Performance and shared accountability

Those working in business, education, and many other fields can feel overwhelmed by the accountability jargon that permeates the workplace and seems to be constantly changing. Some of the currently popular terms are benchmarks, dashboard indicators, milestones, measures of progress, assessment measures, quality ratings, and performance standards.

The basic idea behind these accountability terms is the importance of tracking progress in achieving a goal. This is a worthy endeavor and the reason that the last planning principle in our diocesan “Road Map for Pastoral, Program, and Facility Needs 2008-2013” is “Performance and Shared Accountability.” This principle stresses the positive side of accountability — the importance of sharing and celebrating accomplishments that implement the actions recommended in our Road Map.

In addition to the idea of celebrating successes, this principle stresses the need for all of us to help our parishes in acting on shared needs. It calls on diocesan staff, task forces, and new and existing committees to develop and report on performance indicators that help parishes and vicariates assess their contributions and take additional steps to implement plan recommendations.

Related to “Performance and Shared Accountability” is the current diocesan review of the Annual General Parish Report format. Revising this format was put on hold pending the completion of the Road Map. The intent is to review parish reporting requirements and, to the extent possible, link requested diocesan information with the desired goals and outcomes of the Road Map. At a minimum, there should be a reason/need for requested information, clarity about the information requested, and a reasonable expectation that the information is available across parishes. The desired outcome is to achieve a reporting format that minimizes possible duplication of effort at the parish level and results in information that is useful to parishes and the diocese. The reporting requirements of external entities, such as the Kenedy Directory (the official U.S. Catholic directory) will continue to be followed.

It is recognized that some of the desired outcomes of the Road Map cannot be reported directly and in the short run. One example is the extent to which our faith formation efforts result in parishioners who are better able to communicate their beliefs and translate the Gospel into their daily lives. This is similar to an educational setting in which it may not be known for a number of years whether an educational program helped a person to pursue a successful career. In both examples, however, we can report indirect measures of progress.

In the educational setting, indirect measures might include alumni surveys that indicate levels of satisfaction with academic majors and whether graduates are able to find employment in their chosen field.

Answers to the following kinds of questions provide some indirect measures for our desired Road Map outcomes. Do our parishes have faith formation programs? Do we link our parish and school programs together to take advantage of their combined strengths? Are these programs led by designated and qualified faith formation leaders? Are we devoting resources to the training and education of these leaders? Do parishes have adequate facilities in which to offer services that support parish life?

For other Road Map recommendations, direct measures of progress can be reported. For example, parishes can report specific repair and maintenance accomplishments or positive changes in the number of youth involved in parish ministries.

It will take some time to settle on an annual parish reporting format that is linked to our Road Map. Every effort will be made to make it a useful accountability and information reporting tool for parishes and the diocese, as well as a concrete way of demonstrating our combined efforts to witness to Jesus.