation with Wiki In Africa Co-Lead find new donors, hire grant writing services, lead grant writing, etc..
• Writing reports in collaboration with WIA Co-Lead;
• Represent the organization (presentations at conferences, media interviews etc.)
• Liaise with the accounting firm for year-end financials auditing.

Programs

• Collaborate with the Wiki In Africa Co-Lead to strategise, and plan each aspect of the Wiki In Africa programmes over 2021.
• Oversee all programmatic tasks associated with Open Knowledge Curriculum while in its concept phase,
• Financial payments of all programmes and organisational costs,
• Coordinate and liaise with WLW Advisory board;
• Will co-organise and host train-the-trainer sessions and leadership skills activities in the WLW program
• Will oversee the following programmatic tasks associated with Wiki Loves Women:

• managing the relationship and progress with the local teams
• podcasts creation, and
• one online drive.

• Supervision and management of project-based communications volunteers.
• Manage Winners of WLA (announcements, communication with winners, prizes)
• Facilitating media relations for projects where appropriate through public relations efforts, (e.g. the development of press releases, newsletters, articles, and editorials);
• Monitoring and evaluation of all communication elements across the projects;
• Input into project documentation;
• Work with the Wiki In Africa Co-Lead to analyze and improve operations and workflows to make programmes more efficient.

Considerations
The rate for a Communications Director in South Africa ranges from R62,000-R100,000/month. The average salary is at around R744k/year (USD49k). It is reasonable for her to expect an annual salary of USD48k per year. For the 2020 APG budget, she agreed to dedicate a quarter (0.25) of her full-time hours for 8 months in peaks over 8 months. This amount was wholly inadequate and, in order to get all jobs done, Isla went far beyond the paid for time (having to prioritise and drop items to make ends meet), and due to the special conditions throughout 2020 provided a detrimental financial environment for Isla. To the extent that it cannot continue.

In a similar way to Florence, Isla would be formally contracted to Wiki In Africa for the administrative tasks outlined above, with a heavy focus on, but not limited to, organisational administration, strategic direction, funding raising and communications.

Wiki In Africa Intern

Who

The addition of an intern onto the Wiki In Africa team is the first step to expanding the core team, and is intended to support the programmatic activities and community development goals of Wiki In Africa.

This person has not yet been recruited. We are looking for a person from within the African continent or Diaspora who, preferably, has experience within their Wikimedia community, and has been working with the local WM team to drive local programmes with their own community. This position will provide them with continental and programme organisers experience, as well as vital insight into communications and community building. The internship task load is intended to assist with communications, and community support. The intern’s tasks are expected to be pegged at 0.5 FTE over 12 months (with alternating peak and trough periods expected).

One task will have complete ownership by the intern with guidance and advice from the principals (the African Hour).

Recruitment will take place in Jan 2021, with announcements for the position to be advertised through December 2020. Interviews will take place in January 2021.

Key Responsibilities:

Key responsibilities may include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Surveys : creating surveys (with leads input), communication to participants, reporting. In particular (but not limited to) Wiki Loves Africa program
• Wiki in Africa Newsletter: creation (with leads input), publishing, report of impact
• Monthly African Hour : invitation to content participation to community, set-up, invitation and communication around it. Reporting.
• Contact DataBase : improve, clean-up, add entries to a currently under-exploited ressource, including updating media and bloggers.
• General ad hoc support on some of the Wiki Loves Africa tasks amongst: community support, checking in with all teams, assisting with documentation, jury process, etc., fielding queries, creating lists of topics for focused meetings and Webinars, social media tagging and shares, etc.

Annex 1

The happy world of French Labour Taxes, aka The rationale for the amount set for taxes for France
French Labor Laws are a bit complicated. No money can be collected without invoices issued by a company. There are two types of legal business structure in France. One is to be a sole trader (entreprise individuelle, EI), and the other is to be a company (société). Florence registered as an EI in 2008 and routinely operates by invoicing from this structure.

In this legal framework, the worker and the business are treated as one legal entity. The entire professional activity is run through the EI (that is... money coming from invoice is added to the business, any expenses are deducted from the business). At the end of the year, the benefits resulting from the activity (revenues - expenses) are said to be the "personal income" of the individual worker (if the expenses are higher than the revenues, then there are no benefits and thus no personal income, there is a negative salary). The amount of income taxes to pay by the independent worker is then similar to any other French worker.

