Wiki Movimento Brasil 2025 Strategic Process/Theory of Change/Preface
Evaluation of the Theory of Change 2021
In 2021, Wiki Movimento Brasil (WMB) developed a Theory of Change (ToC) to guide a more intentional approach regarding the deliberations of the Wikimedia Movement's strategic process and its implementation in the Brazilian and Lusophone contexts. The creation of the ToC coincided with a period of maturation and professionalization of WMB, Wikimedia’s affiliate in Brazil. Understanding that the Portuguese-language internet ecosystem is still fragile and exclusionary, this document was created to guide WMB's practices and promote the group's development around the following key principles: Sustainability; Diversity & Decoloniality; Interconnection & Partnerships; Social Relevance; and Learning. In general terms, the group's work in recent years, based on the aforementioned Theory of Change, has aimed to improve the availability of Portuguese-language content on the internet and increase the relevance of Wikimedia projects and open knowledge in Brazil. The challenges identified to be overcome during this process included: the proliferation of misinformation campaigns, the restriction of open access to quality content on the internet, the lack of public investment in education, culture, and science, and the underrepresentation of knowledge resulting from inequalities created by power structures and privilege in the digital environment.
The production of the ToC was the initial step in the strategic planning developed in 2022 for the period from 2023 to 2025. The central document of the planning was the Strategic Manifesto 2023-2025. From it, other documents were derived, including the Financial Diversification Plan (restricted access document); a new version of the Strategic Communication Plan (2024); the new version of the Diversity Plan (scheduled for November 2024); the new draft of the Friendly Space Policy; and the International Action Plan (scheduled for mid-2025). Within the scope of applying the ToC, committees and subcommittees were formed for the deliberative and strategic action of the Wikimedia volunteer community members in Brazil. The ToC served as a normative framework for these guiding documents and the governance practice of WMB, providing them with a conceptual framework for drafting, consistency, identity, and evaluation.
In the 2021 Theory of Change, six areas of learning were presented to guide the activities and operations of WMB. They are: Well-being, leadership, and diversity in the projects and the Lusophone Wikimedia community; Sustainability and strategic processes in the open knowledge ecosystem; Wikimedia's visibility and recognition; Partnerships for the sustainable infrastructure of open knowledge; Innovation of processes and products; and Organizational Culture and integrated processes of documentation and learning. Learning questions were assigned to each of these areas to guide the documentation of challenges and opportunities in activities. Furthermore, the areas were linked to specific objectives and evaluation methods to ensure the systematic collection of results and, in turn, consolidate the intended learnings. Regarding the latter topic, the **S.A.R.A.** (System for Evaluation of Results and Learning) gained prominence, a tool created in 2023 by WMB to facilitate the storage and visualization of activity reports. In addition to this evaluation method, other formats for activity documentation were also adopted, such as **reports** (produced quarterly) and semi-annual case studies published on Meta-Wiki. (For a more detailed analysis of these materials, refer to the annexes section.)
The learning area Well-being, leadership, and diversity in the projects and the Lusophone Wikimedia community encompassed much of WMB's learnings during the period. This is a fundamental area of the Movement, as its goal is the engagement of new users, the organization of capacity-building activities and training sessions, and the promotion of underrepresented knowledge. It includes, among other activities, the organization of editathons, contests, and GLAM-Wiki partnerships. From a quantitative perspective, the engagement impact of WMB is documented, as it mobilized thousands of editors annually, producing significant results in well-known projects like Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata, as well as in smaller communities like Wikiversity and Wikisource. A constant challenge in this area, which should capture WMB’s attention in the coming years, is the retention of newcomers, as a large number of people who participate in activities on Wikimedia platforms do not continue contributing after these activities end.
Sustainability and strategic processes in the open knowledge ecosystem was based on the premise of considering WMB's role in decisions within the Wikimedia Movement and in promoting open knowledge in Brazilian political spheres. One of the main obstacles to advancing this area was the low visibility of WMB beyond Wikimedia platforms and its communities. The new Communication Plan sought to give meaning and intentionality to actions with new audiences, strengthening WMB's image for the general public as a third-sector organization working for a more collaborative internet with high-quality, free, and accessible information. In the wiki ecosystem, data indicates a consensus among Wikimedia peers regarding WMB's mobilizing role within the Portuguese-speaking community and its increasing participation in global strategic discussions of the Wikimedia Movement.
