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{{Strategy}}
'''Strategy''' (from [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship"<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dstrathgi%2Fa στρατηγία], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus</ref>) is a high-level [[plan]] to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art of the general", which included several subsets of skills including "tactics", siegecraft, logistics etc., the term came into use in the 6th century AD in [[Byzantine Empire|East Roman]] terminology, and was translated into Western vernacular languages only in the 18th century. From then until the 20th century, the word "strategy" came to denote "a comprehensive way to try to pursue political ends, including the threat or actual use of force, in a dialectic of wills" in a military conflict, in which both adversaries interact.<ref name="LFreedman2013">{{cite book
| last = Freedman
| first = Lawrence
| year = 2013
| title = Strategy | publisher = Oxford University Press
| isbn = 978-0-19-932515-3}}</ref>


<div style="float:right;">
Strategy is important because the resources available to achieve these goals are usually limited. Strategy generally involves setting goals, determining actions to achieve the goals, and mobilizing resources to execute the actions<ref name="auto">Freedman, L 2015 Strategy: a history. Oxford: Oxford University Press.</ref><ref>Simandan, D., 2018. Iterative lagged asymmetric responses in strategic management and long-range planning. Time & Society, OnlineFirst, https://doi.org/10.1177/0961463X17752652 .
__TOC__
</ref>. A strategy describes how the ends (goals) will be achieved by the means (resources). Strategy can be intended or can emerge as a pattern of activity as the organization adapts to its environment or competes<ref>Simandan, D., 2017. Competition, contingency, and destabilization in urban assemblages and actor-networks. Urban Geography, pp.1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2017.1382307
</div>
</ref><ref name="auto"/>. It involves activities such as [[strategic planning]] and [[strategic thinking]].<ref name="Mintzberg and Quinn 1996">{{cite book
| last = Mintzberg, Henry and
| first = Quinn, James Brian
| year = 1996
| title = The Strategy Process: Concepts, Contexts, Cases | publisher = Prentice Hall
| isbn = 978-0-132-340304}}</ref>


'''Strategy''' can relate to strategy for the Wikimedia movement, strategy for entities such as the Wikimedia Foundation and Chapters, and roadmaps for individual Projects (e.g., [[Special:MyLanguage/Wikidata|Wikidata]] or [[Special:MyLanguage/Wiktionary|Wiktionary]] or [[c:Special:MyLanguage/Commons:Wiki Loves Monuments|Wiki Loves Monuments]]).
[[Henry Mintzberg]] from [[McGill University]] defined strategy as a pattern in a stream of decisions to contrast with a view of strategy as planning,<ref name=charlesw>{{cite journal|url=http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~charlesw/LongStrat2010/papers/class%2010/Patterns%20of%20Strategy%20Formulation.pdf |title=Patterns in Strategy Formation |author=Henry Mintzberg |journal=Management Science |publisher=INFORMS |volume=24 |number=9 |date=May 1978 |pages=934–48 |accessdate=31 August 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019210811/http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~charlesw/LongStrat2010/papers/class%2010/Patterns%20of%20Strategy%20Formulation.pdf |archivedate=19 October 2013 |doi=10.1287/mnsc.24.9.934}}</ref>[4] while Henrik von Scheel defines the essence of strategy as the activities to deliver a unique mix of value – choosing to perform activities differently or to perform different activities than rivals. <ref name=source>Henrik von Scheel and Prof Mark von Rosing. Importance of a Business Model (pp. 23–54). Applying real-world BPM in an SAP environment. {{ISBN|978-1-59229-877-8}}</ref> while [[Max McKeown]] (2011) argues that "strategy is about shaping the future" and is the human attempt to get to "desirable ends with available means". Dr. [[Vladimir Kvint]] defines strategy as "a system of finding, formulating, and developing a doctrine that will ensure long-term success if followed faithfully."<ref>{{cite book|author=Kvint, Vladimir|url=https://books.google.com/?id=mb5n8O9y6YIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+global+emerging+market#v=onepage&q=the%20global%20emerging%20market&f=false |title=''The Global Emerging Market: Strategic Management and Economics'' |publisher=Routeledge |date=2009|isbn=9780203882917 }}</ref> Complexity theorists define strategy as the unfolding of the internal and external aspects of the organization that results in actions in a socio-economic context.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Stacey|first1=R. D.|title=The science of complexity – an alter-native perspective for strategic change processes |journal=Strategic Management Journal|date=1995|volume=16|issue=6 |pages=477–95|doi=10.1002/smj.4250160606}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Terra|first1=L. A. A.|last2=Passador|first2=J. L.|title=Symbiotic Dynamic: The Strategic Problem from the Perspective of Complexity|journal=Systems Research and Behavioral Science|volume=33|issue=2|pages=235–48|doi=10.1002/sres.2379|url=http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sres.2379/full|accessdate=16 May 2017|year=2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Morin|first1=E.|title=Introduction à la pensée complexe|date=2005|publisher=Éditionsdu Seuil|location=Paris}}</ref>


