One of the key roles of the Parish Pastoral Council is to “search for and listen to the hopes, ideas, needs and concerns of the parishioners and wider community. In recent months, some PPCs in the diocese have been doing exactly this. They have been seeking the views of the community on general or specific topics through questionnaires and/or gatherings.
Finding out what people’s opinions, thoughts and hopes are, involves their giving of their time, so we want to obtain good quality and useful results. We also want to make the process as efficient as possible. To do this, careful thought and sufficient time must be put into the preparations preceding the actual information gathering exercise. Responses that do not reflect the real thoughts of the respondents are of little use.
If your parish is about to embark on an information gathering exercise, some of the ways to help ensure its benefits are;
- First, know what you are asking for, i.e. opinion, feedback, to understand a situation, look for ideas, etc.
- Different methods have their own strengths and weaknesses, so, taking into account the characteristics your community, determine which method (e.g. questionnaire? sample group? entire community? small group discussion? parish assembly?) would return the best quality and most number of responses for the purpose stated earlier.
- Take time to plan the information gathering exercise. (Quality and depth are usually compromised when shortcuts are taken).
Some things to keep in mind when preparing and running the questionnaire or gathering are;
- ensure that sufficient information is given to respondents before asking for opinions. Examples or scenarios also help people picture possible outcomes of what they are voting for or against. Uninformed opinions on which subsequent decisions are based often cause pain down the track.
- careful formulation of the questions to be asked is crucial. It is easy to ask ‘leading questions’ or miss out on obtaining useful information because the ‘right question’ was not asked. How questions are asked determine the breadth and depth of responses.
- participants are given sufficient time to reflect before answering – these too determine the quality of the response. In groups, ensure that each participant also has the opportunity to voice their thoughts and suggestions.
- the benefits of using a neutral external facilitator. Biased facilitators (whether in fact or even mere perception) result in unbalanced discussions and even ‘forgone conclusions’.
To be an effective Parish Pastoral Council, it must first listen effectively. Has your PPC asked you, lately, what your hopes and dreams for the parish are, or for your opinion on things that would affect your parish? Have they heard you?