STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

2013-2018

End poverty. Promote justice. Uphold dignity.

1 About Caritas Australia

3 From the Chairman

4 Our Principles

6 Our Vision, Inspiration and Mission

8 Where We Work

10 Our Strategic Framework: Overview

14 Our Strategic Framework: Goals

24 Our Changing World

27 Our Approach

27 Measuring our Eff ectiveness

28 Glossary and Acronyms

30 References

THIS IMAGE Scott Hall travelled from Beswick (Wugularr) in the Northern Territory

to Bolivia, Latin America. There he

learned about the local Indigenous Peoples,

culture and challenges. Photo:

Richard Wainwright

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

readers should be aware that this

publication may contain images

or names of people who have

since passed away. Caritas Australia

acknowledges the traditional owners

of the land.

Caritas Australia is a member of the

Australian Council for International

Development (ACFID).

We are also fully accredited by the

Australian Agency for International

Development (AusAID).

Caritas Australia is the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church in Australia. Our agency works to end poverty, promote justice and uphold the dignity of people who are experiencing poverty and injustice in over 35 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacifi c and with Australia’s First Peoples. Caritas’ First Australians program, together with the relationships we are invited into with some of the world’s oldest living cultures celebrated on this continent and its islands, will continue to make Caritas an agency committed to reconciliation and justice.

The distinctiveness of Australia’s location both within Asia and the Pacifi c continues to give Caritas a rich array of relationships with peoples and partner organisations which enjoy some of the greatest rates of development change and the worst challenges of poverty and injustice.

In 2014, Caritas Australia celebrates 50 years of solidarity with people across the globe. Strategic Directions builds upon this heritage and renews our agency’s commitment to our Mission.

Caritas Australia consulted over 1,500 stakeholders including poor and marginalised communities, partners, peers, supporters and staff to capture their aspirations into the plans for our agency.

The plan is founded on a new articulation of Caritas Australia’s vision and mission statements. Key tenets of the strategic direction include:

* a renewed dedication to reaching and working with the poorest and most marginalised people;

* maintaining an agility and flexibility in the implementation and evolution of the plan; and

* a commitment to deepen the agency’s Catholic identity.

Caritas Australia recognises that it will take several years to develop the people, systems and partnerships necessary to implement this vision. Some outcomes will be achieved in weeks or months, while others will potentially take the length of the plan.

ABOUT CARITAS AUSTRALIA

1

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.Jeremiah 29:11

HAMAN ABDOUNIGERIEN FARMER

“Today is a day of hope,” said Haman Abdou upon receiving seeds from a Caritas-supported seed fair. “It has been impossible to save seed for the next farming season … the fair is a blessing for us.

“The last harvest was very poor. With erratic rainfall and locusts, I have produced almost nothing. I have struggled for months to fi nd enough food for my family.

“With the help of Caritas, I know I’ll have enough to sow my fi eld as soon as the rains begin to fall.”

Photo: Ryan Worms, Caritas

HAMAN ABDOU AND THE MILLIONS OF CHILDREN, WOMEN AND MEN, WHO STRUGGLE DAY IN AND

DAY OUT TO HAVE BASIC NECESSITIES, ARE AT THE HEART OF STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS 2013-2018.

CARITAS AUSTRALIA RECOGNISES THAT PEOPLE, LIKE HAMAN, HAVE MULTIPLE STRENGTHS, A DEEP

WISDOM TO SHARE AND ARE TO BE RESPECTED AS LEADERS IN THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT.

THIS DOCUMENT IS AT THEIR SERVICE.

Over 1,500 community members, partners, peers, supporters and staff have drawn on their life circumstances and experience to contribute their aspirations for the future of Caritas Australia. The fruit of their deliberations has been expressed in fi ve strategic goals that are the cornerstone of our agency’s eff orts to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

These goals, if met, will create a more agile agency, with the following strengths:

* the capability of responding to the needs of the poor as they change and emerge;

* the facility to deliver programs that are effective, efficient and ultimately lead to the independence of the poor; and

* a proficiency to build relationships that empower people living in poverty to be agents of their own change, tell their own stories and shape and influence Caritas Australia.

