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Annual Report 2021

Fra Wikimedia Norge
Denne siden er en oversatt versjon av siden Årsmelding 2021 og oversettelsen er 100 % ferdig.

Wikimedia Norway's work in 2021

Introduction

In 2021, Wikimedia Norway has continued to work to provide support to everyone who contributes to the Wikimedia projects: voluntary contributors, employees of cultural institutions, employees of educational institutions and students, school students, and various interest groups. These are examples of some of the groups Wikimedia Norway works with.

The voluntary contributors are far from a uniform group. They can contribute from all over the world and from Norway, contribute intensively in one period, nothing in other periods, be concerned with editing Wikipedia articles or only upload images to Wikimedia Commons, they may be concerned with the many knowledge gaps on Wikipedia or be interested in very limited topic areas on Wikipedia, they can edit on Wikidata or work with scripting and bot execution. Wikimedia Norway's ambitious goal is to support everyone who contributes directly or indirectly to increased access to free knowledge.

Wikimedia Norway's vision is to be a visible champion of knowledge sharing and open access to information. The administration's mission is to support contributors to the Wikimedia projects. These can be individuals, organizations or institutions that want to contribute to the Wikimedia projects or to free knowledge in general.

Wikimedia Norway's strategy lists these four goals for the organization's work:

  • Wikimedia Norway will support and strengthen the large and enthusiastic community of volunteers, readers and contributors that the Wikimedia projects have
  • Wikimedia Norway will increase the quality of the content of the Wikimedia projects, with particular emphasis on the projects in Bokmål, Nynorsk and Northern Sami
  • Wikimedia Norway wants to increase the diversity among the contributors to the Wikimedia projects
  • Wikimedia Norway will increase the contribution to free information from the authorities and civil society

These goals were reflected in the action plan and the budget Wikimedia Norway staff worked towards in 2021. The organization's action plan begins with this section:

Wikimedia Norway aims to make knowledge free and accessible to all by supporting contributors to the Wikimedia projects, through institutional collaboration and course activities. But among contributors to the Wikimedia projects, there are several underrepresented groups, and thus these groups knowledge and perspectives on the Wikimedia projects are lacking. Our work includes arranging wiki meetings, writing workshops, writing and photo competitions and other events, often together with partners. In order to increase the diversity on the Wikimedia projects, we work to improve the gender balance on the Wikimedia projects, to increase the supply of Sami knowledge online and to focus on minority languages. We do this work in collaboration with partners at home and abroad and under the auspices of celebrations such as Queer Culture Year 2022 and Unesco Decade of Indigenous Languages ​​2022-2032. It is also an important part of our work throughout the year to tell about the volunteers' and Wikimedia Norway's work on our blog and in social media. For a detailed overview of the organization's activities, see this page for Activities for Knowledge Equity and this page for The Administration Work of Wikimedia Norway.

The administration has worked to anchor the organization's goal of including knowledge and voices that are not yet represented on the Wikimedia projects. Diversity thinking has formed the basis for the selection of projects and applications for financial support, the choice of partners, the provision of support schemes for volunteers and the prioritization of resources that Wikimedia Norway has at its disposal. This work was in line with Wikimedia Norway's strategy, and in line with the international strategy work among all actors in the Wikimedia community. In 2020, the organization's work began to prioritize and implement recommendations from the international Wikimedia 2030 strategy, with which the board of Wikimedia Norway has previously decided that the organization will coordinate its work.

In 2021, Wikimedia Norway has been a visible supporter of the work on diversity on the Wikimedia projects, especially in the work related to small languages on the Wikimedia projects. In June 2021, the successful Arctic Knot Wikimedia Language Conference was organized by the organization, with approximately 200 participants from around the world. This work provided a necessary and solid foundation for Wikimedia Norway's opportunities to apply for multi-year funding from the Wikimedia Foundation in 2023. The Wikimedia Foundation's funding schemes were changed in 2021. The administration has worked hard in 2021 to adapt to the new scheme, so that Wikimedia Norway still qualifies to receive support from the Wikimedia Foundation in 2021 and subsequent years.

