In May 2019, the Implementation Advisory Group (IAG) invited the NCPR to conduct a governance survey of dioceses in Australia.
The Implementation Advisory Group in Australia was established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC), Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) and the Association of Ministerial Public Juridic Persons to advise the Catholic Church leaders within Australia on the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2013-2017). The ACBC and CRA entrusted the conduct of a national review of the governance and management structures of dioceses and parishes to this group. The IAG’s invitation to the NCPR to conduct a governance survey of dioceses was the first stage of the national review.
Research Objectives
The Australian study aimed to build a profile of diocesan pastoral, financial and safeguarding councils and learn about diocesan executives such as financial administrators, directors and chancellors who serve in diocesan offices. The research also endeavoured to capture data on existing parish pastoral councils within each diocese. In particular, the study aimed to answer the following questions:
- What is the scope, purpose and membership of Diocesan Pastoral Councils, Financial Councils and Safeguarding Councils?
- What is the composition in terms of gender, age and religious status of executives within each diocese?
- What is the scope of parish pastoral councils in each diocese?
- What are some best practices in governance and management currently being employed in parishes?
Methodology
Data collection was carried out through an online survey which launched on 6 September 2019 and closed on 25 October 2019. All dioceses in Australia were invited to participate, and by the close of the survey, 30 dioceses had responded. The data requested from each diocese was de-identified employment data about the number of executives working in their diocese, along with a breakdown of gender, age and religious status from existing records. No sensitive data or identifiable personal information about any individual was collected.
Data analysis was done using MS Excel and SPSS statistical software for quantitative analysis. In September 2019, the survey was reviewed by the Human Research Ethics Committee at the Christian Research Association, which confirmed that the project was low risk and that it met the requirements of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.
Report and Outcomes
A final report was provided to the IAG in December 2019. Parts of the NCPR report were published in the IAG’s report, The Light From the Southern Cross: Promoting Co-Responsible Governance in the Catholic Church in Australia.
Report Details: Trudy Dantis and Stephen Reid, Governance in Australia Survey 2019: A Report to the Implementation Advisory Group (Canberra: Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, December 2019).
The findings of the study helped provide reliable information to assist the deliberations of the IAG in identifying areas in which the governance and management structures of dioceses and parishes in the Church in Australia assist or impede the attainment of accountability, transparency, consultation and lay men and women’s participation and co-responsibility in decision-making processes. The findings also helped identify principles and examples of governance that facilitate best practices in management and administration. Ultimately, this research will inform ongoing discussion and future decision-making regarding the governance and management structures and practices of the Catholic Church in Australia.