These strengths will assist Caritas Australia to remain at the service of the Church, a Church which seeks “… to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18b-19).

Those who dwell on the margins have so much to off er. Let our work and service place the poor at the centre of all that Caritas Australia is and does.

FROM THE CHAIRMAN THE GOALS ARE

Fund Sustainable Growth

GOAL 05

Develop Organisational Agility and Competence

GOAL 04

Strengthen Programs and Advocacy

GOAL 03

Build Stronger Relationships

GOAL 02

Deepen Catholic Identity

GOAL 01

Archbishop Philip Wilson Chairman, Caritas Australia

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The quest for the full realisation of human dignity and wellbeing for all peoples is at the heart of Caritas Australia’s work and mission. Accordingly, the agency implements principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) such as:

The Dignity of the Human Person

The dignity of every person, independent of ethnicity, creed, gender, sexuality, age or ability, is the foundation of CST. Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God and therefore has inherent dignity. No human being should have their dignity or freedom compromised.

Poverty, hunger, oppression and injustice make it impossible to live a life commensurate with this dignity. Accordingly, programs should be people-centred with empowerment at their heart. People must never be treated as commodities.

The Common Good

There are minimum standards for any society to be considered well-ordered and productive, and in which the dignity of every person is realised. The common good balances the rights of the individual to personal possessions and community resources, with the needs of the disadvantaged and dispossessed.

Every person should have suffi cient access to the goods and resources of society so that they can completely and easily live fulfi lling lives. The common good is reached when we work together to improve the wellbeing of people in our society and the wider world.

Priority will be given to development programs which involve collaboration with all relevant sectors of the community to promote the common good. It will also involve coordination of resources, planning and action across agencies and organisations. Good development increases the sum of social capital.

Subsidiarity and Participation

All people have the right to participate in decisions that aff ect their lives. Subsidiarity requires that decision-making occurs at the lowest level possible, so that decisions are made by the people closest and most aff ected by the issues and concerns of the community.

Caritas Australia works with local communities to support, promote and develop their capacity in decision-making so they can better respond to their own needs.

Solidarity

Everyone belongs to one human family, regardless of their national, religious, ethnic, economic, political and ideological diff erences. Everyone has an obligation to promote the rights and development of all peoples across communities, nations, and the world, irrespective of national boundaries.

We are called by the principle of solidarity to take the parable of the Good Samaritan to heart [Luke 10: 29-37], and to express this understanding in how we live and interact with others.

Caritas Australia expresses solidarity by reaching out to those who are most marginalised. We are committed to long-term engagement and sustainability.

Preferential Option for the Poor

Caring for the poor is everyone’s responsibility. Preferential care should be shown to poor and vulnerable people, whose needs and rights are given special attention in God’s eyes.

Jesus taught that God asks each of us what we are doing to help the poor and needy: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mathew 25:40).

OUR PRINCIPLES

Reaching the poorest and most marginalised people often requires greater eff ort in discovering where they are to be found. This sometimes means additional resources of time and money.

Economic Justice

Economic life is not meant solely for profi t, but rather in service of the entire human community. Everyone capable should be involved in economic activity and should be able to draw from work, the means for providing for themselves and their family.

For these reasons, Caritas Australia’s programs focus on the development of the whole person and increasing the wellbeing of communities.

Stewardship of Creation

We must all respect, care for and share the resources of the earth, which are vital for the common good of people. Care for the environment is a common and universal duty, and ecological problems call for a change of mentality and the adoption of new lifestyles.

Our development programs are attentive to environmental concerns and seek to promote care for the earth and its resources.

Promotion of Peace

Peace requires respect for and the development of human life, which in turn involves the safeguarding of the goods, dignity and freedom of people. Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human beings.

