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Peer Learning

Program

Summary of the proposal for phase 1 (testing)

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Why this Program?
Program characteristics and roles
Creating a “Learning culture”
Program components
Support services and incentives
Timetable
Next steps

Contents

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Support beyond funding
A space to build and share capacities
Contribute to Movement Strategy recommendations around capacity building, people-centeredness and meaningful connections.
Community requests during the grants relaunch consultation process

Why this program?

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Horizontal, non-formal and flexible ways of sharing knowledge amongst colleagues.
Builds social connections and cooperation
Diverse formats for a continuous, autonomous process, driven by needs and interests as they arise.
Complements, not replaces, other forms of more formal training and other capacity building initiatives.

Why peer learning?

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Combines “live” human interactions with resource sharing

Enables connections to existing spaces, does not substitute spaces for formal training or peer learning that already exists.

Experiments with new learning spaces where they do not currently exist,

Learning spaces that coincide with funding proposal development or reporting

Reduce barriers for those that currently find it more difficult to participate to share knowledge or learn from others.

What is its added value?

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Values and promotes a Learning Culture
Multilingual
Adaptable and flexible: to different contexts, levels of development, needs + timing.
Not a form of evaluation, a burden - something to look forward to and useful.
Values learning from “failures”
Practical and interactive
Inclusive:

We all have something to share.

Characteristics

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Fomenting a Let’s Connect Learning culture and environment

Peer learning requires the right mindset, environment, and incentives - a process that needs time to build and consolidate.

It is necessary to work to co-create this culture in each learning space and communications.

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A Program that encourages:

Curiosity and where there are no stupid questions.
Valuing errors and honest reflection about WHY and HOW something worked or didn’t work.
Sharing knowledge, without fear of it being misused by others.
Newcomers, fresh ideas, and limited knowledge of the “Wikimedian ways of doing things”.
Giving space for groups that are not often seen
Solidarity and mutual-aid
Multiple connections: not one size fits all

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For whom?

Grantee partners and potential partners.
Participation can be organization-wide - or as individuals in the different roles that community members play: staff, volunteer organisers, other types of contributions.
Participants should be part of an organised group (even if not formally organised), seeking to learn to expand their work and share learning.

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Roles:

3. Let’s Connect working group: co-creators

of the program, actively participating in the program design and roll-out according to interest and time.

1. Sharers (community members engaging in the spaces to share their knowledge and experiences and learn from others).

2. Let’s Connect Ambassadors (organising learning spaces in their region or around topics

of interest).

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Working group

Winnie Kabintie (Kenya)
Justice Okai Allotey (Ghana)
Florencia Guastavino (Argentina)
Julie Farman (US)
Antoni Mtavangu (Tanzania)
Pavan Santhosh(India)
Anielka Oviedo(Fellow, Nicaragua)
Jessica Stephenson (WMF)
Dorra Guedri (WMF)
+2 TBC

Let’s Connect working group: co-creators

of the program, actively participating in the program design and roll-out.

Can we make this public on meta with a photo and brief description?

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Advisory group

Butch Bustria ( Philipines)
Ciell Van Bryssel (Netherlands)
Kayode Yussuf (Nigeria)
Euphemia Uwandu (Nigeria)
Stella Agbley (Ghana)
Anna Torres (Argentina)
Isla Haddow-Flood (South Africa)

Role: Advice on the program and give overall feedback. Help communicate it in local networks.

Dynamic proposed: Feedback on material sent every 15 days. Monthly meeting with working group for any live feedback and discussion.

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Incentives

to participate

Intangible incentives:

Desire to offer mutual support and share with others
Networking
Make community work visible to others, with the necessary recognition and attribution.

