Episcopal Community Services
A Decision to Evaluate 'What We Do'
As one of the oldest and largest social service agencies in the Philadelphia area, Episcopal Community Services (ECS) has been assisting the community for 140 years. Reaching approximately 2,000 people annually, ECS's programs include foster care, home care for the elderly, shelter for homeless women and children, assistance with permanent housing, and youth homework assistance.
An organization that has been in operation for so long can find itself functioning "on autopilot," and ECS was no exception. "We had gotten used to doing what we do," said John Midwood, ECS's executive director. To help evaluate its programs and develop a clear strategic plan, ECS engaged TCC Group in fall 2008.
Taking Time to Talk and Learn
"Even as we began the process, it became clear to me that we hadn't had any broad discussion at the board and senior-management level about our mission, vision, and values. Whatever we happened to be evaluating, the mission question kept coming up," Midwood recalled. TCC facilitated structured discussions on the topic for board and staff and also collected and organized data to inform the process.
When it became clear that ECS needed more time to clarify its objectives, TCC suspended its part of the project for several months while board and staff continued their internal conversation. ECS learned a lot about itself by stepping back and taking the time to see how its existing programs fit within the organization's mission and goals. The process was particularly valuable for board members, Midwood said.
A Better Decision-Making Process and a Strategic Framework
The TCC team came back into the picture in fall 2009. They continued to gather data, including talking to external stakeholders to find out how ECS was perceived in the community. They helped staff evaluate different programs in light of the organization's mission and a new values statement. TCC also developed a logic model to help ECS focus on desired long-term outcomes and the strategies necessary to achieve them.
TCC also showed ECS better ways to use data in decision-making, which, given the recent state of the economy and its effect on funders, was important. ECS came out of the process better equipped to adjust to unforeseen challenges or fluctuations in funding.
TCC provided ECS with a 10-point strategic framework that specified steps the organization could take to achieve its goals. ECS used the framework as the basis for its formal strategic plan, which the board later approved.
"We're still what we've always been—a multi-service agency. But now we're more focused," Midwood said. "Instead of thinking about each program as a free-standing entity, now they're all part of the broader mission. We can think about how each part fits into our overall work."
