Parish SWOT Analysis /,//'! /Cfj' (/?I+:) - St. Paul's ...

1 Parish swot Analysis /,//'! /Cfj' (/?I"+:) The Parish swot Analysis is a simple framework for generating an evaluation and strategic alternatives for a Parish situation developed by Rev. Louis F. Aiello, It is applicable either on a larger inter- Parish and diocesan level or a smaller ad hoc level of Parish ministry or committee Analysis . In the corporate world it frequently appears in marketing plans. swot (sometimes referred to as TOWS) stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The swot framework was described in the late 1960's by Edmund P. Learned, C. Roland Christiansen, Kenneth Andrews, and William D.

2 Guth in Business Policy, Text and Cases (Homewood, IL: Irwin, 1969). The General Electric Growth Council used this form of Analysis in the 1980's. Because it concentrates on the issues that potentially have the most impact, the swot Analysis is useful when a very limited amount of time is available to address a complex strategic situation. The following diagram shows how a swot Analysis fits into a strategic situation Analysis . Situation Analysis /\ Internal Analysis External Analysis /\ /\ Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats I swot Profile The internal and external situation Analysis can produce a large amount of information, much of which may not be highly relevant.

3 The Parish swot Analysis can serve as an interpretative filter to reduce the information to a manageable quantity ofkey issues. The Parish swot Analysis classifies the internal aspects of the Parish as strengths or weaknesses and the external situational factors as opportunities or threats. Strengths can serve as a foundation for building a competitive advantage, and weaknesses may hinder it. By understanding these four aspects of its situation, a Parish can better promote its strengths, correct its weaknesses, capitalize on golden opportunities, and deter potentially devastating threats. Internal f.

4 \.nalysis The internal Analysis is a comprehensive evaluation ofthe internal environment's potential strengths and weaknesses. Factors should be evaluated across the organization in areas such as: Parish culture Parish image Parish structure Key staff Access to resources and capacity to operationalize those resources. Ministry effectiveness & service to parishioners Operational efficiency Operational capacity Name ( Parish & ministry) awareness Parishioner [membership] % oflocal population Financial resources and stewardship Exclusive ministries The swot Analysis summarizes the internal factors of the Parish as a list of strengths and weaknesses.

5 -------------------------------External Analysis An opportunity is the chance to introduce a new ministry or service that can positively respond to parishioner/community needs. Opportunities can arise when changes occur in the external environment. Many of these changes can be perceived as threats to continued parishioner membership and may necessitate a change in specifications present ministries or the development of new ministry in order for the Parish to remain viable. Changes in the external environment may be related to: Parishioners Competing Congregations/Parishes Participant trends Diocesan Influences Partners (in ministry) So ial changes New theology & technology Economic envirOllment Political and regulatory environment The last four items in the above list are macro-cultural variables, emanating from the society or world.

6 The Parish swot Analysis summarizes the external environmental factors as a list of opportunities and threats. Parish swot Profile When the Analysis has been completed, a Parish swot profile can be generated and used as the basis of goal setting, strategy formulation, and implementation. The completed Parish swot profile can be arranged as follows: Stn'lI~th" ",':11\1\1"'"'' 2. 3. (lpl'lIrtl! I hn'ah 1. 1. 2. 3. 3. When formulating strategy, the interaction of the quadrants in the Parish swot profile becomes important. For example, the strengths can be leveraged to pursue opportunities and to avoid threats, and managers can be alerted to weaknesses that might need to be overcome in order to successfully pursue opportunities.)

7 "fJ-ffi IN~TlfUit F' Multiple Perspectives Needed The method used to acquire the inputs to the Parish swot matrix will affect the quality of the Analysis . If the information is obtained hastily during a quick interview with the pastor, even though this one person may have a broad view of the Parish or ministry, the information would represent a single viewpoint. The quality of the Analysis will be improved greatly if interviews are held with a spectrum of stakeholders such as parishioners, staff, employees, and other strategic partners, etc. Parish swot Analysis Limitations While useful for reducing a large quantity of situational factors into a more manageable profile, the Parish swot framework has a tendency to oversimplify the situation by classifying the organization's ( Parish ) environmental factors into categories in which they may not always fit.

8 The classification system we will use is based on the primary categories of Parish ministries (Liturgy Education & Formation; Outreach Evangelization; Stewardship & Administration [finance, personnel, material resources like buildings & grounds, etc.]). This classification of some factors as strengths or weaknesses, or as opportunities or thre-ats is somewhat arbitrary. For example, a particular Parish ministry could be simultaneously both a strength and as well a weakness for a Parish . A pastoral change could be both a threat and an opportunity. Perhaps what is more important than the superficial classification of these factors is the Parish 's awareness of them and its development of a strategic plan to use them to its advantage.

9 CATEGORIES OF MINISTRY ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,, ,,, , , -----------ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH ST. Paul's CHURCH 2/)710;1 LEE CENTER, NEW YORK ROME, NEW YORK LECTORS GREETERS/USHERS adult servers for funerals ALTAR SE RVE RS ADULT CHOIR , HOSPITAL MINISTRY , NURSING HOME :'PARISHOl ACH , CHILDREN'S LITURGY OF THE WORD.:' WEtC' "f HAll \ WOMEN'S DAY 0' REFLECTION / CH:,~~:'~'::;m ELiGIOUS EDUCATION ", ST. JOSEPH'S DAY :' PAR II '>eNIC YOUTH MINISTRY', .' WOMl' IClUBACONFIRMATION ". UTU~GY. ,,' BEREAV~I'I:' "IT GROUP MARRIAGE PREP FOCUS "', WORSHIP "" 'i SPRING&WI' " FIRST SACRAMENTS [, ' ~ ~ Parish DINN' -'/BREAKFAST ~;, Parish DONUTS '.]

10 O~~EE MONTHLY FORMATlON MINISTRY & VIRTUS!" ~ fUNERAL -NCHEONS Ifor RELIGIOUS ED TEACHERS) J,i \~ NOYEMBERMA-Of REMEMBRANCE YOUTH ORGAN TRAINING Sf ::r~~~::~ GATHERING f( -GRIEVING FAMIUES CHRISTMAS PAGEANT. RElAY FOR l/\ CROP WALl( .' _. CHRISTMAS Sf-., BOX PROGRAM ALTAR SERVERSOUTIN(> " .. --"_,,~lv' 'ONAR""ETTlE .. , """"~~ ".~~ SECRETAR; " "'-;::.,,, ACCOUNTING & PA' -all, , VOlUNTEER SERVo. is :CHRISTMAS/HOLYWEEK SETUF- , COUNTERSSACRAMENTAL PREPARATION BUILDING. GROUNDS BEREAVEMENT GROUP SNOW PLOWING BULLETIN Parish COUNCIL ALTAR CHURCH CLEANE ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH TABERG, NEW YORK ~~ / D~~~;i~Yns A Celebration of the Sacraments ,:' Outreocll -, Prayer Group.))