Wikimedia Norway's work in 2021 took place at the intersection between the wishes and input of volunteer contributors, the organization's strategic guidelines, the international strategic guidelines, available funding schemes, as well as goals and expectations that are clarified with the organization's partner institutions. Under the umbrella of "diversity work", Wikimedia Norway as an organization can unite these different approaches and guidelines.

The organization has a small administration, and continues to work according to the idea that we achieve good results exclusively in collaboration with volunteers and various institutions, or by linking to already existing initiatives in society otherwise. It can be, for example, Giellavakkhu, Sami language week, UNESCO's International Decade for Indigenous Languages, marking the Gay Culture Year, etc. The key to Wikimedia Norway's good projects and funding them is to find partners who share our interests to cover various knowledge gaps on Wikimedia projects.

Links to all reporting made by the organization throughout the year can be found at this page page.

Support schemes for voluntary contributors

Wikimedia Norway has offered a number of support schemes for volunteer contributors during 2021. These support schemes include wiki grants (grants awarded to volunteer contributors and organizers), travel expenses (travel expenses for wiki meetings, workshops and annual meetings), application for press accreditation (for Wikimedia Commons photographers ), distribution of access provided through the Wikipedia library, sponsorship of prizes at writing competitions and organization of wiki meetings and workshops. Wikimedia Norway is more than happy to assist in arranging events outside Oslo if volunteer contributors or partners contact us about it. A more unofficial support has also been given by e-mail or in meetings when volunteer contributors would have input, discuss something or discuss conflict situations. The employees have greatly appreciated being contacted throughout the year!

Here is a summary of a selection of the administrations' activities through 2021 that can be quantified: On average, the administration sent out newsletters every other month to members, published a blog post a month on wikimedia.no, posted twice a month on Torget / Samfunnshuset, and virtual wiki meetings of various types were held every other month by the administration. A total of 14 accesses to closed sources have been allocated through 2021 by the administration through the Wikipedia Library initiative. This month's competition on the Wikipedia versions Northern Sami, Nynorsk and Bokmål has had prizes sponsored by Wikimedia Norway, and some competitions have been arranged by the administration throughout the year.

In 2021, a Telegram group for voluntary contributors was established. This is an unofficial Telegram group for contributors to Wikipedia in Bokmål and Nynorsk which has 16 members. The virtual wiki meetings have been held digitally with different themes. And after input from volunteers, the administration in 2022 will rather hold fewer important meetings, but set them up as workshops for common learning outcomes, for example in running of bots or searches in the National Library's collections.

Cooperation with cultural and educational institutions

In 2021, Wikimedia Norway received a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation to conduct the Arctic Knot conference in June 2021. This is a conference that focuses on small languages on Wikipedia and is a continuation of the Celtic Knot conference series, organized by Wikimedia UK and others in previous years. This conference has been the administration's main task in 2021, and is the basis for the initiative we have taken afterwards together with a number of volunteers and international Wikimedia colleagues for a Wikimedia Language Diversity Hub.

6 workshops have been held for volunteers, organizations or institutions in 2021, ie one every two months. In the project Women in Red, the administration has held a teaching program for OsloMet students. From 2022, this teaching program will be offered to a much larger group of students.

We have a number of partners in both the ABM and education sectors. Examples of national partners are OsloMet, UiT Norwegian Arctic University, the National Library, the National Archives (at the National Archives and the Sami Archive). Examples of international partners are Wikitongues and Art + Feminism. One goal is to always ensure shared ownership in the work so that Wikimedia Norway alone will not ensure the progress of projects. In total, the various projects the administration has worked on in 2021 have led to 39,770 changed or new content pages on the Wikimedia projects.

Public relations

The organization works according to it's own communication plan which is published here. The employees make a simple measurement of the work on public reations in advance of each ordinary board meeting ( quarterly, which can be read here). The communication plan lists these three goals:

  • Contribute to increasing knowledge about Wikimedia and Wikipedia
  • Contribute to more contributors to Wikipedia and a greater diversity of contributors
  • Contribute to getting more participants to competitions and events

In 2021, we have prioritized writing blog posts and sharing links to them on social media. Of the organization's various social media channels, the administration has given priority to sharing content on Instagram. During 2021, we have gained 200 new followers on Instagram. On average, we have published one blog post per month, and sent out a newsletter to members every two months.