==Components of strategy==
== Current strategy process ==
Professor Richard P. Rumelt described strategy as a type of problem solving in 2011. He wrote that good strategy has an underlying structure he called a ''kernel''. The kernel has three parts: 1) A ''diagnosis'' that defines or explains the nature of the challenge; 2) A ''guiding policy'' for dealing with the challenge; and 3) Coherent ''actions'' designed to carry out the guiding policy.<ref name="Rumelt2011">{{cite book
| last = Rumelt
| first = Richard P.
| year = 2011
| title = Good Strategy/Bad Strategy | publisher = Crown Business
| isbn = 978-0-307-88623-1}}</ref>
President [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] illustrated these three elements of strategy in his [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] Address to the Nation of 22 October 1962:
# Diagnosis: "This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites are now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere."
# Guiding Policy: "Our unswerving objective, therefore, must be to prevent the use of these missiles against this or any other country, and to secure their withdrawal or elimination from the Western Hemisphere."
# Action Plans: First among seven numbered steps was the following: "To halt this offensive buildup a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba from whatever nation or port will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back." <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkcubanmissilecrisis.html|title=American Rhetoric: John F. Kennedy – Cuban Missile Crisis Address to the Nation|publisher=}}</ref>


=== 2018-2020 movement strategy ===
Rumelt wrote in 2011 that three important aspects of strategy include "premeditation, the anticipation of others' behavior, and the purposeful design of coordinated actions." He described strategy as solving a design problem, with trade-offs among various elements that must be arranged, adjusted and coordinated, rather than a plan or choice.<ref name="Rumelt2011"/>
{{main|Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2018-20}}


==Formulating and implementing strategy==
=== 2016-2017 movement strategy ===
{{main|Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2017}}
Strategy typically involves two major processes: ''formulation'' and ''implementation''. ''Formulation'' involves analyzing the environment or situation, making a diagnosis, and developing guiding policies. It includes such activities as [[strategic planning]] and [[strategic thinking]]. ''Implementation'' refers to the action plans taken to achieve the goals established by the guiding policy.<ref name="Mintzberg and Quinn 1996"/><ref name="Rumelt2011"/>


In 2017 the Wikimedia Foundation facilitated a movement-wide discussion on the future direction of Wikimedia. The outcome of that discussion is the Strategic Direction, which can be [[Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2017/Direction/Endorsement|endorsed here]].
[[Bruce Henderson]] wrote in 1981 that: "Strategy depends upon the ability to foresee future consequences of present initiatives." He wrote that the basic requirements for strategy development include, among other factors: 1) extensive knowledge about the environment, market and competitors;
2) ability to examine this knowledge as an interactive dynamic system; and
3) the imagination and logic to choose between specific alternatives. Henderson wrote that strategy was valuable because of: "finite resources, uncertainty about an adversary's capability and intentions; the irreversible commitment of resources; necessity of coordinating action over time and distance; uncertainty about control of the initiative; and the nature of adversaries' mutual perceptions of each other."<ref>{{cite web| author = Henderson, Bruce | date = 1 January 1981 | title=The Concept of Strategy|url=https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/Classics/strategy_concept_of_strategy/|accessdate= 18 April 2014|publisher= [[Boston Consulting Group]]}}</ref>


== Current strategy documents ==
==Military theory==
{{main article|Military strategy}}
{{quote box|width = 200px|quote=Subordinating the political point of view to the military would be absurd, for it is policy that has created war...Policy is the guiding intelligence, and war only the instrument, not vice-versa.|source=[[On War]] by [[Carl von Clausewitz]]}}


