Diocese of Austin Technology Plan

Using Computer Technology to Improve the Work of the Church

Last Revision: 2 October, 2000

History

In July of 1997, Msgr. Donald Fruge, the diocese’s Finance Officer, called together several diocesan employees to discuss how the diocese could be better using computer technology. The group, which named itself the Computer Ad Hoc Committee, quickly concluded that a comprehensive plan needed to be established first. What follows is a synopsis of that plan.

Vision

The Computer Ad Hoc Committee has a vision to create and support a standardized communication system for diocesan facilities (Diocesan facilities are defined as Cedarbrake, the Chancery, the Pastoral Center, all parishes and schools) that provides efficiency in labor, accuracy, costs and resources, and to provide information through that system to the global community.

Previous Situation

Before implementation of this strategy, there was no standard communication and information system for the diocese. Each diocesan office had its own database, software and machines, with no guidelines or standardization. Parishes’ computer usage ranged from none to networked offices, with no standardized software. Some parishes had web sites; others didn’t even have a fax machine to receive information in a timely manner. E-mail accounts for diocesan staff and pastors were nonexistent and not standardized.

The lack of a standardized system created delays in some parishes or diocesan offices in receiving information on time. It also creates the opportunities for error as databases (i.e., lists of priests’ addresses) are duplicated and changes are not made at all sites at the same time.

Technical support often appears to be out of reach for parishes or diocesan offices with limited budgets; they become frustrated as money is spent on computer technology that quickly becomes either out-dated or was not appropriate from the beginning.

Finally, the Catholic Spirit, a once-a-month publication, was the only means of reaching the general Catholic population in the diocese.

To summarize, the parishes and diocesan offices experienced inefficiencies, inaccuracies and a lack of timely information because of the situation. Technical expertise was limited and expensive. This was costly in terms of labor, resources such as postage and printing, and errors.

Current Situation

A Technology Services Director was hired in November 1997. He has standardized the software and hardware being used in the three diocesan sites, provides training to diocesan staff, oversees a budget for the diocese’s computer technology and provides some support, as he is able, to parishes.

As of the spring of 2000, all parishes had given an e-mail address to the diocese. Over the past few months, diocesan offices have been using e-mail as their primary means of communicating with parishes.

With a standardized system of communications, the diocese can provide secured, instantaneous internal communication among all employees, share information among the central office, parish and school personnel, and update financial, membership, human resource and future databases in a highly efficient manner.

Furthermore, this system will allow the diocese to use the growing Internet services to enhance its external communications, both by distributing information and by accessing information from such sources as the Vatican or the U.S. Catholic Conference.

Implementation Phases

The Computer Ad Hoc Committee developed a three part implementation of the communication system they envisioned for the diocese. The implementation began with providing e-mail to all diocesan facilities to improve both internal and external communication, and will end with providing a client/server database that would streamline and standardize input of information from parishes.

1. Phase I: Communication

This phase begins with providing e-mail to all diocesan office personnel and for each parish and for the standardization of software. This allows a two-way exchange of information among employees and parishes. It includes the following requirements:

E-mail addresses provided for all diocesan employees
Style established for e-mail addresses
Standardized e-mail software for diocesan employees, to ensure usage of most accurate e-mail addresses
Establishment of baseline software to utilize sharing of documents
E-mail addresses provided for each parish, school and selected diocesan offices
Secured transmissions
Ability for diocesan staff to retrieve e-mail from non-system computers
Development of an Acceptable Use Policy
Guidelines offered to parishes for software, hardware and Internet Services Providers.

2. Phase II: Content Information

This phase provides a web site to disseminate information from the diocese to parish and school sites. The web site was launched in March 1998 and now includes the following information:

Arteaga
pastoral letters
diocesan policies
Biographies of Bishops Aymond and McCarthy
Cedarbrake events, resources and registration information
Handbook for school policies and the Personnel Policy Manual.
Catholic Adult Formation (CAF) Schedule
Calendar of Events
Update: the diocesan newsletter
Synod documents
daily Scriptural readings
Stewardship information
Catholic Spirit articles
Q & A about church
pastoral/finance council resources
parish information (similar to what is in the Diocesan Directory, a printed publication)
Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) manual for coordinators, totals for contributions, and general information
various social ministries, including Habitat for Humanity, domestic violence, Respect Life and other activities

There is also an interactive, password-secured area where diocesan and parish staff and ministers can be located, and opportunities to make pledges toward CSA on-line or to register for various retreats and conferences.

