User:Mike Cline/USCAN Working Group Drafts/Phase I Task Forces/E-Wikimedia Foundation Education Program Consensus Building Process/Meeting II

Overview
The Wikimedia Foundation is sponsoring the creation and proceedings of the U.S./Canada Education Working Group, for purposes outlined in the Working Group charter (and further background available here). As stated in the charter, Working Group members are tasked to do the following by end of November 2012: "formulate, articulate, review and vet a strategy that establishes a new, self-sustaining enterprise (the Education Program Structure) to manage all aspects of the US-Canada Education Program in support of Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia movement strategic goals." This will come in the form of "strategic recommendations that require Wikimedia Foundation consideration." It is the role of the Working Group Sponsor to bring this recommended strategy from the Working Group to Wikimedia Foundation high level management, and communicate the expectations and suggestions of the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) high level management to the Working Group. In other words, the process for finalizing the Education Program Structure strategy is an iterative process between the Working Group and the Wikimedia Foundation — the Working Group proposes a thorough, well-thought-out strategy, the Wikimedia Foundation reviews the strategy and either approves it or suggests concrete revisions.

This page outlines this iterative process.

The process

 * 1) By Nov 19: the Working Group completes a solid proposal of the Education Program Structure strategy. This should be a text document.
 * 2) By Nov 19: the Working Group Sponsor brings the proposal to WMF high level management.
 * 3) Nov 19 – Nov 27: WMF high level management reviews the proposal, discusses the proposal with the Working Group Sponsor, and communicates their thoughts about the proposal to the Working Group Sponsor. During this review period, the Working Group Sponsor may engage Working Group members in further discussions on specific issues in the proposal to reach clarification and agreement on both the Working Group and WMF's side.
 * 4) By Nov 27: the Working Group Sponsor communicates the WMF high level management's thoughts and suggestions about the proposal to the Working Group.
 * 5) If the WMF high level management approves the proposal as it is: the Working Group begins preparing for the strategy implementation phase (Phase II). If the WMF high level management does not approve the proposal as it is but instead suggests certain changes: by Dec 11, the Working Group revises the proposal according to those suggestions and resubmits the proposal to WMF via the Working Group Sponsor. The Working Group may wish to stay in close communication with WMF (via the Working Group Sponsor) throughout this revision process to make sure there are no misunderstandings around the suggested revisions.
 * 6) Dec 11–21: WMF high level management reviews revised proposal and either approves it or makes further suggested changes. If further changes are suggested, the Working Group further revises proposal to make it ready for full WMF approval.