Tangible incentives:

Certification of participating with a number of activities and topics participated in as sharers or Learning Ambassadors.
Barnstar, with the possibility of developing more robust badges/ gamification systems in the future.
Recognition in Movement communications.
Financial support (see slides 27-29)

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Community Resources

team/other Foundation teams:

Logistical support and methodological guidance when required (tools/templates)
Financial support and other incentives to motivate participation
Communicate the program in different channels.
Promote the “learning culture”
Monitor and learn from the Program to iterate and adjust.
Coordinate efforts with other Foundation teams and Regional Funds Committee to participate in the program, either as sharers or offering support.
Align the program with relevant Movement Strategy developments and other Foundation or community-led initiatives.

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Other Foundation teams:

Other teams have been consulted in the initial design phase and will participate in the Program implementation. Particularly Community Development, Community Programs, Movement Strategy, Movement Communications and Partnerships.

Offer support to map interesting cases for learning spaces and topics of interest.
Update information about other learning spaces to connect participants to these.
Offer methodological support and training tools and approaches.
Communicate the Program
Participate in learning spaces as sharers.
Help monitor and provide feedback on the Program.

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Around which topics

and levels of learning?

Seeks to support initial connections and broader, higher -level learning of processes, approaches, key tools.

However, the spaces will hopefully open further opportunities for deeper learning and practice - such as mentoring, formal training, resource sharing, etc.

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An initial attempt to classify some of the common topics/areas that may be of interest. Some interesting topics to start the program with are highlighted.

Category	Issue/topic
Specific Funding-related issues	Strategy and program design: (reading contextual needs, understanding what change is needed, and developing strategies /approaches - beyond stating activities). Designing learning and evaluation plans Qualitative evaluation methods (ibid) Wikimedia tools to measure quantitative metrics, particularly participants, editors, editor retention, content contributions. Budget development Reporting / storying telling / communicating results Strategies for thinking about sustainability, scaling and financing
Programmatic tactics	Effective training for newcomers/ newcomer experience New approaches to common themes - innovations in working in culture and heritage/campaigns. Effective strategies to bring in newcomers from underrepresented communities. Approaches and lessons learned around educational programs, human rights, sustainability and the gender gap Campaign tactics for newcomers

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This will change over time and discovering if the spaces adequately provide the level of learning needed will central part of the test.

Category	Issue/topic
Organizational skills / capacities / sustainability	Team management (work balance/staffing/organization) Leadership growth/renovation (preventing burnout, sustainability, diversity) Volunteer management and recognition Fundraising Financial management practices Establishing and maintaining effective partnerships Advocacy skills Dealing with harassment and conflict Governance
Technical skills for Wiki projects*	Mapping of available resources for newcomer editors Basic Wikidata use and how it can support other projects Identifying topics of impact Tools developed to automate processes (eg.AutoWikibrowser)
Interpersonal skills	Conflict transformation on Wiki and offline (with teams/within communities. Note: Community Development already has interesting sources around this). Skills that enable individuals and communities to cultivate more inclusive and safe environments online and offline. (For example, empathy, communication, etc). *There are a number of resources developed around this that could be useful)

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Let’s Connect strategies

1. Learning clinics

Resource sharing

2. Coffees/teas

Connections

Skills directory

Support elements

Learning spaces

Format: Live 1.5h group sessions around a.

“hot topic of the month” and b. proposal and reporting cycles

Frequency: a. monthly. quarterly.

Participants: 20 approx.

Format: 1:1 coffee/tea live conversation or resource sharing based on a proactive Connecting of learning and sharing interests.

Frequency: depending on interest, monthly Connecting.

Part: 2-6 people

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Mapping and Connecting potential participants

One of the first tools will be to build a “Skills Directory” to identify sharing assets and learning needs.

The “Skills Directory” will use two sources:

Information from fund reporting (2020/21) and proposals (2021/22). Reports will be analysed to capture interesting cases and learning.
A registration form that will be sent out to all affiliates, current and potential grantee partners.

