Institutional partnership scale

Level	Description	Distinguishing Characteristics
I	Exploratory Participation The partner institution, or individuals at the institution, engages with Wikimedia DC to plan and execute individual, isolated Wikimedia-related activities. An institution at this level may have little understanding of what a partnership with the Wikimedia movement entails, and will typically require significant hands-on support from Wikimedians in order to successfully execute a Wikimedia-related activity or event. The institution will typically prefer to plan events based on external factors, such as anniversaries, commemorations, or public holidays.	(a) Participation is largely episodic, consisting of isolated Wikimedia-related events or activities which are planned at random or in conjunction with external events. An institution whose participation is sustained over a period of time should be assessed at the next level.
II	Collaborative Participation The partner institution, or individuals at the institution, engage in a sustained, long-term program of Wikimedia-related activities, characterized by programs and events which are planned and executed in close collaboration with Wikimedia DC. An institution at this level has developed an understanding of and experience with planning and executing Wikimedia-related activities and events, and has begun to allocate internal resources to support such activities. However, the institution's desire and/or ability to independently plan Wikimedia-related activities is limited, and continued participation relies on proactive planning by Wikimedians outside the institution. An institution at this level may support ongoing, resource-intensive programs, such as bulk digitization or content donations, if adequate Wikimedian support can be provided. It is unlikely to engage in such programs if they are to be accomplished principally using the institution's own resources.	(a) Participation is sustained over a period of time, taking the form of multiple, regularly scheduled events or ongoing Wikimedia-related programs. An institution whose participation is largely episodic or opportunistic should be assessed at the previous level. (b) Participation is motivated principally by the activity of Wikimedians external to the institution, who plan Wikimedia-related activities for the institution and are fully or partially responsible for executing those plans. An institution that independently plans and executes Wikimedia-related activities should be assessed at the next level.
III	Independent Participation The partner institution, or individuals at the institution, engage in a sustained, long-term program of Wikimedia-related activities, characterized by independently planned and executed programs and events with limited support from Wikimedia DC. An institution at this level understands and sees significant value in its partnership with the Wikimedia movement, and is willing to commit non-trivial resources to supporting this partnership. Decision-makers at the institution are able and willing to independently plan and execute Wikimedia-related activities with limited hands-on Wikimedian support, and will continue to plan such activities even in the absence of any urging from Wikimedians to do so. An institution at this level may begin dedicate staff (either existing internal staff or newly hired Wikipedians-in-Residence) to supporting Wikimedia-related activities.	(a) Participation is principally motivated by decision-makers at the institution, with little or no action from Wikimedians required to sustain program momentum. An institution that requires significant Wikimedian involvement in order to plan and execute Wikimedia-related activities should be assessed at the previous level. (b) Participation is principally the result of support from individual decision-makers at the institution rather than a deliberate institutional strategy. An institution which has made a strategic commitment to partnership with Wikimedia should be assessed at the next level.
IV	Championing Participation The partner institution has made a strategic commitment to partnership with Wikimedia DC and the Wikimedia movement. This commitment is made at the highest levels of leadership within the institution, applies to the institution as a whole, and encompasses a significant duration of planned activity. The leadership of the institution advocates on behalf of the Wikimedia movement within its sector, encouraging other institutions to engage in Wikimedia partnerships. An institution at this level devotes significant internal resources, including staff and funding, to supporting Wikimedia-related activities across multiple independent programs and/or organizational units.	(a) Institutional participation is the result of a deliberate decision at the institution's highest levels of leadership, and applies across the entire breadth of the institution. An institution whose participation is driven by support from individual decision-makers, but which has not made an institutional decision to partner with Wikimedia, should be assessed at the previous level.