This site was developed and is maintained by the diocese’s Communications Office, using MS FrontPage.

The site will continue to grow. Some additional information that offices have expressed an interest in having on the web site include registration for all diocesan events and diocesan offices’ newsletters and manuals.

3. Phase III: Database Information

This phase will provide a standardized client/server architecture allowing the diocese and parishes to work from one database.

Initial databases could include the following:

Financial reports, including Cathedraticum statements
Membership lists
Human resources (health insurance, etc.)

General requirements:
- Software able to secured information internally
- Centrally stored data
- Software able to integrate information being entered
Diocesan requirements: to be determined
Parish requirements: to be determined
School requirements: to be determined
Support requirements: to be determined

Global Community

This phase may also provide outside users with the opportunity to enter data into a parish or diocesan office’s databases, for example, a parishioner may be able to register in a new parish on-line, or submit a pledge to the Catholic Services Appeal with automatic withdrawals from his or her bank account.

Further Use of the System

Although not essential in the beginning, there are several other aspects of this system that could be useful in the future. These include:

Short videos available on-line: Bishop’s confirmation message, CSA form procedures, invitations to diocesan events, etc.
Connection with other dioceses, the U.S. Catholic Conference and the Vatican as they go on-line.
Using digital camera to capture both still and moving video for use in print and electronic publications.
Video/audio capability for conferencing and long distance learning
Being able to provide communication on-site at a disaster or special event in the diocese.

Implementation of this plan should include these possibilities in the placement of critical equipment.

Justification for Implementation

Implementing a standardized communication system will allow the diocese and parishes to realize reduction in long-distance phone calls, postage and printing costs. For the diocesan Communications Office alone, providing update: and the Diocesan Directory on-line could save $25,000 annually in printing and postage.

Perhaps more critically, information will also be available on an as-needed basis. When parishes need to access diocesan procedures or pastoral letters, they could be available immediately. Vital personnel information will be sent as soon as it is available, to all personnel, via one e-mail message. A phone tree to inform priests of a death will no longer be necessary, nor will it depend upon individuals checking their voice mail to relay further information.

Sharing one database will ensure a reduction in human errors and duplication of efforts.

Information could be sent directly to diocesan offices’ databases, eliminating the need for the re-entering of information.

Providing information on the church’s teachings to the greater community will only enhance the efforts currently being made by the diocesan offices. Having a web site that includes links to the documents of Vatican II and the pope’s writings, as well as Bishop McCarthy’s pastoral letters and diocesan documents on worship, religious education and other issues, will help Catholics better understand their own faith, and encourage communication with those of other faiths.

Critical Factors for Success

Sufficient funding. To implement this system, central offices, parishes and schools will need to understand that funds must be budgeted both for implementation and ongoing support and maintenance. Parishes with limited resources may need help obtaining funds through grants or other outside sources.

Acceptance of the new system by pastors. Pastors already on-line recommended that the diocese begin the system by sending out information that pastors find very interesting/helpful: personnel assignments, health care information, etc. Once they realize the advantages of the system, they will be eager to become part of it.

Selecting a few parishes and schools for an initial "success story." Using parishes or schools already comfortable with computer technology to model the system to the rest of the diocese will ensure that bugs will be worked out early on and enable a smoother transition for "computer illiterates."

Selective process for content. How the diocese selects what is included in its web sites, both local and global, is just as important as the content itself. We must put a professional eye toward everything that we produce for the site so as to ensure significant value for the intended readership.

Explaining the security of the system. Parish staff must be able to understand that the parish’s information in its computer(s) will not be available to the entire world, and that financial and personal information will be secured.

Training of personnel. A diocesan employee should be available for initial training, and on-going classes should be made available to parish employees.

Technical support. 24-hour available technical support is critical while the system is being implemented, and having a diocesan employee available for consultation and trouble-shooting will ease the transition, both for parishes just entering the world of computers and for those with their own system attempting to integrate with the diocesan system.

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