=== Strategy of Wikimedia organizations ===
In military theory, strategy is "the utilization during both peace and war, of all of the nation's forces, through large scale, long-range planning and development, to ensure security and victory" (''Random House Dictionary'').<ref name=charlesw/>
[[File:2011-02-02 Woudenberg WMNL 04.JPG|thumb|Discussion of Wikimedia Nederland, February 2011, resulting in the 2013-2015 strategy paper|alt=]]
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+ Chapters
|-
|| WMAM
|Armenia|| [http://www.wikimedia.am/wiki/Ռազմավարական_պլան_(2017-2020) Strategic Plan 2017-2020] ([http://www.wikimedia.am/wiki/Ռազմավարական_պլան 2013-2018])
|-
|WMAR
|Argentina
|[[Wikimedia Argentina/Planificación Estratégica 2016-2018|Planificación Estratégica 2016-2018]]
|-
|| WMAT
|Austria|| [[wmat:Projekte/Strategieentwicklung2016+|Strategy 2016+]]
Older plan: ''Strategie 2012-2014'' ([http://mitglieder.wikimedia.at/Projekte/Zukunft de], [https://mitglieder.wikimedia.at/Projekte/Zukunft_(english) en]), from 2012
|-
|| WMAU
|Australia|| [[wmau:Strategic Plan|Strategic Plan]], endorsed by members at 2011 AGM.
|-
|WMCA
|Canada
|[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U8teAYHYAbpHSs_qQwXclwmGSuP9hCmd2cz8OfiXWjQ] (2017-2022)
|-
|WMCH
|CH
|[[Wikimedia CH/Strategic Plan|Strategic Plan]] (defined in summer 2014, 3-5 years)
|-
|WMCZ
|Czech Republic
|[[:wmcz:Strategic plan of Wikimedia Czech Republic 2017–2020|Strategic Plan]] (2017–2020)
|-
|| WMDE
|Germany|| ''[[Kompass_2020/de|Kompass 2020]]'' ([[Kompass_2020/en|en]], [[Kompass_2020/de|de]]), from 2009
[[Wikimedia Deutschland/PP16/Kompass/en|Kompass 2016]] (en)


[[Wikimedia Deutschland/Jahresplanung 2017/Kompass|Kompass 2017]] (de)
The father of Western modern [[Strategic studies|strategic study]], [[Carl von Clausewitz]], defined military strategy as "the employment of battles to gain the end of war." [[B. H. Liddell Hart]]'s definition put less emphasis on battles, defining strategy as "the art of distributing and applying military means to fulfill the ends of policy".<ref>[[B. H. Liddell Hart|Liddell Hart, B. H.]] ''Strategy'' London: Faber, 1967 (2nd rev ed.) p. 321</ref> Hence, both gave the pre-eminence to political aims over military goals. U.S. Naval War College instructor Andrew Wilson defined strategy as the "process by which political purpose is translated into military action."<ref name="Wilson2012">{{cite book
|-
| last = Wilson
|| WMFR
| first = Andrew
|France|| [[Wikimédia France/Strategic plan|Strategic plan]]
| year = 2012
|-
| title = Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers | publisher = The Teaching Company}}</ref>
|| WMHK
|Hong Kong|| [http://wikimedia.hk/index.php/A_development_plan Development Plan], from 2009
|-
| Shared Knowledge
| Macedonia
| [[Shared Knowledge/Strategic plan 2016-2020|Strategic plan 2016-2020]]
|-
|| WMNL
|Nederland||[[wmnl:Strategie/Strategie_2017-2020/English|Strategy 2017 - 2019]]
|-
|| WMNO
|Norway|| [[wmno:Strategy 2016-2020|Strategy 2016-2020]]
|-
|| WMPL
|Poland|| [[wmpl:Misja|Mission and Strategy]], [[Wikimedia Polska/Plans for 2017|plans for 2017]]
|-
|| WMRS
|Serbia|| [[:wmrs:Wikimedia Serbia Strategy 2015-2017|Strategy 2015-2017]]
|-
|WMUA
|Ukraine
|<!-- [[Wmua:Стратегічний план 2016 — 2018|Strategic Goals 2016-2018]] -->
|-
|| WMUK
|United Kingdom|| [https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Wikimedia_UK_Strategy_2016%E2%80%9319 Wikimedia UK Strategy]
|}