In both newsletters and blog posts, we have changed the communication from dealing exclusively with advertising activities, to giving readers and members further insight into the work Wikimedia Norway and others do. Hopefully this gives readers relevant information that can inspire continued activity. We want to offer relevant context and information about the many exciting projects that take place in the Wikimedia movement. This type of public relation work was particularly important in the organization of the Arctic Knot Wikimedia Language Conference, and the effort was reflected in the fact that the number of participants to the conference was more than doubled from previous years' conferences (Celtic Knot Wikimedia Language Conference series). Employees receive a series of emails each week from individuals, companies and organizations. The topic of most inquiries is mainly how to contribute to Wikipedia and how the content can be reused. It is a priority task for the employees to respond quickly to all inquiries.

Here are links to Wikimedia Norway's information channels: website, wiki, blog, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

The organization

Volunteers and members

In 2021, Wikimedia Norway had 72 members (119 in 2020, 112 in 2019, 103 in 2018, 81 in 2017 and 68 in 2016) and mainly does not differentiate between support the organization provides to members and to other voluntary contributors. In 2021, we switched to a new membership system and new updated payment options, ie Vipps recurring payment and direct debit, in addition to the previous payment options. It was a big job to get this in place.

The various support schemes Wikimedia Norway has are used by both volunteers and members.

Employees

In 2020, the organization had 3 employees, divided into 2.5 positions until August 2021, and 2.8 positions as of August 2021. 3 freelancers with very different skills have been associated with the organization in 2021. A freelancer has received training through 2021 in holding workshops on Wikipedia editing and can relieve full time employees in this work.

An office space for an employee from Wikimedia Sweden was rented out from January to August 2021. Due to the introduction of home office for Oslo, the office of Wikimedia Norway has mostly been empty since March 2020.

The working environment in Wikimedia Norway was good in 2021. In a small administration, one is dependent on close and good cooperation with the board based on trust and a clear division of responsibilities.

The work of the board

During the period, the board has had seven board meetings, and meeting agendas and minutes can be read here. All meetings in 2021 have been conducted digitally due to pandemic-related travel restrictions and the fact that the board of Wikimedia Norway has representatives from all over the country. Digital meetings have led to less travel and have made it easier to get all board members to meetings, but it has also been challenging for the board of directors that several of the board members have actually never met each other physically.

Board member Andrea H. Tiltnes resigned from the board in August 2021, and Hilde S. Blix took her place as deputy chairman. The board is very satisfied with the work carried out by the administration. The board believes that the cooperation between the board, the administration, the volunteers and the election and control committees has worked well during the period.

In the autumn of 2021, the board started a process of revising Wikimedia Norway's strategy, a work that had to be postponed due to pandemic restrictions. The plans for the work are ready to be implemented as soon as a new board is in place.

Finance

Budget for 2021 and quarterly financial reports for 2021 have been published here. The annual accounts for 2021 show a profit of NOK 425,513 (for 2020 the profit was 432,253). Total revenues were 3,109,833 in 2021. (for 2021, total revenues were 2,589,353). Via these links, annual accounts for 2021 and auditor's report for 2021 can be read. Wikimedia Norway's finances are stable, and revenues have increased over several years.

The financing of Wikimedia Norway came in 2021 from various support schemes we applied for (mainly project support; project support means that the funds are linked to only the project applied for), donations and membership fees, rental of office space, and payment for consulting assignments and courses the employees did for partners.

Revenues outside the Annual Plan Grant from the Wikimedia Foundation were 511,000 (NOK) higher in 2021 than in 2020. Rounded out, 36% percent of the organization's revenues in 2021 were from sources other than the Annual Plan Grant from the Wikimedia Foundation. This reflects a targeted effort on the part of the administration not to be dependent on only one source of funding.

Wikimedia Norway was also supported somewhat indirectly by borrowing premises for free, participating in conferences for free, sponsoring prizes for competitions on Wikipedia, etc. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the indirect support for Wikimedia Norway has been lower in 2021 than in previous years.

Gender balance in Wikimedia Norway

Among employees (including freelancers), board members, the nomination committee and the control committee, there where in 2021:

  • 9 women and 10 men

The gender balance at present on the board is 2 women and 4 men, when the employee representative is included there are 3 women and 4 men. The Nomination Committee will work to even out this gender imbalance.