Caritas Australia’s programs promote justice, collaboration and respect for people’s diff erences.

Thanks to your solidarity, we are able to assist children, women and men in many parts of the world, including Peru in Latin America.

4 | 5

Our Vision

A just and fair world, a world in balance, at peace and free of poverty;A world, which the Church in Australia helps build,Where all human beings can live in dignity and communities are architects of their own development.

Our Inspiration

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:17-19)

Our Mission

Children, women and men most vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice are rich in the eyes of Jesus, whose life and compassion inspires Caritas Australia.

Through eff ective partnerships in humanitarian relief and development and by transforming hearts and minds in the Australian community, Caritas Australia helps to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

OUR VISION, INSPIRATION & MISSION

Parimal, Kabita and their son Tomal in Harinagar village, Bangladesh. To diversify and sustain an income for his family, Parimal participated in a Caritas Australia agricultural technique program where he learnt about crop rotation methods and fresh water management for his small shrimp and rice farm.

Photo: Richard Wainwright

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Brazil

Bolivia

Peru

El Salvador

Haiti

WHERE WE WORK Caritas Australia Partnership Support Offi ces:

* Phnom Penh, Cambodia

* Dili and Oecusse, Timor Leste

* Jakarta, Indonesia

* Nairobi, Kenya

* Yangon, Burma/Myanmar

* Port Moresby and Bougainville, PNG

* Honiara, Solomon Islands

Caritas Australia responds to humanitarian

emergencies across all regions. In 2012/13,

for example, we assisted in the Democratic

Republic of Congo, Niger, Malawi, Kenya,

Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia,

Mozambique, Burkino Faso, Mali, India,

Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines,

Burma/Myanmar, Indonesia, Lebanon,

Turkey, Jordan, Haiti, Bolivia, Papua New

Guinea, Samoa, Fiji and Solomon Islands.

Timor Leste

PhilippinesVietnam

CambodiaSri Lanka

Laos

Burma/Myanmar

Bangladesh

Nepal

China

Turkey

Pakistan

Afghanistan

Somalia

Lebanon Jordan

India

Eritrea

South Sudan

Niger

Burkina Faso

Sudan

Ethiopia

DemocraticRepublic of Congo

UgandaKenya

Tanzania

ZambiaMalawi

Mozambique

Zimbabwe

SouthAfrica

Papua New Guinea

SolomonIslands

Kiribati

Vanuatu Fiji

Samoa

Australia

Indonesia

Mali

Caritas Internationalis member organisations

Caritas Australia programs 2012/13

Caritas Australiain-country staff

Non-Caritas affi liated

8 | 9

TO ACHIEVE THESE ENDS, CARITAS AUSTRALIA WILL PURSUE THE FOLLOWING

Our Strategic Framework:Overview

1. Build relationships that

empower people living in

poverty to be agents of

their own change, tell their

own stories and shape and

infl uence Caritas.

2. Deliver programs that are

eff ective, effi cient and

ultimately lead to the

independence of the poor.

3. Create a more agile agency,

capable of responding to

the needs of the poor as

they change and emerge.

Between 2013 and 2018, Caritas Australia will:

GOAL

GOAL

GOAL

GOAL

GOAL

01

02

03

04

05

Build Stronger Relationships Caritas Australia’s approach prioritises relationships with the poor and marginalised. Caritas Australia serves, learns from and is accountable to the poor and marginalised, the Catholic Church, local partner organisations and supporters. Caritas Australia partners with governments, non-governmental organisations and other networks of infl uence to facilitate sustainable outcomes.

Strengthen Programs and AdvocacyCaritas Australia supports the poor and marginalised to be responsible for the decisions aff ecting them and to have greater infl uence over the agency’s initiatives. Caritas Australia learns from the communities it engages with, seeking to generate more eff ective programs and build greater resilience. Caritas Australia works to transform the hearts and minds of Australians and infl uences the thinking of governments, decision-makers and the Catholic Church to place the poor and marginalised at the centre.