Note: A working group of Wikimedians is planning to develop a robust tool to do this through the Capacity Exchange initiative. Once this tool is developed (2022), this can be used by the Program. In this initial phase, basic data collection tools will be used.

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Structure:

Monthly clinics around common topics of interest that can bring together several sharers at a time, including external cases/expertise. 1.5 live sessions with live interpretation. Max participants: 20.

Quarterly regional/thematic group sessions around Wikimedia funds reporting and proposal writing phases to share interesting tactics. This will help reflect on results and learning in a peer environment. It can also help first-time grantees learn from past experiences.

For MEA, LAC, US & Canada (September & February), for CCE, NWE, ESEAP, and SARC (October & April).
Regional Fund Committees can participate in this type of session to reflect on these experiences as a thought partners.

1. Learning clinics

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Support:

The working group and Learning Ambassadors will use the database to identify interesting case studies to present. If there are not enough registered participants to share, they can actively seek these through community networks.
Community Resources (CR) can provide methodological support in the sessions if needed, as well as the technological platform and translation services and financial support.
CR will communicate the session through the Let’s Connect space and through different channels.

1. Learning clinics

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Asynchronous participation:

CR will organise the information after the session so that they are available to non-live participants on the Let’s Connect meta space and also access the sharers to seek further connections.

Follow-up connections after the live session:

Participants in the session can determine spaces for further connections. Such as 1:1 mentoring, document reviews, or even setting up a Community of Practice.

1. Learning clinics

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Structure:

1.5 hour 1:1 live conversation. Max 4 people to enable more meaningful conversation and be able to go into more depth and contextualise to specific needs.

There are two ways to develop these 1:1 Connections.

Option 1: Connections are promoted by the CR team and Working Group on a monthly basis by using the Skills directory.
Option 2: Connections that are done directly by participants (sharers). They can contact the CR team for support if needed, ie. to offer translation services.

2. Coffees/teas

Option 1: Connectmaking is promoted by the CR team on a monthly basis by using the information provided via the Google Forms registration as well as the information registered in grant proposals and reporting. The CR team will inform the pairs of their shared interests and suggest they connect for a 1:1 coffee/tea. This will initially be done via email until a better system is developed (perhaps slack or telegram is an option). In this case, the CR team will support the connection by offering a template for the meeting structure and translation needs. During the testing phase, the CR team will participate in some sessions to be able to learn from the process and see what adjustments are needed in the format and support provided.
Option 2: Connections that are done directly by community members. Community members can use the database to identify people to learn and share with. They can autonomously enter in contact and set up their learning space. They can use any of the templates provided and also contact the CR team for support if needed, ie. to offer translation services. Learning Ambassadors can also assume the role of Connectmakers and establish these connections and join some conversations in their region or around topics of interest. It is hoped that in future Capacity Exchange being developed by Community members, will be the main tool used for this.

Who does what?

The CR is primarily providing the information in a simple and accessible manner so that community members can connect. Also, providing guidelines for 1:1 sessions and translation support if necessary. It is hoped that this second option will be more prevalent and the CR team will be more focused on providing tools and updating the information necessary for establishing good Connectes.
Sharers will arrange the time and platform to meet. Sharers prepare the content using the templates provided or in the format that best suits them. Participants will be encouraged to record the session (at least partially) and share the recording and materials with the CR team to upload in the Let’s Connect space or upload directly, however they are by no means required to do so. This can just enable other non-live participants to benefit from the connection and save sharers some time of having to share the same information in many different conversations.
Learning Ambassadors can help make the connection between sharers, as well as participate in sessions.

What topics?

The topics that are identified in the mapping process. This is a format that will allow for more in-depth learning and can lead to community members being introduced to more resources (such as tutorials), mentoring opportunities, financial resources, and connecting to existing communities of practice.

