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Progress Report
by Carol Seiler, Major –
Capturing the impact and success of the strategic priorities is challenging; The Salvation Army Western Territory is a paradox.
We’re a large organization, and we have 400 plus specific points of service. Some of our personnel are highly paid professionals and some are volunteers. We cover hundreds of thousands of square miles of land and water, embrace multiple cultures and opportunities for service, and hold as foundational a three-point mission statement. We do incredible depth and breadth of service and it’s interesting to try and identify key indicators.
Attempting to establish a progress rating is therefore risky because in any one setting, someone may say, “That’s not us.” Someone may feel that in attempting to be “general” we miss detail and substance. Good effort may seem unrecognized; serious issues may seem minimized. Response to the effort may include the comment, “But they forgot to mention…” It happens that way.
Recognizing those risks, we respond to the challenge to communicate progress and to share specific indicators that relate to each priority. The content comes from reports, statements, and visions of ideal. Levels have been described by looking at models of performance review and attempting to apply the concepts to the priority.
Remember that these priorities came from a prayerful conviction that these elements are vital to the vibrant, relevant, exciting future of the territory. It is the hope of those involved in preparing this material that we will continue to be challenged and focus on moving forward together.