Diocese Reviewing Organizational Structure of Central Offices
 

The Diocese of Scranton has begun a review of the organizational structure and operations of its central administrative offices.

The process will include an evaluation of how departments are structured, office procedures, workflow and resources. It will also examine how the central offices interact with other Diocesan entities such as parishes and schools in the 11 counties of the Diocese.

Bishop Bambera has authorized the review with the intent of establishing a “solid organizational structure that supports the work being performed at every level of Diocesan operations.”

The Bishop emphasized that the review is not a reaction to any particular issue within the offices, and is not a personnel performance evaluation or a prelude to staff reductions.

He praised the dedication and contributions of the office staff to the mission of the Church. The goal of the review, he explained, will be to enhance the organizational structure of the organization to enable the offices and their employees to function at an even higher and more efficient level.

“Because of my ministry as a Diocesan priest,” Bishop Bambera said, “I have long appreciated the work performed by the Diocesan staff who daily support the individuals and families who come before us in need and who serve our parishes, and I understand that regardless of the size or type of organization, having a team of motivated, hard-working employees is crucial to the organization’s success.”

“Yet, no matter how good you might be already, every organization can uncover ways to improve,” the Bishop added.

The review is being conducted by The Davison Group, Inc. Founded in 1988 in Easton and headquartered since 2001 in Mechanicsburg, The Davison Group has worked in all 67 Pennsylvania counties as well as in Delaware, Colorado, Florida and Illinois.

Within its specialty area of organizational transformation, the firm provides a wide range of services—including business process reviews, strategic planning, vision/mission development, program design, benchmarking, and leadership development and mentoring—to many different types of organizations, ranging from nonprofit providers to courts to school systems and institutions of higher learning. The Davison Group has completed multiple engagements with more than half of its clients.

Two of the firm’s principals, president Bill Davison and executive vice president Angela Bell Davison, have ties to the Greater Scranton area and for the last three years have been the organizational development consultants to the Lackawanna County Criminal Justice Advisory Board, which includes representation from the Court, Human Services, the law enforcement community, and a variety of social service providers in the region.

Mr. Davison said the review will focus on how the Diocesan offices are structured and how they operate on a day-to-day basis. Specifically, the firm endeavors to:

·         Review the current organizational structure and culture

·         Establish a managerial structure and organizational chart

·         Establish clearly defined jobs and job descriptions

·         Develop a performance evaluation system for future use

·         Define appropriate levels of authority and supervision

·         Establish mechanisms that foster consistent, clear and timely communication processes

·         Develop mechanisms for a periodic review of how each office contributes to the ministerial goals of the Diocese

“Our process will result in recommendations for best practices that the Diocese can consider implementing,” Mr. Davison said. “We will focus on harnessing the resources and talents of Diocesan staff to help them support the larger vision and mission of the Church. This is an opportunity for employees at every level to help shape the future direction of office structures and operations.”

James Burke, Diocesan director of human resources, said the review will include the administrative offices in the Chancery at 300 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton and input from staff at the Guild building at 400 Wyoming Avenue; the Fatima Renewal Center in Dalton; the Diocesan Cemeteries Office; and Villa St. Joseph. The process will consist of confidential discussions with approximately 60 individual employees as well as a number of group interviews.

A project start-up meeting with Diocesan senior management and department heads was held on July 6. Discussions between Davison Group representatives and the first groups of administrators and staff members have been taking place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The initial round of conversations will continue next Tuesday and Wednesday. Additional meeting dates will be scheduled as needed.

“This step is extremely important to the overall success of this project,” Mr. Burke said. “We want everyone to feel comfortable enough to be open and honest during the interviews. They can be assured that the information collected will be confidential.”

The Davison Group consultants will review the information and comments offered through these discussions, and they also will be examining current operational documents, procedures and workflows. This is expected to take another two months.

Ultimately, the Davison Group will present its recommendations to the Bishop and his advisors and will assist the Diocese in developing a plan for implementing those practices that are approved by the Bishop.

“Just like people must evolve through life cycles in order to grow and flourish, organizations must also develop and undergo change at various points in their development in order to be effective,” Bishop Bambera said.

“My hope is that we can begin this new chapter in the life of the Diocese of Scranton by embracing this opportunity to evolve so that we will, indeed, grow and flourish.”