{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
Eastern military philosophy dates back much further, with examples such as ''[[The Art of War]]'' by [[Sun Tzu]] dated around 500 B.C.<ref name="Lionel Giles 2007">{{aut|Giles, Lionel}} ''The Art of War by Sun Tzu''. Special Edition Books. 2007.</ref>
|+ Other organizations
|-
|| Wikimedia Foundation
|| [[2016 Strategy/Draft WMF Strategy|2016 strategy]] (18-24 months)
|-
|| Amical Wikimedia
|| [[Amical Wikimedia/Strategic Plan 2014-2018|Amical Wikimedia 2014-2018 Strategic Plan]].
|-
|| CIS-A2K
|| [[CIS-A2K/Strategic plan June 2016 - July 2018|Strategic plan June 2016 - July 2018]]
|}


==Management theory==
== History ==
{{main article|Strategic management}}
{{quote box|width = 300px|quote=The essence of formulating competitive strategy is relating a company to its environment.|source=[[Michael Porter]]<ref name="Porter1980">{{cite book| last = Porter| first = Michael E.| year = 1980 | title = [[Competitive Strategy]] | publisher = Free Press | isbn = 0-684-84148-7}}</ref>}}


=== First plans for the Wikimedia Foundation ===
Modern business strategy emerged as a field of study and practice in the 1960s; prior to that time, the words "strategy" and "competition" rarely appeared in the most prominent management literature.<ref name="LOS2010">{{cite book
The Wikimedia Foundation was formed in 2003, when it became clear that Wikipedia was becoming an important online project, too big to reside on Bomis' servers. Previous to this, most "strategic planning" discussions revolved around the evolving Wikis; many decisions (additional languages, additional projects, core policies) that helped shape future organizational development were boldly made by community members and leaders through the wiki process. Most "Foundation-level" work was done by volunteers, from financial planning to technical scaling. The Foundation was a convenient organizational structure for the projects, not envisioned as an end unto itself. At the same time, Wikimedia Deutschland became the first chapter, planning its own national strategy - from publicity and politics to publishing.
| last = Kiechel
| first = Walter
| year = 2010
| title = [[The Lords of Strategy]] | publisher = Harvard Business Press
| isbn = 978-1-59139-782-3}}</ref><ref name="Ghemawat1">{{cite journal
| last = Ghemawat
| first = Pankaj
| title = Competition and Business Strategy in Historical Perspective
| journal = Business History Review
| date = Spring 2002
| ssrn = 264528
| publisher = Harvard Business Review
}}</ref>
[[Alfred D. Chandler, Jr.|Alfred Chandler]] wrote in 1962 that: "Strategy is the determination of the basic long-term goals of an enterprise, and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals."<ref>Chandler, Alfred ''Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the history of industrial enterprise'', Doubleday, New York, 1962.</ref> [[Michael Porter]] defined strategy in 1980 as the "...broad formula for how a business is going to compete, what its goals should be, and what policies will be needed to carry out those goals" and the "...combination of the ''ends'' (goals) for which the firm is striving and the ''means'' (policies) by which it is seeking to get there."<ref name="Porter1980" />


When the first elected community member [[Trustees]] took their seats on the Wikimedia Foundation Board, there were a variety of discussions about where the Foundation and the movement should be heading.
[[Henry Mintzberg]] described five definitions of strategy in 1998:
* Strategy as plan – a directed course of action to achieve an ''intended'' set of goals; similar to the strategic planning concept;
* Strategy as pattern – a consistent pattern of past behavior, with a strategy ''realized'' over time rather than planned or ''intended''. Where the realized pattern was different from the intent, he referred to the strategy as ''emergent'';
* Strategy as position – locating brands, products, or companies within the market, based on the conceptual framework of consumers or other stakeholders; a strategy determined primarily by factors outside the firm;
* Strategy as ploy – a specific maneuver intended to outwit a competitor; and
* Strategy as perspective – executing strategy based on a "theory of the business" or natural extension of the mindset or ideological perspective of the organization.<ref>Mintzberg, H. Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J. ''Strategy Safari : A Guided Tour Through the Wilds of Strategic Management'', The Free Press, New York, 1998.</ref>


* Early discussions: mailing list threads from [[user:anthere|Anthere]] and [[user:angela|Angela]] from late 2004 were often about related topics
==Strategies in game theory==
* Strategic goals: a few open meetings about goals, and some discussions on the wiki ([[three-year plan|1]]), ensued
{{main article|Strategy (game theory)}}
* The [[Mission]] and [[Vision]] statements were revisited in 2006/2007 to help lay uniform foundations for future work. (The idea was for this to happen regularly, though the next revisit was in 2009)
* In late 2006 there was an internal discussion of strategy with facilitated meetings of Board members and others, resulting in a few one-year planning documents. These do not seem to be public, though many resulting conversations are.