Language support:

When needed, live interpretation will be offered for the main languages, and the CR team is informed at least 1 week in advance of the session. Materials will be reviewed to see if translation services can also be provided. Sharers with the capacity to translate their own material will be encouraged to do so with the support of Rapid Funds if necessary. If sharers have their own volunteer translator, but only need platform access (ie a zoom account that enables simultaneous interpretation), this will be provided by the CR team.

Asynchronous participation:

Participants will be encouraged to record the session and organise the material to share in the Let’s Connect resource space if they want to. They can upload this directly following the guidelines or send it to the CR via email to upload. If they wish to keep their interaction more private they can record the material for internal use or not record the session. In either case, they will also be encouraged to share any material they developed for the conversation (decks, links, documents, etc).

Follow-up connections after the Let’s Connect coffee/tea:

As with the live clinics, participants in the session can determine spaces for further connections. Such as further mentoring, document reviews, or even setting up a Community of Practice. Community Resources will not actively participate in these follow-up connections but will encourage them to be reported as a result of the connection.

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Support elements

Connections

Informing and connecting participants to existing spaces within the Movement, particularly newcomers that find it harder to discover these spaces.

Resource space

A very simple space to communicate the program and make public resources that are shared.

Learning culture

Collectively building and promoting the principales, mind-set and practices that enable the type of learning space that we want. These should be practically tied into each process of the Program.

A space that is open to all community members and free.
A space that is easy to navigate and easy to look for resources.
A space where participants themselves can upload and download material.
A space that is constantly reviewed to make sure resources are uploaded, organised and links work.
A space that is easy to find, especially for newcomers.
A space that is accessible, even with a low internet connection.
If it is on Meta, it must be proactively communicated as many community members, not even experienced ones, necessarily navigate Meta resources or find them easily.
A safe space that respects privacy and security issues.

Possible solutions:

Establish a partnership with Wikimedia Argentina to use their site Recursos Comunitarios. References as a great example by staff and community members alike. Currently starting conversations with the team at Wikimedia Argentina to see what a replica or use of this space could look like and the efforts involved.
A new or existing Meta page: like the resource centre or Learning Patterns site or similar to this former resource list: Capacity Development.
A simple shared drive on google.
Degreed or LMS (pending conversations with Arthur and Asaf around this).
Explore paid services, such as Might Networks that have multiple connecting and learning functions. However, this may not be welcome by the movement that is not open source and would be a paid service by the Foundation. Other learning hubs referenced our built-on this.

Who does what?

CR will seek to organise the space and make sure the material is organised. CR does not currently have the capacity to curate all the material to check its quality or use. Where possible, the CR team will provide translation in some main languages to make the material more accessible. Note: In the future, it will be necessary to invest resources in curating material so that the resources are up-to-date, findable, and accessible in various languages. This is a need highlighted in most of the conversations and a key factor for the limited use of current resource spaces (such as the resource centre, learning patterns, or meta in general).

What topics?

Around the topics that are addressed in the learning spaces 1 and 2 and voluntarily shared by participants.

Language support:

CR team will provide translation in some main languages to make the material more accessible. However, participants themselves will be encouraged to provide translations if they have the capacity to do so.

Asynchronous participation:

All the participants in this learning space are asynchronous for individual and collective use in participants' own time.

Follow-up connections:

If the platform used allows for this, the CR will report how many times participants' resources have been viewed or downloaded. This will act as an important incentive for sharers and also monitor the usefulness of the space and any possible adjustments needed.

Future needs:

There is a clear need to curate material already existent in Meta (Resource centre, programmatic sites, Learning Patterns, etc), as well as other Wiki sites.

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Connections

Aimed at informing and connecting participants to existing spaces within the Movement:

List or calendar of learning spaces and contacts according to their areas of interest. If there are set events: a calendar should be based on the Movement's community calendar.
As illustrated in the initial mapping (next slide), these spaces vary in each region and around different topics. This calendar should be built with the help of Foundation staff and community members leading these spaces.
It is necessary to continually map and learn from these initiatives to make sure Let’s Connect is complementing and feeding into other spaces.

