WikiStaff:Bureaucrats

**Bureaucrats** are wiki users, usually administrators, with the technical ability to perform the following actions:

* Add the administrator, bureaucrat, interface administrator, or bot user group to an account.
* Remove the administrator, interface administrator, IP block exemption, pending changes reviewer, or bot user group from an account.

They are bound by policy and consensus to only grant administrator or bureaucrat access when doing so reflects the wishes of the community, usually after a successful request at WikiReq:Requests for adminship. In the same fashion, they are expected to exercise judgement in granting or removing bot flags. They are expected to be capable judges of consensus, and are expected to explain the reasoning for their actions on request and in a civil manner. Actions by bureaucrats are also bound by the policy on use of administrative rights.

Bureaucrats have been authorized by the community to remove administrator permissions in certain situations outlined below. Bureaucrats do not have the technical ability to remove bureaucrat rights from users or to grant or remove certain levels of access such as oversight or checkuser rights. These actions are performed by stewards, a multilingual group of individuals who serve all Fandom projects and are elected and reconfirmed annually by their users.

Users are granted bureaucrat status by community consensus and/or by owner action. The process is similar to the process of granting administrator status, but the expectations for potential bureaucrats are higher and community consensus must be clearer. See WikiReq:Requests for bureaucratship.

On the Starbase Republic Wiki, there are currently 5 bureaucrats.

## Procedures

These are instructions and procedures concerning bureaucratic actions and processes.

### Promotions and RfX closures

***Note:** Requests for adminship can be closed by non-bureaucrats in certain cases; for example if the user has withdrawn the request or the outcome is very unlikely to be positive. Non-bureaucrats should be very careful in the latter case and only close RfAs when they are not in doubt. In such cases the requesting user should always be asked to consider withdrawal first.*
* Wait at least seven days after the listing was made on WikiReq:Requests for adminship.
* Check the history for the transcluded page to be reasonably sure that the comments are genuine.
* Determine whether there is a consensus that the person should be promoted using the traditional rules of thumb and your best judgement.
* Edit the nomination. Add the relevant header and footer to the discussion page, remembering to substitute

*For requests for adminship or bureaucratship*
* Remove the "Voice your opinion" and talk page link
* Replace the template with {{finaltally}}, fill in the appropriate fields, make sure the final tally is accurate, and include any additional comments
* If there is a consensus, promote to admin or bureaucrat using Special:Userrights. If present, remove userrights made redundant by the sysop flag. Refer to Special:ListGroupRights for details on which other rights are included with the new user rights level. Please reference the RfA (or RfB) when making the promotion
* Remove the request from requests for adminship
	+ For successful nominations, add a summary of the outcome to successful requests for adminship or successful bureaucratship candidacies and update the relevant counts.

### Removal of permissions

Bureaucrats may remove the "administrator" user right from an account in some situations:

* If self-requested by the administrator
* By official request of the Administrators Arbitration Committee
* If the administrator is deemed inactive per WikiStaff:Administrators#Procedural removal for inactive administrators

Bureaucrats should include a permanent link to the request or relevant policy when removing permissions. If necessary, the affected user should be immediately notified and given a reason for the removal along with advice on seeking the reinstatement of the permissions.

Should the `extended confirmed` group have been removed from the account since becoming an administrator, it should be restored when removing administrator permissions.

The use of these procedures is not intended to constrain the authority of the Fandom Stewards to undertake emergency removal of permissions on their own discretion, or removal following a request from the Arbitration Committee, pursuant to the relevant policies governing Steward actions.

#### Inactive bureaucrat accounts

There are two separate activity requirements applicable to bureaucrat accounts:

1. Bureaucrat accounts that have been completely inactive for at least one calendar year (without any edits or other logged actions) may have their bureaucrat permissions removed. The bureaucrat must be contacted on their user talk page and via email one month before the removal of permissions and again several days before the request is made. Should the bureaucrat remain inactive, another bureaucrat may request the procedural removal of permissions. This is not to be considered a reflection on the user's use of, or rights to, the tools. If an inactive bureaucrat returns to Wikipedia, they may request restoration of the permissions at the bureaucrats' noticeboard provided they have not been inactive from bureaucrat activity for three consecutive years.
2. Bureaucrats are expected to exercise the duties granted by their role while remaining cognizant of relevant community standards concerning their tasks. If a bureaucrat does not participate in bureaucrat activity for over a year, their bureaucrat permissions may be removed. The user must be notified on their talk page and by email one month before the removal, and again a few days prior to the removal. If the user does not return to bureaucrat activity, another bureaucrat may request the removal of permissions. Permissions removed for not meeting bureaucrat activity requirements may be re-obtained through a new request for bureaucratship.

### Restoration of permissions

In the case that a former administrator or bureaucrat requests their permissions be restored via the bureaucrats' noticeboard:

1. Check that the user in question is indeed a former administrator or bureaucrat (in particular, a bureaucrat restoring permissions should satisfy themselves that the account has not been compromised since the permissions were relinquished).
2. Check that the prior access removal was voluntary, or due to inactivity.
3. Check their talk page history and any pertinent discussions or noticeboards for indications that they may have resigned (or become inactive) for the purpose, or with the effect, of evading scrutiny of their actions that could have led to sanctions.
4. To allow time for requests to be checked thoroughly, it is **required** that a minimum of 24 hours elapse for multiple bureaucrats and other editors to comment on the request before restoring permissions. This time may be lengthened at a bureaucrat's discretion, if new information arises.
5. If a former administrator ("lengthy inactivity") or bureaucrat ("inactive bureaucrat accounts") has been inactive (defined by zero edits or logged actions) for a period of a year or longer after the removal of permissions (or for six months from the last edit or log action in the case of permissions removed due to inactivity), they must be successful in a new request for adminship or bureaucratship to have the permission(s) restored.
6. If a former administrator has been administratively inactive (defined by zero logged administrative actions) for a period of five monthsor longer at the time of their last administrative rights removal, and the removal was for inactivity, they should be successful in a new request for adminship to have the permission(s) restored.
7. Before restoring the administrator flag, a bureaucrat should be reasonably convinced that the user has returned to activity or intends to return to activity as an editor. Should there be doubt concerning the suitability for restoration of admin permissions, the restoration shall be delayed until sufficient discussion has occurred and a consensus established through a bureaucrat chat.
8. If the permission is restored, list the user at WikiLists:List of resysopped users.

### Bot flags

1. Bot flags may be granted or removed by a bureaucrat.
2. (On process page) Ensure that the request is compliant with relevant policies and guidelines.
Bot flags may also be granted or removed in other situations (such as requests to the bureaucrats' noticeboard or other noticeboard discussions).
3. Use Special:UserRights to set or remove the flag, with a link to the approved RFBOT or permanent link to the relevant discussion as the rationale.

1. ↑ Although the ability to add and/or remove the account creator, IP block exempt, and pending changes reviewer rights is technically a part of the bureaucrat toolset (see Special:ListGroupRights), administrators also have these technical abilities.
2. ↑ Bureaucrat activity is widely construed and includes acting or commenting as a bureaucrat at any venue including RFA/RFB/RFARBCOM/RFBOT and responding to requests in their capacity or signalling that they remain actively engaged and available for bureaucrat tasks.
3. ↑ In particular, see WikiReq:Requests for arbitration: an administrator who requests desysopping while an arbitration case or a request for arbitration is pending against him or her will be deemed to have left under circumstances of controversy, unless the Arbitration Committee decides otherwise, for purposes of applying this rule.