Ministry Identity Assessment

This meeting includes the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Before gathering, SLT should have looked at the overview of the Ministry Identity Assessment process. This meeting has seven high-level objectives that set the tone, timing and participants for the process.

OBJECTIVES

• Explain the CHA Ministry Identity Assessment
• Determine if external reviewers will be used
• Decide the timing for the process
• Agree on core commitments to be reviewed
  

In general, the core commitments for assessing identity are determined by the system. In smaller systems or individual facilities, the mission leader and SLT may decide.

• Determine key stakeholders to inform and possibly involve in the assessment
• Determine members of the Steering Team
• Identify Core Commitment Committee (CCC) chairs – how many committee chairs to name is determined by which core commitments you review and if you group any of them under one CCC.

These individuals should have a role with natural alignment with the core commitment being reviewed. CCC chairs are a part of the steering team.

It is a good idea at this point to begin thinking about a communication plan to inform key internal and external stakeholders (including the local bishops) about the purpose of the ministry identity assessment process, what will be assessed, who will be involved and how and when they will receive results. Getting an idea of what the local ordinary is curious about has worked well in building relationships.

Made up of 12 to 15 people, the Steering Team drives much of the process and is responsible for final scoring, reporting, process improvement and action planning. In addition to the project management dyad, CCC chairs, and a recorder, membership of this team might include: the top administrator of the facility, representation from the SLT, board, community, front-line associates, quality and process improvement, accreditation, communications or other key stakeholders.

OBJECTIVES

• Confirm core commitments
• Identify possible data sources and benchmarks
• Determine if/how feedback will be gathered from associates
• Create CCCs
• Determine key dates

Involving both the Steering Team and all CCC members, Meeting Three provides scriptural and theological underpinnings, as well as a practical introduction to the Baldrige scoring process. This session includes various formation and training videos, reflection, discussion and dialogue, as well as a commissioning service.

OBJECTIVES

• Explain ministry identity assessment process and underpinnings to the Steering Team and CCC through a formative process.
• Illustrate connection between ministry assessment and continuous quality improvement.
• Ensure all participants understand the Baldrige scoring process.
• Commission all participants so they recognize their work as essential to the identity of the organization.

Each CCC meets as a small group to unpack the theological commitments around their particular core commitment, what data needs to be collected for particular maturity levels and who will be responsible for doing the work.

OBJECTIVES

• Engage the CCC in a formative process around the theological foundations of the assessment process and of the core commitment in question
• Introduce their core commitment and make suggestions as to what data supports the various maturity levels
• Assign members the maturity levels they are responsible for and what data they will collect.
• Determine date by which data is to be uploaded to the virtual platform
• Refamiliarize members of the CCC with the Baldrige Maturity Framework, Scoring Guides and related resources

The significant work of data collection and submission will happen between Meeting Four and Meeting Five. CCC members collect their data and upload it to the virtual platform by the due date. This process should take two to four weeks.

After all of the data is collected and uploaded to the virtual platform, it will be available to all committee members for review. CCC members should have at least a week to review this data and come to Meeting Five prepared to discuss.

CCCs meet individually to discuss the data and come to consensus on a score. At the end of this meeting, participants complete a Process Assessment and Confidence Survey, the results of which are automatically compiled and shared at Meeting Six.

OBJECTIVES

• Come to a consensus score for each core commitment maturity level
• Identify strengths, gaps, opportunities and recommendations for improvement.

After this meeting, the CCC chair and project management dyad prepare to deliver a high-level report for the Steering Team. These reports, as well as the Process Assessment and Confidence Survey Summaries, are automatically generated on the virtual platform and available for the Steering Team and External Reviewers (if appropriate) for review in advance of Meeting Six.

Having reviewed scoring summaries and confidence survey summaries from each CCC, the Steering Team gathers again to hear reports from each CCC chair and confirm or amend the initial score.

OBJECTIVES

• Review core commitment scores and reports
• Determine final scores for each core commitment
• Identity top strengths, opportunities and recommendations

If External Reviewers are joining the group, they are expected to:

• Inquire about important data that are not mentioned in written scoring summaries or verbal reports by the CCC chair and ask what evidence the organization found related to these areas
• Ensure the Steering Team finalizes the core commitment scores in a manner consistent with the Baldrige Scoring Process
• Participate in the conversation where trends are noted as well as naming the organization’s strengths, opportunities and recommendations for continuous quality improvement in ministry identity
• They ought not to be serving as a recorder for the group, beyond their own needs, facilitating the meeting or assigning scores.

Please note: Within two weeks of Meeting Seven, the top opportunities for improvement should be determined for inclusion in the Action Plan Summary and provided to the project management dyad for their use in preparing for Meeting Seven.

With final scores and the top opportunities for improvement in hand from Meeting Six, selected members of the Steering Team, CCC chairs and other people from the organization identified during the Steering Team Assessment Day gather to develop a process improvement plan.

OBJECTIVES

• Develop a process improvement plan for ministry identity
• Determine responsible parties for each action plan
• Decide metrics and reporting frequency
• Summarize process improvement plan for final report

Organizations are encouraged to consider who will monitor progress toward goals as well as what existing structures may be meaningful places to embed reporting processes.