Most discussions about project and Foundation-wide planning have been held on mailing lists (first wikipedia-l, then foundation-l); or on Meta.
In [[game theory]], a ''strategy'' refers to the rules that a [[player (game)|player]] uses to choose between the available actionable options. Every player in a [[non-cooperative game|non-trivial game]] has a set of possible strategies to use when choosing what moves to make.


=== Movement strategies ===
A strategy may recursively [[min-max|look ahead]] and consider what actions can happen in each contingent state of the game—e.g. if the player takes action 1, then that presents the opponent with a certain situation, which might be good or bad, whereas if the player takes action 2 then the opponents will be presented with a different situation, and in each case the choices they make will determine their own future situation.
'''2004''' : the Board holds its first elections. There was strategic planning before and after
: [[one-year plan]], [[three-year plan]], [[Five-year plan]]
: a few open meetings were held to discuss the needs of the Projects with the Board.


'''2006''' : reflection and review; Angela and Anthere had been on the board since the beginning.
Strategies in game theory may be [[mixed strategy|random (mixed)]] or deterministic (pure). Pure strategies can be thought of as a special case of mixed strategies, in which only probabilities 0 or 1 are assigned to actions.
: There were [[committees]] formed
: A Board retreat and [[SWOT]] analysis was undertaken
: A [[Special_projects_committee/strategic_goals|special projects committee]] was formed and shared some brainstorming ideas related to the above
:: Note the various [[Special_projects_committee/Resolutions|resolutions]] passed by the SPC.
: An email discussion thread about "where do you see Wikimedia in 10 years" meets with interest


'''2009'''
Strategy based games generally require a player to think through a sequence of solutions to determine the best way to defeat the opponent.
: A year-long project, [[Strategic planning 2009]], was announced in May and planned for the coming year. Threads about how to proceed were floated on foundation-l, and three one-year contracts to facilitate the process were posted.


[[File:WMF StrategicPlan2011 spreads.pdf|thumb|Wikimedia Movement Strategic Plan (PDF)]]
==See also==
{{Wiktionary|strategy}}
* [[Concept Driven Strategy]]
* [[Odds algorithm]] (odds strategy)
* [[Strategy game]]
* [[Strategy pattern]]
* [[Strategic planning]]
* [[Strategic management]]
* [[Strategist]]
* [[Strategy Markup Language]]


'''2010-2015'''
==References==
: The [[strategy/2010-2015|Wikimedia movement strategy 2010-2015]] was developed on the now-archived [[strategy:Main Page|strategy wiki]], from 2009-2010. This was the first strategy for the entire movement; it doubled as a strategy for the Wikimedia Foundation. This covered for instance how effectively the movement is reaching and empowering new people around the world, how well it is providing knowledge, and how balanced its contributors are. See the '''[[strategy:Wikimedia Movement Strategic Plan Summary|Wikimedia Movement Strategic Plan Summary]]''' for details. Some [[strategy:Key_Questions|key Questions]] about our strategy were also developed. The work on the strategy wiki was later largely migrated back to Meta.
{{Reflist}}


=== Wikimedia Foundation strategies ===
==Further reading==
* Burgleman, James. ''Strategy is Destiny (2002)'' https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Is-Destiny-Strategy-Making-Companys/dp/0684855542
* Freedman, Lawrence. ''Strategy: A History'' (2013) [https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-A-History-Lawrence-Freedman/dp/0199325154/ excerpt]
* Heuser, Beatrice. ''The Evolution of Strategy'' (2010) [https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Strategy-Thinking-Antiquity-Present/dp/052115524X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409208658&sr=1-1&keywords=Beatrice+Heuser+Evolution+of+Strategy#reader_052115524X]
* Kvint, Vladimir. ''Strategy for the Global Market: Theory and Practical Applications'' (2016) [https://books.google.com/books?id=mb5n8O9y6YIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Vladimir+Kvint&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HNPAUpnZKPOssQSinYDgDQ&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Vladimir%20Kvint&f=false/ Excerpt from Google Books]