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Let’s Connect will feed into a wider ecosystem of spaces in the Movement, already led with a lot of time and effort. The names in grey boxes are just some examples and do not capture all the experiences.

Connections

Let’s Match

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Social media/Giff/Newsletters

Meetings

Conferences and events (organised or organic peer connections)

Wiki-skills peer learning

Mentoring (as a program strategy or organically through 1:1 contact)

Afro Curation Wikimedia France, around global campaigns or contests

Tearoom, newcomer mentoring and training functions

Multiple groups such as Women in Red, community volunteer by language, campaigns, etc

Periodical meetings by region, roles or affiliates: SWAN, ESEAP, EDs, etc.

Regional conferences, Wikimania, Wikimedia Summit

Capacity-building within projects (with WMF funds, partners or other sources

Integrated into various grant proposals.

Movement Strategy grants to test experiences. *There is potential to amplify this.

Wiki skills training

Newcomer experience

Various training formats developed by communities

Webinars / youtube tutorials

E-learning courses

Train the trainer programs

Programmatic learning groups/ communities of practice

Resource platforms

Capacity exchange platform

Learning spaces

Being developed by WMDE +European affiliates

Capacity Development (WMF)

Moocs (Algeria new editors)

Online learning courses (education/glam professionals - Wikimedia Argentina)

Wikimedia & Education Greenhouse project

Conversation/

learning hours

Art+Feminism

Wiki in Africa

Monthly GLAM learning space (WMF)

WMF staff conversation hours

Regional Committee sessions

EduWiki Outreach Collaborators or EWOC (educational learning group WMF + volunteers). *Potential to amplify this with dedicated team and resources

Wikimedia Education

Capacity Development initiative around leadership

Train the trainer led by communities in their programs (Wikimedia UK, CIS-A2K)

Learning patterns, Resource center

Affiliate-region specific Recursos comunitarios (Argentina)

Program/ project specific resource pages

Cross-regional + thematic learning spaces

Volunteer committees

(learning through deliberations / orientation or training

Board orientation on governance (Capacity Development)

Regional Funds Committees learning program + deliberations

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A very simple space to communicate the program and organise resources that are shared in the learning spaces.

Possibilities in evaluation: Meta or a specific space such as through a LMS or external open code site.

Note: Not robust resource centre that Movement Strategy calls for. There will be minimum curation, more curation will require community effort and staff to support this (desirable in future phases).

Criteria: a space that is open and free, easy to navigate (even if it does have robust search options at this stage), where participants themselves can upload and download material and does not require a high internet connection. If it is on Meta, it must be proactively communicate and easy to find.A safe space that respects privacy and security issues.

Some interesting Community-led examples

Recursos Comunitarios: Wikimedia Argentina

Art + Feminism

Resource space

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Role	Responsibilities	Possible financial support	Type of financial support
Sharers	Register their learning needs and sharing interests Maintain the information in the Skills directory up to date Be open to sharing with other participants that contact them for 1:1 coffee/teas Organise the knowledge they wish to share, with the help of guidelines/templates. Request financial support if needed to take time to register and develop their material.	For time taken to organise material and share with others. For locally organising translation, when it makes sense to do this locally. For investing in other logistical needs to share (documentation, technological support, etc).	100 USD stiped (for items 1 + 2) Amendments to existing organisationl funds to add resources for this.

Below is a draft summary of the proposed role of each team and possibilities for financial support. The CR and finance team is currently exploring this based on the scope of their contribution, contextual needs, financial procedures, and guidelines regarding paid and volunteer services. This should not be considered a final decision.