Develop Organisational Agility and CompetenceCaritas Australia promotes an inclusive and collaborative learning culture where staff , Diocesan Directors and volunteers are fulfi lled, supported and nurtured in their roles and recognised for their contribution. Caritas Australia is competent, eff ective, agile and innovative through a commitment to organisational learning and development and robust information systems.

Fund Sustainable GrowthCaritas Australia is fi nancially viable and an accountable steward of resources. Caritas Australia’s mission of serving the poor and marginalised is sustained through the renewal of existing funding relationships, securing new opportunities for income growth and prudent and responsible fi nancial and risk management.

Deepen Catholic IdentityCaritas Australia gives witness to God’s mission and the work of the Catholic Church in Australia by standing with and learning from poor and marginalised people. Guided by Catholic values, Caritas Australia accompanies the Church, its leadership and people to be in solidarity with the poor and marginalised.

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Deepen Catholic Identity

Build Stronger Relationships

Strengthen Programs and Advocacy

Develop Organisational Agility and Competence

Fund Sustainable Growth

GOAL

01

GOAL

02

GOAL

03

GOAL

04

GOAL

05

1.1. Caritas Australia grounds its values in the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching principles, which call us to place the poorest fi rst.

1.2. Caritas Australia’s strong Catholic identity underpins its operations.

1.3. The Catholic Church in Australia supports, promotes, funds and identifi es Caritas Australia as their agency for international humanitarian aid and development.

2.1. Children, women and men experiencing extreme poverty and injustice are engaged deeply with Caritas Australia, infl uencing the decisions which aff ect them.

2.2. Strong local and international relationships lead to mutual development for the poorest and the most marginalised, their networks, for decision- makers, Caritas Australia and the Church.

2.3. Caritas Australia’s network infl uences Australian and international decision- makers to make changes which improve the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people.

3.1. The poorest and most marginalised experience greater human dignity and reduced poverty; demonstrated through their increasing independence, infl uence and resilience.

3.2. The voices of the poor infl uence Caritas Australia’s advocacy initiatives and are heard by Australian decision-makers.

3.3. Australian society and the Church demonstrate increased awareness about the causes of extreme poverty and injustice and act to eff ect change in Australia and the developing world.

4.1. Caritas Australia is an eff ective, innovative and agile organisation.

4.2. Caritas Australia recognises and develops the capabilities and talents of its staff and volunteers.

4.3. Care and respect of all people is highly valued and Catholic Social Teaching is lived out in the workplace.

5.1. Caritas Australia’s resources are responsibly and effi ciently used in the service of the poor and marginalised.

5.2. Caritas Australia is fi nancially viable into the future, with income from government, multilateral, commercial and private sources delivering AUD 55M per annum and is compliant with reserve policy.

5.3. Caritas Australia has sound investment policies and fi scal procedures to manage the sustainability of its operations.

12 | 13

1.1.1. Increase the agency’s understanding of the significance of Catholic identity, Gospel values and Catholic Social Teaching in shaping its mission and action.

1.1.2. Create opportunities for mutual learning and transformation at all stakeholder levels of the agency.

STR

AT

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IES

OUTCOME

1.2OUTCOME

1.1

Deepen Catholic Identity

GOAL

011.2.1. Ensure children, women and men experiencing

extreme poverty and injustice are at the centre of Caritas Australia’s decisions, operations and communications.

1.2.2. Measure, evaluate and report Caritas Australia’s effectiveness through an integral human development lens.

Caritas Australia grounds its values in the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching principles, which call us to place the poorest fi rst.

Caritas Australia’s strong Catholic identity underpins its operations.

Ensure children, women and men experiencing extreme poverty and injustice are at the centre of Caritas Australia’s decisions, operations and communications.

Photo: Erin Johnson, Mozambique

1.2.1.

