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The project coordinators are the designated points of contact for issues concerning the project, and are responsible for maintaining our internal structure and processes. They do not, however, have any authority over article content or editor conduct, or any other special powers.
To contact the coordinators, please leave a message on the coordinators' discussion page, or use the {{@MILHIST}} notification template on any other discussion page on Wikipedia.
The coordinators' main role is performing the maintenance and housekeeping tasks required to keep the project and its internal processes running smoothly. This includes keeping the announcement and open task lists updated, overseeing the assessment and review processes, managing the proposal and creation of task forces, and so forth. There is little that couldn't theoretically be done by any other editor, of course—the coordinators have explicit roles in only a few processes—but, since experience suggests that people tend to assume that someone else is doing whatever needs to be done, the most efficient route has proven to be to delegate formal responsibility for this administrative work to a specified group. The coordinators also have several other roles. They serve as the project's designated points of contact, and are explicitly listed as people to whom questions can be directed in a variety of places around the project. In addition, they have highly informal roles in leading the drafting of project guidelines, overseeing the implementation of project decisions on issues like category schemes and template use, and helping to informally resolve disputes and keep discussions from becoming heated and unproductive. The coordinators are not, however, a body for formal dispute resolution; serious disputes should be addressed through the normal dispute resolution process. |
How are the coordinators selected? |
| Coordinator insignia | |
|---|---|
 Coordinator |
 Lead coordinator |
 Coordinator emeritus | |
Coordinators are elected by a simple approval vote of the membership, normally held every twelve months. Any project member in good standing may nominate himself or herself, including current coordinators, who may serve as many times as they wish. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes becomes the lead coordinator, and bears overall responsibility for coordinating the project; the other coordinators advise and assist the lead coordinator, and focus on any specific areas that require special attention.
If, between elections, the project has more work than the current coordinators can handle, and no election is imminent, the coordinators may co-opt additional coordinators, to serve until the next election.
Occasionally, a motion to appoint a former lead coordinator as a coordinator emeritus is made for endorsement during an election. The objective is that the project may continue to benefit from their help and experience. The position has no special responsibilities and is held for as long as the coordinator emeritus wishes.
History of the coordinator system |
The initial discussion that led to the creation of the project coordinator positions took place in January 2006; it arose from the development of the "task force" concept within the project.
There have been seventeen tranches of coordinators since the system was introduced:
- Notes
- ^ The position of coordinator was known as "assistant coordinator" prior to March 2008
- ^ The position of coordinator emeritus was introduced in September 2008
- ^ Co-opted in March 2008
- ^ a b c Co-opted in November 2008
- ^ Resigned in March 2009
- ^ Elected coordinator emeritus
- ^ Elected coordinator emeritus
- ^ Resigned in May 2010
- ^ The term length was increased from six months to one year following a March 2010 referendum
- ^ AustralianRupert and Parsecboy tied for lead coordinator, but AustralianRupert deferred to Parsecboy for personal reasons.[1]
- ^ Resigned in March 2012
- ^ Resigned in January 2012
- ^ a b c The lead coordinator position in Tranche XII was shared among three coordinators as a result of a three-way tie during the September 2012 election
- ^ Resigned in May 2014
- ^ Resigned in August 2018
- ^ Resigned in April 2018
- ^ Co-opted in May 2018
- ^ Elected coordinator emeritus
- ^ Elected coordinator emeritus
- ^ Elected coordinator emeritus
- ^ Elected coordinator emeritus