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Role	Responsibilities	Possible financial support	Type of financial support
Let’s Connect Learning ambassadors	Organise learning spaces in their region or around topics of interest. Promote participation in the program by translating its services into local Wikis and communications channels. Help promote Connectes Help encourage participants to upload and curate material onto the resource space Help register other learning spaces for the connections calendar.	For time taken to organise spaces and carry out the support role. For locally organising translation, when it makes sense to do this locally. For investing in helping participants - childcare, connectivity, transport. For investing in other logistical needs to organise learning spaces (technology, physical space, etc).	100 USD stiped (for item 1) Amendment of existing organizational funds to support this. in the case of new grantees: Rapid fund (for item 1-4). (between 500 and 5.000 USD).The value will depend on the number and scope of the spaces.

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Role	Responsibilities	Possible financial support	Type of financial support
Let’s Connect working group	Advisory: Participate in bi-weekly working group session. Offer feedback on specific tools, processes, etc. Promote the program in their community networks Operational: Co-create the program design. Be an active part of the operational team that gets the program rolling, designing tools, communications, templates, etc. Organise learning spaces Promote participation in the program by translating its services into local Wikis and communications channels. Monitor learning spaces and help promote Connectes Curate material onto the resource space Register other learning spaces for the connections calendar.	Operational: time taken to support the program (up to 10 hours a week during the testing phase)	Advisory: flexible time, fully volunteer. Operational: Consultancy contract depending on the hours and tasks.

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Learning and Evaluation:

what will success look like?

Phase I expected results

Since this is an initial testing phase the main learning will be less about the number of participants, and more about gathering inputs to see if the methodology, spaces, tools, etc make sense. The focus will be on learning from observation, individual feedback and group reflections/retrospectives to answer these

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Learning questions:

Did community members promote community participation in the program?
It is useful for participants and they are motivated to continue?
Do Community members feel they have a leading role to play and that the Foundation is offering the right support?
Do we have a clear idea of what is needed to continue and scale this?
Did we manage to promote a learning culture and environment?

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Learning and Evaluation: what will success look like?

Some possible quantitative targets

There is an initial Let’s Connect learning space with resources
There is Skills directory with the information of at least 40 communities registered as participants (sharers).
At least 20 sharers participated in different spaces.
CR supported 8 live clinics and 8 coffees/teas.
40% of these learning spaces were documented and the resources were shared in an initial Let’s Connect resource space.
At least 5 Learning Ambassadors were identified and participated in the testing roll-out.
The working group involves at least 7 community members.

In order to promote more diverse participation, it is important to effectively communicate the program through different channels and do proactive outreach to communities that have participated less in these spaces.

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Phase	Activity	Dates
Design and kick-off	Brainstorm with community and WMF staff	9th Nov-15 Dec
	Feedback on initial proposal+ adjustment	Till 24st Jan
	Set up working group	11th Feb
	Working group sessions	Starting 14th Feb (bi-weekly)
	Setting up support services and communications	14th Feb-25th Feb
	Call to participate	18th Feb
	Kick-off phase 1 with registration and data for first learning clinic	4th March
Testing (phase 1)	Initial testing period	March - June
Learning and adjusting	Quick evaluation: evaluate feedback, results through quantitative and qualitative data. Program adjustment, guarantee future funding and support services.	June/July
Phase 2	Program second phase. May include new scale and support services depending on results and feedback.	Aug-Dec

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Communication needs and possible channels

Program identity

Design logo and name to be used in communications.
Deck, cards, posts for channels

Communications channels

Participate in regional groups to communicate program (January/February) ESEAP, ED, Swan
Communicate on Let’s Connect resource page on Meta (to be built)
Share an invite card and link to register

Email: a. Former and current grantees (and applicants), b. all All affiliates
Email or telegram through PO to their contacts and Regional Committee members
Communicate on relevant Meta pages
Support from other teams to in their mail list and telegram groups.

Communications spaces during implementation (to be further discussed)

Let’s Connect Telegram group (optional for registered participants) receive information about live clinics and new resources.
Bi-monthly updates through communications channels above.
Diff post (once the program is rolling?)

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Let’s learn

and Connect together