“Caritas Australia promotes the dignity of a person, equality between every person and the common good of all people in the community … Together we, as a Parish and as a community, have helped make someone’s world a better place and we have made a difference to many people who are less fortunate. For that I will be forever grateful.”

In 2011, Cowra schoolgirl, Jess Meyers, 15, was given a religious task by her St Raphael’s teacher: to try and make the world a better place. In 2013, Jess held a gala dinner and raised over AUD 16,000 for the work of Caritas Australia. Over a period of three years, Jess has raised nearly AUD 20,000 for the poorest of the poor.

Photo: Annie Meyers

OUTCOME

1.3

1.3.1. Develop innovative initiatives for reaching and mobilising the Australian Catholic community and Catholic agencies in the mission of Caritas.

1.3.2. Liaise with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) to identify protocols for advocacy pertaining to international aid and development, peace and social justice.

The Catholic Church in Australia supports, promotes, funds and identifi es Caritas Australia as their agency for international humanitarian aid and development.

CHANGES BY 2018

JESS’ STORY

* The agency will be telling stories, which invigorate the living Gospel message in the hearts of those who hear them.

* The agency will use a discernment framework to guide its decisions and be able to demonstrate how every operation aligns with its overall mission.

* The agency will demonstrate that it has a much greater reach into the Australian Catholic community than it does in 2012.

* The number of schools, parishes, Catholic agencies and individuals actively engaged in our work and making financial contributions to the agency’s mission will increase each year.

* The agency is more demonstrably shaped and influenced by people experiencing extreme poverty and injustice than in 2012.

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2.1.1. Develop capacity and mechanisms to ensure Caritas Australia, its partners and their programs prioritise, reach and involve the poorest and most marginalised people.

2.1.2. Improve Caritas Australia’s accompaniment of the poorest and most marginalised peoples.

2.1.3. Tell stories of change through innovations shaped by the voices of people experiencing extreme poverty and injustice.

2.1.4. Develop strategic partnerships which are highly participatory and involve the poorest and most marginalised people.

2.1.5. Regularly review, evaluate and revise Caritas Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to ensure that First Australians really influence and participate in the life of the agency.

STR

AT

EG

IES

Build Stronger Relationships

GOAL

02OUTCOME OUTCOME

2.1 2.2

2.2.1. Strengthen and expand relationships in service of the poor with Bishops, clergy, religious and lay leaders, media, Diocesan and National agencies, parishes, supporters, immersion participants and Catholic Education Offices, Catholic schools, universities, hospitals, agencies in Australia and overseas.

2.2.2. Increase cooperation and coordination with Caritas Internationalis agencies and other non-governmental organisations and bodies during humanitarian emergencies.

2.2.3. Further develop strategic partnership arrangements with Caritas Internationalis partners, which leverage and utilise each one’s comparative advantages (including differing relationships with decision-makers and various technical, human and financial resources).

2.2.4. Expand the agency’s reach in local Diocesan communities through a sustainable and active regional engagement program.

2.2.5. Identify, plan and execute partner capacity strengthening opportunities in fundraising, advocacy and/or communications.

Children, women and men experiencing extreme poverty and injustice are engaged deeply with Caritas Australia, infl uencing the decisions which aff ect them.

Strong local and international relationships lead to mutual development for the poorest and the most marginalised, their networks, for decision-makers, Caritas Australia and the Church.

Regularly review, evaluate and revise Caritas Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to ensure that First Australians really influence and participate in the life of the agency.

Photo: Richard Wainwright, Western Australia

2.1.5.

2.3.1. Improve the agency’s influence on Australian and other international decision-makers by developing strategic relationships with a range of organisations.

OUTCOME

2.3

Caritas Australia’s network infl uences Australian and international decision-makers to make changes which improve the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people.

SAMPHORS’ STORY

* Every Caritas program will involve the poor and marginalised in decision-making and ensure they are the authors and owners of their own development.

