Overview
Regional church governing body.

Opportunity / Threat
The Diocese had conducted a SWOT analysis and developed a mission statement for the church. In the process of developing goals, objectives and action plans to implement the mission, the Diocese realized it needed an outside facilitator to ensure that all parties, and in particular members of the church, had a voice in the plan. The Diocese planning committee wanted a highly participative process with grass roots involvement.

Action / Result
Strategic Advantage, Inc. advised the Diocese on the best process to use to reach their objectives and facilitated a series of quarterly planning sessions. Planning sessions included representatives from 12 different geographical areas in the Diocese. Prior to each session representatives met with their parishes to gather input for the planning session. The results of each planning sessions were then fed back to the parishes for review and comment. Through this iterative process, specific goals and objectives were developed. The strategic plan was published in the Catholic Sun and communicated to all members of the Diocese. The planning committee has established a task force for each goal and is currently implementing the plan.

Client Comments
"When Dr. Gooding came on board, we had completed a SWOT analysis. Now we have a plan we are able to publish and have set up implementation groups. He really helped us gather and integrate a terrific amount of information. We weren't sure that would ever happen, but with his help, it did."
"Dr. Gooding has been a very good person to work with. He respected the groups and really honored their input. He had a great deal of integrity and honesty. It wasn't his plan, but the people's plan. His objective was to help it reach its final form."
"I really admire how he could enter mid-stream into the process and get so involved. He was very attentive to the nature of the group and what they were trying to achieve. He adapted his own skills to the group and was very flexible in his approach."

-- Sister Mary Ann Winters, Chancellor