But this is not all that needs to be paid. Everyone working in France must pay social charges. Those will give the person access to the French welfare system (health benefits, retirement benefits, family benefits, CSG-CRDS). Those are not optional, but mandatory. The percentage of mandatory social taxes is the highest in all OCDE countries. On average, the rate in France is 33.6% of a salary, for an average of 22.3% in Europe [1].
For regular staff members of big companies, the social charges are shared, about 2/3 of them being paid by the employer, and about 1/3 being supported by the staff member. In an individual company, those social charges are supported entirely by the company. When one is running a business one has to pay French social security contributions in advance. One has to pay the charges at specific times and there are penalties for missing the deadlines. The amount to pay is quite complicated to foresee, as the amount to pay during the current year is based on company benefits in the two previous years, an estimate of the current year activity and equilibrium of real versus estimated amounts paid the previous years. When the final estimated amount is incorrect, compensation will be implemented the two following years. A company with no benefits will have to pay a certain amount in all cases.
An additional tax is called the Cotisation Foncière des Entreprises (CFE), and is based on the rateable value of the business property (running a business in one living room at home does require paying the CFE...). And yet another tax is the Contribution pour la Formation Professionnelle (CFP).

How much the company pays for mandatory social taxes is complex, depending on the company structure, depending on fiscal choices attached to it, and depending on the level of revenues of the company. An overview of mandatory taxes percentage may be found on this page: [2] and there [3]. Generally, for an independent worker, it is around 30% of the benefits. When the other expenses of the company stay very low (typically when the person is a contractor and most of her operating expenses are reimbursed), one may consider the number of expenses including social taxes would represent around 35% of what is invoiced. In most cases though, an independent is paying the other operating expenses (telephone, internet, equipment, insurance, bank services, accounting costs, software packages, post office costs, travel costs, or even rent). On average, the benefits of a freelancer working from home with some travel typically will be 45-50% of the total amount invoiced. Florence has operated with an EI for 11 years and confirms that these figures are a good estimate in her case.
Some more info: https://www.expatica.com/fr/finance/taxes/corporate-taxes-in-france-and-french-corporate-tax-rates-445980/

Wiki In Africa Organisational Development Plan

As mentioned in the Annual Plan, the strategic plan for 2021 is to ensure that Wiki In Africa organisation and its projects are stabilised beyond the insecurity of project funding cycles, and to formalise training programmes for the organic growth and support of the communities.

Additional funding support to further extend Wiki In Africa’s programmes will be continually sought across 2021, however as seen throughout 2020, additional funding continues to be hard to access as they do not easily fit into the funding stream niches currently on offer. While the projects themselves are well known, used and loved among the community, the mechanisms that drive these projects are under constant threat.

Communications have been streamlined over 2020 in order to easily project the important impact that is achieved across the African continent beyond the Wikimedia movement. Partnerships are being forged to ensure programmatic stability and scale. Formalised programmes are being created to ensure all programmes are replicable and adaptable by communities across Africa. These are the main focuses for 2021.

Advisory panels and community feedback

With regards to the Organisation development, the plan is to establish one advisory panel for the programme: the Open Knowledge Curriculum. Organisational time will be spent researching, developing the panel and on-boarding the advisors.

The Wiki Loves Women Advisory Committee was established in 2020 and will continue to operate throughout 2021.

Visibility and advocacy

Visibility and advocacy are necessary roles of the team to establish strategic and aligned partnerships across the continent and beyond. Meeting with both local and international organisations are important for the visibility and sustainability of the programmes. Consultative and collaborative events are additional ways to provide vital feedback to ensure the ongoing relevance and need for programmes.

While face to face meetings could not be done in 2020 due to COVID, Wiki In Africa kept in touch with aligned organizations in virtual events. For example, in the late 2020, it participated and presented at both the CC Global Virtual Summit and the Open Education Conference. : As conference sare announced to formally take place in 2021 (whether virtual or in-person) it is necessary to plan for attendance and, where possible, presentations of Wiki In Africa programmes at global conferences, such as UNESCO Mobility Week, UNESCO JEP, CC Summit, AFEMS 2021, etc..

As there are several thematic overlaps (WikiFundi with Education programmes, Wiki Loves Women and Wiki Loves Africa, etc.) travel costs (local and regional for meetings, and global non-Wiki events) have been assigned a separate line item as they cannot be assigned to individual programmatic areas.

Activities

Activities include:

• Annual General Meeting (AGM)

• a necessary, analysis and strategic planning event for both for the development of the organisation, and the scaling and future plans for the programmatic areas and projects;

• Participation to events and conferences;
• Involvement in Wikimedia Strategy 2030 implementation process.