* The basis and starting point of Caritas Australia’s communications, advocacy and campaigns will be the stories and experiences of the poor and marginalised.

* Caritas Australia will have expanded strategic alliances with other members of the Caritas Internationalis network.

* Caritas Australia will be present in Catholic schools, parishes, universities and workplaces as yet unreached in 2012.

* The agency’s staff will be placed in regions and overseas based on the most effective accompaniment model for the outcome intended.

* Clearer and extensive accountability to the poor and marginalised, to partners, to supporters, to the Church and to Government of Australia.

* People in situations of poverty, whom the agency serves, will be central to the agency’s decisions, actions, undertakings and reporting.

“Before I came to the Deaf Development Programme, I did not understand what people around me were doing. I went to the rice field and worked with my mother, and was responsible for all kinds of housework like cooking and laundry; I couldn’t understand what people were saying.”

The Maryknoll Cambodia Deaf Development Programme, supported by Caritas Australia, taught Samphors, 17, how to read, write, do sign language and sew. Like 97% of the (approx.) 51,000 deaf people in Cambodia, Samphors never attended school and became entirely dependent on her family.

CHANGES BY 2018

Samphors enjoyed learning to sew at the

Cambodia Japan Friendship Training Centre.

16 | 17

3.1.1. Develop a program effectiveness methodology that identifies the changes individuals, families and communities seek and how they will be supported to pursue the changes.

3.1.2. Strengthen the Integral Human Development (IHD) programmatic approach by expanding partner capacity and investing in initiatives that can demonstrate results in improved wellbeing.

3.1.3. Integrate humanitarian emergency planning, principles and practices across the agency’s operations and partnerships, including Disaster Risk Reduction.

3.1.4. Further integrate strategies for working with children, women, people with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and other poor and marginalised groups into the agency’s initiatives.

3.1.5. Increase the capacity of the poor and marginalised, and Caritas Australia staff and partners to prepare, respond, and recover from humanitarian emergencies.

3.1.6. Detail Caritas Australia’s future operational scope, scale and reach, ensuring resources are spent where they will make the greatest difference.

STR

AT

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OUTCOME OUTCOME

3.1 3.2

Strengthen Programs and

Advocacy

GOAL

033.2.1. Design and implement agency wide internal and

external communications strategies in support of development advocacy protocols.

3.2.2. Design, implement and evaluate Caritas Australia’s advocacy initiatives in consultation with the communities affected.

The poorest and most marginalised experience greater human dignity and reduced poverty; demonstrated through their increasing independence, infl uence and resilience.

The voices of the poor infl uence Caritas Australia’s advocacy initiatives and are heard by Australian decision-makers.

Integrate humanitarian emergency planning, principles and practices across the agency’s operations and partnerships, including Disaster Risk Reduction.

Photo: Richard Wainwright, Bangladesh

3.1.3.

OUTCOME

3.3

3.3.1. Integrate Caritas Australia’s advocacy initiatives across and throughout its operations.

3.3.2. Undertake initiatives to influence policy, legislation and decision making.

3.3.3. Participate in and lead initiatives on advocacy, which are people centric, foster solidarity and influence social norms.

Australian society and the Church demonstrate increased awareness about the causes of extreme poverty and injustice and act to eff ect change in Australia and the developing world.

CHANGES BY 2018

FLABIANA’S STORY

* International programs will be much more focused on and reporting about changes taking place in the lives of people most vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice.

* Participants in Caritas Australia’s programs will themselves be telling stories, supported by qualitative and quantitative metrics, of the ways in which their lives, individually and communally, have changed.

* Program participants will point to very specific ways in which their overall wellbeing has increased.

* Program reports will be increasingly more interactive and dynamic.

* The agency will be better able to demonstrate growth and change against a known baseline.

* Publications and communiqués will tell effectiveness stories and demonstrate integral human development.

* Community engagement programs will demonstrate the ways in which attitudes and actions have changed and are changing.

