What difference did it make?

What difference did it make?

An independent evaluation of The Hard Gospel Project

What difference did it make? 1

Tony Macaulay is an independent development consultant macaulayassociates.co.uk

2 What difference did it make?

Foreword

By The Archbishop of Armagh

The three years since the Hard Gospel Project swung into action have seen important project initiatives that have changed significantly the awareness of and attitude towards issues of difference within the Church of Ireland. The evaluation conducted by Macaulay Associates offers much encouragement but it also clearly indentifies areas that can only, at best, be regarded as `work in progress'. The challenge to the Church of Ireland, now that the professionally facilitated phase of the task has ended, is first, to sustain the momentum of commitment to change, and second, to internalise the lessons learned from the project so that they become systemically incorporated in the life stream of the Church. There must be sustained, transformed new life after the Hard Gospel Project.

It is tempting but too easy to pass this task to an `Implementation Group' to ensure appropriate outcomes. That Group will need the total commitment of all the active members of the Church of Ireland if the end we seek under God is to be achieved. We should note with humility the comment on page 20, section 5.2 that `The size, nature and culture of the Church of Ireland as an institution results in a slow pace of organisational change'. If other objectives are to be achieved, the issue of a culture of slow organisational change will have to be addressed: everyone remarks upon it, very many fewer have an appetite to address it. This, the final evaluation report of a flagship project of the Church of Ireland, deserves and requires sustained attention.

+Alan

The Most Reverend Alan Harper Archbishop of Armagh April 2009

What difference did it make? 1

Contents

Executive Summary

4

1 Introduction

6

2 Background to the Hard Gospel Project

7

2.1 The Development of the Hard Gospel Project

7

2.2 Hard Gospel Strategy

8

2.3 Funding

10

3 Project Activities

11

3.1 Organisational Change Activities at Central Level

12

3.2 Training Activities

12

3.3 Discussion and Dialogue Activities

13

3.4 Diocesan Activities

14

3.5 Synod Activities

14

3.6 Speaking Engagements, Seminars and Conferences

15

3.7 Press and Media Activities

15

3.8 Publications

16

4 Main Achievements of the Project

17

4.1 Commitment

17

4.2 Awareness Raising

17

4.3 New Conversations

18

4.4 Foundations for the Future

19

4.5 Partnerships

19

4.6 Demonstration Projects

19

2 What difference did it make?

5 The Challenges

20

5.1 Scale of the Task

20

5.2 Pace of Organisational Change

20

5.3 Organisational Culture

21

5.4 Different Expectations

21

5.5 Continuity and Embedding

22

6 The Impact of the Project

23

6.1 To enable the Church, at all levels, to model the relationships and values with regard to overcoming

sectarianism, community conflict, and dealing with difference that it will promote in wider society

23

6.2 To develop and promote policies, practices and statements of the Church of Ireland that will encourage

honest and constructive relationships in dealing with sectarianism and issues of difference in the

church and wider society

25

6.3 To enhance the capability of the Church of Ireland at all levels to take initiatives to build peace

and to transform communities

27

6.4 To implement initiatives, projects or programmes in collaboration with other Churches, agencies

and groups in a manner that will create more open and inclusive local communities

30

7 Conclusions

33

8 Recommendations for the Future

35

Appendices

36

Appendix 1 - Evaluation Framework

36

Appendix 2 - Resources

40

Appendix 3 - Staff Team

41

What difference did it make? 3

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