Activities in Visibility and recognition of Wikimedia aimed at carrying out shared learning programs and processes with partner entities, both local and international. The goal was to identify the causes and consequences of the current level of Wikimedia's visibility in Brazil, which was considered lower than it could be, and take action to mitigate this scenario. Additionally, this area sought to expand and promote the practice of voluntary contribution and the collaborative culture in the country. Along with the first learning area analyzed, this was the one with the highest number of associated reports. A milestone in this learning area is the formalization of dozens of partnerships between WMB and other organizations, positioning Wikimedia as a means of advancing cultural and educational missions at the institutional level. One challenge in this area was strengthening relationships with other affiliates and building a more cohesive Wikimedia community among Portuguese-speaking countries.
The area Partnerships for the sustainable infrastructure of open knowledge was directly related to the area Visibility and recognition of Wikimedia, as it aimed to assess the volume of engaged partnerships, new partnerships, the number of contributed contents, and the impact topics with which partner entities worked. The goal was to contribute to the dissemination of open knowledge to social organizations and establish educational and cultural partnerships that considered the Diversity Plan. In this sense, WMB consolidated a process of expanding its activities beyond the Southern and Southeastern regions. Notable initiatives include the **Wiki Loves Pará** (2023) and **Wiki Loves Mato Grosso** (2024). There is an ongoing effort to ensure that such Wiki Loves campaigns also help engage participants beyond the proposed activities and, in fact, can solidify sustainable partnerships with local institutions.
In Innovation of processes and products, the formation of a permanent programming and development team was highlighted. This area presented a smaller number of associated reports because its deliverables have longer development cycles. The products developed aimed to ensure greater structural efficiency in WMB's activities and support Wikimedia campaigns and practices in Brazil. The **S.A.R.A.**, for example, innovated in how WMB delivers reports and evaluates its own operations. The Wiki Loves Brasil app enhanced the inclusion of new contributors in the heritage registration campaign. Projects like this highlight how WMB collaborates in the development of solutions within the wiki context. It is also relevant that WMB participated in strategic discussions on technology, coordinating a **Global Majority movement** regarding structural challenges in collaborative platforms. An obstacle to even more significant growth in this area is something inherent to it: the time required to execute initiatives with structural impact for Wikimedia overall, as WMB projects tend to be short-term.
The area of Organizational culture and integrated processes of documentation and learning aimed to evolve WMB's organizational capabilities. Similar to the Partnerships area, the Diversity Plan was understood as the focus of WMB's actions, and it was to be implemented in both the organization of the professional team and in the activities carried out. The goals outlined in this area were addressed as the professional team was expanded to different states, moving beyond the Southern-Southeastern axis and, to a greater extent, the city of São Paulo. The concern with the geographic diversity of participants also guided the creation of programs such as **Calibra**. However, standardizing the ways to share learnings was a challenge in consolidating and communicating the results of the area’s actions.
Since the last Theory of Change, written in 2021, the number of volunteers at WMB has grown by almost 50%, in an organic and responsible manner, as shown in the graph. The expansion of the number of members and strategic actions led to significant changes in the participatory management model of the affiliate, with the involvement of subcommittees and committees to support the direction of activities and internal policies of the organization. These changes, aimed at allowing greater diversification in approaches and adopted solutions, reflected a deeper engagement and a greater capacity to respond to emerging demands, as WMB increasingly participates in decision-making instances within the Wikimedia Movement and digital rights networks.
Since 2021, WMB's professional team has more than doubled in size, increasing from 10 to 26 people. This growth reflects the process of professionalization and the increasing complexity of the affiliate's professional practices. A central aspect of this growth has been territorial diversification, facilitated by remote work, which allows for decentralized action. An ongoing challenge is fostering more effective connections between professionals, volunteer communities, and partner organizations in localities.
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Based on the learnings from WMB's first strategic cycle, initiated with the 2021 Theory of Change and followed by the 2023-2025 strategic plan, a new cycle begins with this updated Theory of Change. It constitutes a new cycle of producing an action-guiding framework, supported by the following documents: the 2023-2025 Learnings Report, the 2023-2025 Strategic Process Report, and the 2026-2028 Capacity Analysis and Strategic Planning. These documents will be progressively developed, with this new Theory of Change serving as the reference point.