“After joining Caritas we’ve found many changes. Now we have food for the whole year because we grow vegetables and earn money from our food processing. Our health has also improved.”

Flabiana, from Timor Leste, featured in Project Compassion 2012.

Photo: Marden Dean

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OUTCOME OUTCOME

4.1 4.2

4.1.1. Build a culture of continuous improvement and learning which increases organisational effectiveness and impact.

4.1.2. Develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks that improve Caritas Australia’s accountability to the people it serves.

4.1.3. Develop an innovations fund to support programs and ideas, which are new, adventurous, offer potential for greater impact, contribute to agency-wide transformation and can be supported by a reasonable business case.

4.1.4. Clearly define the role and re-examine the composition and structures of the National Council to serve, shape and safeguard the agency.

4.1.5. Ensure stakeholders are involved in reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of and implementing changes to Caritas Australia’s strategic plan.

4.1.6. Undertake risk analysis to improve and protect the agency’s operations.

4.1.7. Grow and develop information management systems (IMS) to meet the changing demands of the agency.

4.1.8. Review, revitalise and, where necessary, restructure, systems, positions and roles within the entire agency in order to implement this strategic plan effectively.

Develop Organisational

Agility and Competence

GOAL

04

STR

AT

EG

IES

4.2.1. Align key areas for skills development with the strategic plan’s priorities.

4.2.2. Develop staff skills through professional and career development experiences (courses, secondments, mentoring, and exposure) arranged internally and/or externally through relevant providers.

4.2.3. Review policies to ensure recruitment and retention of competent staff and volunteers.

4.2.4. Analyse the annual performance of each staff member; identify and recognise high achievements as well as areas for organisational learning and development.

Caritas Australia is an eff ective, innovative and agile organisation.

Caritas Australia recognises and develops the capabilities and talents of its staff and volunteers.

Review, revitalise and, where necessary, restructure, systems, positions and roles within the entire agency in order to implement this strategic plan effectively.

Photo: P Jeffrey ACT/Caritas, Sudan

4.1.8.

OUTCOME

4.3

4.3.1. Develop a plan to build a strong and sustainable culture which unlocks the potential of Caritas Australia’s people.

4.3.2. Develop a human resource strategy that includes transparent, easy to understand remuneration, performance review and change management systems.

4.3.3. Foster an effective safety culture among all employees, volunteers, contractors and visitors.

Care and respect of all people is highly valued and Catholic Social Teaching is lived out in the workplace.

CHANGES BY 2018

FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS

* The agency will be utilising technological innovations directly to connect people participating in Caritas Australia’s international programs with supporters (broadly defined) at an ever increasing rate.

* The agency will demonstrate the organisational agility to expand according to need and to contract as the situation warrants.

* Change will be embraced when the external environment and mission calls for a different way of operating and/or engaging.

* The agency will be known and attract employees and supporters alike on the basis that it is a highly effective in achieving its mission, a desirable employer and has a clear place and identity within the Australian Catholic Church.

“I believe that Caritas can reach even higher levels of service to the poorest of the poor in a way that is transformational to all the stakeholders.”

In April 2012, the staff of Caritas Australia, along with a select group of partners, supporters and clergy, gathered together in Sydney to share their ideas, hopes and aspirations for the future direction of the agency. The information gathered formed the foundations of the Goals and Outcomes for Strategic Directions 2013-2018.

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5.1.1. Regularly review expenditure patterns to enable the flexible allocation of resources.

5.1.2. Develop a financial education program to foster good governance and stewardship of resources among Caritas Australia’s staff and partners.

5.1.3. Refine internal processes to use the agency’s finite financial resources more efficiently.

5.1.4. Realign funding priorities towards people who need it most and areas Caritas Australia is best placed to bring effective change.

