Managing well

Captain Helen Froud shares an update on a Management Data Project pilot which will support and enable local mission flourishing

RELIABLE information or data is key to making any good decision, in whatever context. Data helps us survey our options, choose the best way forward and review what we have done. As a church we do this by discerning the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Mission Service team at THQ has spent a lot of time in listening to local experience around the impact of mission. We’ve collected vast amounts of data from our mission expressions to provide useful insights into what we’re doing as a territory. However, there is a need for a systematic collection of consistent information that can help us easily see the outcome and impact of mission. From this we can learn what we are doing well and where we can enhance our work to be more effective. Even better, is having data we can all access and easily understand ‘in the moment’ with ‘live’ information driven by a common data set.

Our data collection processes have been frustrating for corps and centres, particularly when they receive multiple requests at different times asking for more or duplicate information. Too often in the past, data has been collected by headquarters and local expressions have seen little evidence of what we have done with it. As part of a management data project, R&D is working with other THQ services to ensure local information is captured once and is immediately available locally, as well as at all levels of the organisation.

WHAT’S THE PLAN?

At present, we collect information for a number of reasons. To ensure good governance, for the protection and welfare of our people, or to evidence how we use our resources. Sometimes we collect it because we’ve always collected it!

We realise our way of collecting data needs updating – our working/ministry practices aren’t all desk-based so we need to be able to input and access information while on the move. So, in future, a local leader can quickly check any key data for their ministry on a handheld device with little hassle. We are working with our colleagues in IT on how best to do this.

The East Of England Pilot

Using data from a pilot in the East of England Division we will gain a better understanding of our information culture. This also provides an opportunity for us to really interrogate our data – what do we need, why do we need it and how will it impact mission flourishing? This will take place in a series of workshops this summer. Additionally, the workshops will provide qualitative information, such as what people are doing with data, and what additional information they are currently collecting. Mission flourishing will not look the same in all contexts or in different seasons. We need a nuanced understanding of missional information which respects the diversity of every local setting and their challenges.

As part of the work in East of England, the Atlas IT system, which is most-used in our Lifehouses, is being rolled out with a new programme diary module to corps. This system is now live, capturing data and providing real-time feedback to local and divisional leaders on what’s currently happening in an area.

The feedback from the pilot and local opinions from the Structural Coordination and Design Group’s earlier questionnaire, which reached more than 1,400 people, will add depth to our research.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The work in the East of England Division will provide a large amount of information for analysis and the R&D team expect to begin interim reporting from autumn. It’s hoped we can

1. Central and Southern Scotland

2. Central, Southern and Channel Islands

3. East Midlands

4. East of England

5. Ireland

6. London update you towards the start of 2024 on our progress.

The SCDG reminds people to focus on continuous learning and improvement as we all adapt and flex in our ministry. It is the hope that accurate data collection will help people make better evidenceinformed decisions in their settings and make their ministry more responsive to their context. Quality data will help The Salvation Army confidently achieve our vision: ‘Fullness of life for all with Jesus’.

CAPTAIN HELEN

Assistant Director Research and Development

Research