The Roundtable

The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors

Standards And Expectations For
Diocesan Social Action Offices and Directors

Our faith calls us to work for Justice:
to serve those in need; to pursue peace;
to defend the life, dignity, and rights of all our sisters and brothers.
This is the call of Jesus, the challenge of the prophets,
and the living tradition of our Church
(A Century of Social Teaching, NCCB, 1991)

All dioceses are responsible for planning, organizing and implementing activities that promote social justice and peace because this ministry is central to the mission of the Church. We believe that the unique and challenging demands on this ministry require the establishment of a Diocesan Social Action Office (DSAO) in every diocese.

Dioceses currently structure their social action efforts in various ways. This diversity is reflected in the many names associated with social action offices. These names include: social ministry, social concerns, justice and peace, Christian service, human concerns, human rights, community action, and others. For the sake of simplicity and consistency this document uses the designation of Diocesan Social Action Office (DSAO).

Respecting the legitimate diversity arising from the particular contexts of local dioceses, this document proposes elements essential to an effective Diocesan Social Action Office (DSAO) and can be used:

  • To help current directors be more effective through their individual self-evaluation processes
  • To help bishops’ offices develop job descriptions, encourage inclusivity, diversity in their search for candidates, and articulate the mission of the social action office
  • To offer a rationale and some encouragement to dioceses still needing a DSAO
  • To guide those involved in diocesan reorganization or restructuring which greatly affects the existence, performance, and effectiveness of a DSAO
  • To give new directors a better sense of a beginning direction for their office and goals for their own development
The Roundtable Association of Social Action Directors stands ready to help dioceses and social action directors to use this document effectively.

Structure Of A Diocesan Social Action Office Dioceses currently structure and organize their social ministry efforts in many different ways. Related to differences of size and budget are varying relationships to USCCB/Social Development and World Peace, The Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, and secretariat and vicariate systems.

Every DSAO needs a clear statement of mission and a work plan (complete with an annual evaluation process), that is worked out in dialogue with the bishop and others who have responsibility for the overall planning of ministry in the diocese.

Organization
The DSAO should exist in the diocesan administration structure with standing equal to other diocesan offices and with equal access to the bishop. Special care should be given to create productive partnerships between the DSAO and all other diocesan offices.
Staff and Budget
A full-time qualified director, appointed by the bishop, preferably employed by the diocese, is essential to lead and manage the DSAO.

Enough professional and support staff should be provided to staff the bishop and implement the basic agenda of the office.

There should be adequate moneys from the diocese to support these positions and to implement the mandate of the office. Funding should be comparable to that for other major diocesan offices and ministries.

There should be appropriate support for continuing education, professional development, and personal refreshment of the office leadership.
Relationships
The DSAO maintains working linkages with the bishop, other diocesan offices, and with the parishes (often enhanced by a well-defined advisory board or commission). In addition, the DSAO will work with community organizations, civic coalitions, state Catholic conferences, the U.S. Catholic Conference, Catholic Charities, the Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Relief Services, and other groups whose missions help to constitute a network to promote social change.
If we are imbued with the grace of faith, enlivened by hope and inspired by charity,
there is no happy or sad aspect of village or neighborhood life which can fail to move us.
This evangelization will take different forms in social solidarity, family life, work, and
neighborly relations. An isolated witness has its limitations but witnesses stimulated by
the community will be better able to share the hope that does not disappoint us.
John Paul II
February 5, 1997

Functions Of A Diocesan Social Action Office

Given the varieties of diocesan needs, sizes, administrative structures, and capacities, it is very difficult to be specific about the full agenda of a DSAO. However, every DSAO should have a clearly defined process to determine, in collaboration with others, how this office will do and/or support the work of:

  • Promoting a wide understanding among the people of the diocese of Catholic social teaching and the consistent ethic of life, and fostering the social mission of the church and work for the common good.

  • Calling the diocesan community to an understanding that action for justice is a constitutive dimension of Christian life and spirituality;

  • Advising and staffing the Bishop on public policy matters;

  • Collaborating with the education and liturgy offices of the diocese to help them to infuse the mission of social justice and peace into all educational, catechumenal, and liturgical activities;

  • Serving as a catalyst and ongoing resource to parishes in order to develop and maintain parish efforts which link direct service, advocacy, action, and empowerment toward concerns of local and global justice;

  • Coordinating and stimulating legislative advocacy on local, state, and federal issues through education about the issues and the legislative processes, promoting voter registration, and creating and maintaining a parish legislative network that fosters genuine political responsibility;

  • Creating and implementing consciousness-raising programs and advocacy projects on local, national, and international justice concerns as they relate to papal documents and positions, bishops’ pastorals and other statements and strategies of the United States Catholic Conference;

  • Coordinating the Catholic Campaign for Human Development in the diocese;

  • Cooperating with and/or coordinating the diocesan efforts which focus on emergency social service, rural life, African-American, Hispanic and other ethnic ministries, Respect Life, Catholic Relief Services, Family Life, Immigration Services, Catholic charities and any ministry with marginalized people; including people with disabilities in the work;

  • Serving as a catalyst and ongoing resource in the diocese for community and economic development efforts;

  • Collaborating with interfaith and community coalitions in efforts consistent with the DSAO agenda, as well a s keeping in touch with these efforts through the media;
In all of the above responsibilities, we are underscoring both the teaching and empowering roles of the DSAO.

Theological and Spiritual Formation

Every Diocesan Social Action Director should have knowledge of church social teaching and be able to articulate it clearly. The Director should have the knowledge and demonstrated ability to bring the Scripture, and the Catholic Church’s tradition and social teaching to bear on social analysis. The Director must be able to present a theological rationale for the positions and strategies of the Diocesan Social Action Office.



Competency Areas For Diocesan Social Action Office Directors
Diocesan Social Action Directors should have the following skills, knowledge, and abilities, acquired and demonstrated through related degrees (a Master’s degree in theology or social work or its equivalent) and/or experience. Where skills or knowledge in any of these three competency areas need further development, we recommend an on-the-job mentoring process to help with that development. Appropriate continuing education and peer consultation with other diocesan social action directors may also be helpful.
The Director should have:
  • A life that demonstrates personal commitment to the social gospel;
  • Concern for their own spiritual development and the spiritual dimensions of ministry of justice and peace;
  • Awareness of the need for a rapport with the poor and sensitivity to the variety of cultures.
Social Action Skills
We wish to underscore the Director’s role to lead, inspire, challenge, and symbolize a realistic sense of hope. A sense of humor and openness to the ideas and assistance of others would certainly help! Good understanding of the linkages among direct service, education, advocacy, and empowerment is also essential. An ability to do social analysis by reading the signs of the times, knowing the local actors, sensitivity to the poor, and an understanding of how change actually happens in that environment is crucial. Every Diocesan Social Action Director should have demonstrated ability to do adult education and community organization.
Management Skills
Every Diocesan Social Action Director should have a demonstrated managerial ability. These skills should include the following areas:
  • Planning, implementation and evaluation of goals and objectives for
  • various kinds of justice-related programs;
  • Communicating through public speaking and writing;
  • Cooperating and coordinating with supervisors, boards, and peers;
  • Recruiting, motivating, leading, and managing staff and volunteers;
  • Doing resource development and administering a budget and office;
  • Negotiating and conflict resolution skills;
  • Time management and establishing priorities
In all of the above, we wish to underscore the Director’s need to understand the church structure and how to work productively with clergy and parish staffs, as well as to understand the local community realities, needs, challenges, and opportunities.

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