The Wikimedia Foundation has developed, on-wiki, the following strategies:
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Strategy| ]]
* [[Strategy/Wikimedia Foundation/2015|2015]]
* [[Strategy/Wikimedia Foundation/2016|2016]]
[[Category:Planning]]

=== Mission and Vision ===
The [[mission]] ([[Mission/Unstable|editable version]]) and [[vision]] ([[Vision/Unstable|editable version]]) attempt to formalize the shared goals of the projects. However, they are wordy in places and leave out goals in others.

In 2006 they were rewritten once, and there was a Board/Chapters/Other meeting at which they were discussed along with a general discussion of where the projects should be heading. The idea then was that they would be regularly revised and revisited -- but this has not happened since.

=== Choosing new projects ===
[[New project proposals]] aren't always given the attention they deserve, considering that how we view ourselves as a collection of sister projects is determined in part by what Projects we support. Newcomers are drawn to the projects by the promise of one or the other environment to work; and expect to find a functioning local society and receptive soil for planting new ideas.

Major projects that have been considered but not accepted so far include : Wikikids, Wikifamily, and Wikicite; other major friendly projects include AboutUs.org and Rodovid/WeRelate.

== Strategy proposals, projects, discussions ==
* [[Planning for the future]]
* [[Suggestions and proposals]]
* [[Individual engagement grants]] (and related project ideas)
* [[Initiatives]] of various shapes and sizes
* [[Strategy project]]

=== Discussion as part of Wikimedia Foundation and project governance ===
Board candidate statements throughout the years:
* [[Board elections/2004/Candidates]]
* [[Board elections/2005/Candidates]]
* [[Board elections/2006/Candidates]]
* [[Board elections/2007/Candidates]]
* [[Board elections/2008/Candidates]]
* [[Board elections/2009/Candidates]]
* [[Board elections/2011/Candidates]]
* [[Board elections/2013/Candidates]]

Some of largest wikis have, or have had, their own strategy discussions, leading to more specific project strategies and roadmaps. For instance, in the English Wikipedia this includes [[w:en:WP:1.0|WP:1.0]] and [[w:en:WP:WikiProject Council]] (for quality and participation). Many discussions about global policy (privacy, BLPs, civility, language incubation) started with discussions on a single large wiki about its own vision and future.

[[category:wikimedia]]
[[category:vision]]
[[Category:Strategic planning]]

Revision as of 13:56, 16 June 2018

Strategy can relate to strategy for the Wikimedia movement, strategy for entities such as the Wikimedia Foundation and Chapters, and roadmaps for individual Projects (e.g., Wikidata or Wiktionary or Wiki Loves Monuments).

Current strategy process

2018-2020 movement strategy

Main article: Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2018-20

2016-2017 movement strategy

Main article: Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2017

In 2017 the Wikimedia Foundation facilitated a movement-wide discussion on the future direction of Wikimedia. The outcome of that discussion is the Strategic Direction, which can be endorsed here.

Current strategy documents

Strategy of Wikimedia organizations

Discussion of Wikimedia Nederland, February 2011, resulting in the 2013-2015 strategy paper
Chapters
WMAM Armenia Strategic Plan 2017-2020 (2013-2018)
WMAR Argentina Planificación Estratégica 2016-2018
WMAT Austria Strategy 2016+

Older plan: Strategie 2012-2014 (de, en), from 2012

WMAU Australia Strategic Plan, endorsed by members at 2011 AGM.
WMCA Canada [1] (2017-2022)
WMCH CH Strategic Plan (defined in summer 2014, 3-5 years)
WMCZ Czech Republic Strategic Plan (2017–2020)
WMDE Germany Kompass 2020 (en, de), from 2009

Kompass 2016 (en)

Kompass 2017 (de)

WMFR France Strategic plan
WMHK Hong Kong Development Plan, from 2009
Shared Knowledge Macedonia Strategic plan 2016-2020
WMNL Nederland Strategy 2017 - 2019
WMNO Norway Strategy 2016-2020
WMPL Poland Mission and Strategy, plans for 2017
WMRS Serbia Strategy 2015-2017
WMUA Ukraine
WMUK United Kingdom Wikimedia UK Strategy
Other organizations
Wikimedia Foundation 2016 strategy (18-24 months)
Amical Wikimedia Amical Wikimedia 2014-2018 Strategic Plan.
CIS-A2K Strategic plan June 2016 - July 2018

