Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2018-20/Reports/Process overview/Recommendations published

Wikimedia 2030 Movement Strategy Recommendations Published


MJK 339481 RRRR Working Group meeting 2019 Berlin
MJK 339481 RRRR Working Group meeting 2019 Berlin


10 principles and 10 recommendations for change

The Wikimedia 2030 Movement Strategy recommendations and principles were published in May 2020, a 40-page document comprising 10 recommendations for change, 10 underlying principles, a narrative of change, a summary, and a glossary. The full document was published in Arabic, Dutch, Farsi, French, English, German, Hindi, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish, while the summary was also translated in Bahasa, Bengali, Catalan, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Swahili, Tamil, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Yoruba.

In an effort to be accountable towards the feedback received during community interactions earlier in 2020 and be more transparent about the changes that were made to the recommendations in March 2020, the core team published a report that specified the adjustments that had been made to the previous version of the document. It also provided a rationale for why those changes had been made, mainly based on the input received from various sources.

This final version of the recommendations represents the culmination of almost two years’ work gathering and synthesizing input from various stakeholders across the Movement about what kinds of changes need to be made to Movement culture and structures so that we can move forward in our strategic direction.

The Wikimedia 2030 Movement Strategy is intended to guide our Movement over the next decade. The recommendations are at a high strategic level so that the ideas are flexible enough to be adapted to different global and local settings and will allow us to navigate future challenges. They outline how we can grow sustainably and inclusively. They introduce ways we can make the most of new opportunities and meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, and how we can strive for knowledge equity and knowledge as a service.

All working group, writing, and integrating group engagement officially concluded with the publication of the Movement Strategy recommendations. The core team’s mandate ended on June 30, 2020.

Wikimedia 2018-20 Recommendations all in one final

What’s next

A transition process has been put in place to help begin planning the initial steps to implement the recommendations. Phase two of the Movement Strategy Process laid the foundation for how to work toward common goals on a global level within our Movement, and the intention is to carry this collaborative spirit forward in the implementation phase. By implementing the changes together over the coming years, we, as a Movement, will be able to address the needs of the people who power our Movement and those we serve - now and in the future - and become the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge.

What we learned

  • The level of energy and dedication people showed toward creating this Movement Strategy was awe-inspiring.
  • An iterative, open, participatory process allowed for a high level of collaboration and meant we could adapt the process as needed as we (the core team) went along. But it also led to a continual lack of clarity around next steps, which understandably led to frustration. Additionally, communication, especially around process decisions, was not always sufficient, timely, or targeted.
  • Virtual meetings need to be effectively facilitated and asynchronous work should be given more importance.
  • In-person meetings helped build a sense of ownership and collaboration around the process. But working with short timelines can make it very difficult for everyone to participate. Volunteers may not be able to take time away from other commitments, and some may not be able to obtain visas in time.
  • More design and planning work in the early stages of phase II may have helped overcome some of these.


Personal insights: Diversity working group member and writing group member Marc Miquel-Ribé: I feel enormous pleasure to see these recommendations finally released and out there. It's been a long long ride, sometimes even bumpy, because we had to deal with some problems. On any big adventure, there are always some episodes of uncertainty and important learnings and I could not be happier with the results we were able to deliver as a movement. I am very positive and hopeful that they will help the movement.

Personal insights: Community strategy liaison for Arabic-speaking communities and Advocacy working group member, Anass Sedrati, reflected that: The Wikimedia 2030 ten recommendations offer a wide number of opportunities from different perspectives. First of all, through the transparent and diverse process, these recommendations open the path for a new generation of leaders who can implement a change in the movement, to make sure that it is more diverse, and more oriented towards the goals that will allow us to reach our strategic vision. Moreover, bringing in different communities ensures that various issues throughout the world will be addressed, so that no contributor or groups feels left behind. Now that the 10 recommendations were put in place, I believe that it is crucial that communities remain vigilant and engaged in the implementation step to make sure that their own local challenges will be taken into consideration and solved ahead of 2030.

Free knowledge in my country 12
Free knowledge in my country 12
East Africa Strategy Summit in Kampala, September 2019
Wikimedians at Wikimania 2019 91
Wikimedians at Wikimania 2019 91
Diversity in-person meeting in Stockholm, August 2019
Wikimedia Summit 2019 – 292
Wikimedia Summit 2019 – 292
Revenue Streams at the Wikimedia Summit in Berlin, March 2019
Free knowledge in my country 28
Free knowledge in my country 28
East Africa Strategy Summit in Kampala, September 2019
Wikimania 2020 Planning Meetup in Bangkok - 29 July 2019 (Saturday)
Wikimania 2020 Planning Meetup in Bangkok - 29 July 2019 (Saturday)
ESEAP Strategy Summit in Bangkok, June 2019
GNT Youth Salon 2019, Group Photo
GNT Youth Salon 2019, Group Photo
Youth strategy salon in Guntur, September 2019
Photo de famille 1 Salon wikimedia Parakou CED
Photo de famille 1 Salon wikimedia Parakou CED
Strategy salon in Parakou, September 2019
OOjs UI icon book-ltr Learn more about the publication of the Wikimedia 2030 Movement Strategy


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  1. Getting Started
  2. Working Groups Established
  3. Work Begins
  4. Drafting Recommendations and Discussing the Future
  5. Recommendations Draft 1 Published
  6. Refining and Harmonizing the Recommendations
  7. Working Group Transition
  8. Synthesizing the Recommendations
  9. Synthesized Recommendations Published
  10. Finalizing the Wikimedia 2030 Movement Strategy
  11. Wikimedia 2030 Movement Strategy Recommendations Published (current page)
  12. Focus On: Movement Strategy Community Conversations
  13. Focus On: Talking Strategy at Events around the World