History

First plans for the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation was formed in 2003, when it became clear that Wikipedia was becoming an important online project, too big to reside on Bomis' servers. Previous to this, most "strategic planning" discussions revolved around the evolving Wikis; many decisions (additional languages, additional projects, core policies) that helped shape future organizational development were boldly made by community members and leaders through the wiki process. Most "Foundation-level" work was done by volunteers, from financial planning to technical scaling. The Foundation was a convenient organizational structure for the projects, not envisioned as an end unto itself. At the same time, Wikimedia Deutschland became the first chapter, planning its own national strategy - from publicity and politics to publishing.

When the first elected community member Trustees took their seats on the Wikimedia Foundation Board, there were a variety of discussions about where the Foundation and the movement should be heading.

  • Early discussions: mailing list threads from Anthere and Angela from late 2004 were often about related topics
  • Strategic goals: a few open meetings about goals, and some discussions on the wiki (1), ensued
  • The Mission and Vision statements were revisited in 2006/2007 to help lay uniform foundations for future work. (The idea was for this to happen regularly, though the next revisit was in 2009)
  • In late 2006 there was an internal discussion of strategy with facilitated meetings of Board members and others, resulting in a few one-year planning documents. These do not seem to be public, though many resulting conversations are.

Most discussions about project and Foundation-wide planning have been held on mailing lists (first wikipedia-l, then foundation-l); or on Meta.

Movement strategies

2004 : the Board holds its first elections. There was strategic planning before and after

one-year plan, three-year plan, Five-year plan
a few open meetings were held to discuss the needs of the Projects with the Board.

2006 : reflection and review; Angela and Anthere had been on the board since the beginning.

There were committees formed
A Board retreat and SWOT analysis was undertaken
A special projects committee was formed and shared some brainstorming ideas related to the above
Note the various resolutions passed by the SPC.
An email discussion thread about "where do you see Wikimedia in 10 years" meets with interest

2009

A year-long project, Strategic planning 2009, was announced in May and planned for the coming year. Threads about how to proceed were floated on foundation-l, and three one-year contracts to facilitate the process were posted.
Wikimedia Movement Strategic Plan (PDF)

2010-2015

The Wikimedia movement strategy 2010-2015 was developed on the now-archived strategy wiki, from 2009-2010. This was the first strategy for the entire movement; it doubled as a strategy for the Wikimedia Foundation. This covered for instance how effectively the movement is reaching and empowering new people around the world, how well it is providing knowledge, and how balanced its contributors are. See the Wikimedia Movement Strategic Plan Summary for details. Some key Questions about our strategy were also developed. The work on the strategy wiki was later largely migrated back to Meta.

Wikimedia Foundation strategies

The Wikimedia Foundation has developed, on-wiki, the following strategies:

Mission and Vision

The mission (editable version) and vision (editable version) attempt to formalize the shared goals of the projects. However, they are wordy in places and leave out goals in others.

In 2006 they were rewritten once, and there was a Board/Chapters/Other meeting at which they were discussed along with a general discussion of where the projects should be heading. The idea then was that they would be regularly revised and revisited -- but this has not happened since.

Choosing new projects

New project proposals aren't always given the attention they deserve, considering that how we view ourselves as a collection of sister projects is determined in part by what Projects we support. Newcomers are drawn to the projects by the promise of one or the other environment to work; and expect to find a functioning local society and receptive soil for planting new ideas.

Major projects that have been considered but not accepted so far include : Wikikids, Wikifamily, and Wikicite; other major friendly projects include AboutUs.org and Rodovid/WeRelate.

Strategy proposals, projects, discussions

Discussion as part of Wikimedia Foundation and project governance

Board candidate statements throughout the years:

Some of largest wikis have, or have had, their own strategy discussions, leading to more specific project strategies and roadmaps. For instance, in the English Wikipedia this includes WP:1.0 and w:en:WP:WikiProject Council (for quality and participation). Many discussions about global policy (privacy, BLPs, civility, language incubation) started with discussions on a single large wiki about its own vision and future.

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