5.1.5. Ensure Caritas Australia’s growth is accompanied by a corresponding increase in organisational capacity.

5.1.6. Increase awareness of Caritas Australia’s carbon footprint.

5.1.7. Drive supporter communications online where appropriate to achieve savings.

STR

AT

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OUTCOME OUTCOME

5.1 5.2

Fund Sustainable

Growth

GOAL

055.2.1. Develop a financial vision and growth

management strategy.

5.2.2. Implement a financial reserves strategy that protects Caritas Australia during difficult economic and political times.

5.2.3. Grow and build a diverse range of financial giving, retention and recognition programs that offer choice and flexibility for the Australian Catholic community and our supporters, delivering a total of AUD 141M of fundraising income (inclusive of bequests and emergencies) between 2013 and 2018.

5.2.4. Attract alternative funding sources through government, multilateral, commercial and private avenues.

Caritas Australia’s resources are responsibly and effi ciently used in the service of the poor and marginalised.

Caritas Australia is fi nancially viable into the future, with income from government, multilateral, commercial and private sources delivering AUD 55M per annum and is compliant with reserve policy.

Realign funding priorities towards people who need it most and areas Caritas Australia is best placed to bring effective change.

First Australians, Bernard and Tahlee, featured in Project Compassion 2013. Photo: Rob MacColl

5.1.4.

OUTCOME

5.3

5.3.1. Develop and implement a robust financial risk management program.

5.3.2. Review Caritas Australia’s financial systems and implement agreed recommendations.

5.3.3. Improve and streamline Caritas Australia’s annual budgeting process.

5.3.4. Improve and develop the relevant policies and fiscal procedures to ensure the agency is sustainable into the future.

Caritas Australia has sound investment policies and fi scal procedures to manage the sustainability of its operations.

CHANGES BY 2018

PROJECT COMPASSION 2012

* The agency will have the reserves, resources and sufficient time to weather a crisis, which sees our revenues suddenly contract, and be able to make considered decisions about where to hone and where to continue.

* The agency’s revenue base will be more diverse and take account of new opportunities as they arise.

* The agency can expect to be an AUD 55M operation in 2018.

* The agency will have mechanisms for discerning what external needs are to be met and the internal changes required in order effectively to make a difference.

“With your help, Project Compassion 2012 raised a total of AUD 10,707,842, breaking its own record and ensuring thousands of families are guaranteed life-changing support.”

In 2012, Project Compassion enjoyed a whole new online presence, achieved through targeted online advertising and strategic online marketing initiatives. Webpage views increased by 39% from 2011 (based on figures for the six month period between November and April of each year). We believe this helped to increase the overall funds raised. Such results enable Caritas Australia to be responsive and agile in responding to the rapidly changing needs of the most vulnerable people in the world.

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Global Poverty

* The incidence of poverty in developing countries has reduced from 47.5% of the population in 1990 to 22.4% in 2010.

* In 1990 only one-sixth of the world’s poor lived in Africa. In 2012, the figure is over 50% and is expected to reach five-sixths by 2025.

Humanitarian Emergencies

* The frequency of disasters has increased 500% over the past 35 years.

* The damage caused by humanitarian emergencies has risen by 1,500% in the past 60 years.

* On average 23 people die per disaster in the developed world compared with 1,052 in the poorest countries.

* In 2008 alone, 354 major natural disasters killed approximately 235,000 people, affected 214 million more and caused USD 190B damage.

Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture

* 852 million of the world’s 870 million undernourished people live in developing countries.

* Undernourishment in developing countries has fallen from 23% of the total population in 1990 to 15% in 2010.

* The world’s poor spend, on average, 70% of their daily income on food.

* Worldwide food prices rose by more than 40% between 2007 and 2011.

* 500 million smallholder and family farms produce 80% of the food consumed in the developing world.

Climate Change

* Weather related disasters increased by 233% between 1980 and 2012.

* To support developing countries adapt to climate change will cost approximately USD 70B to 100B a year over the next four decades.

OUR CHANGING WORLD

Indigenous Rights

* Indigenous Peoples account for only 5% of the world’s total population, yet constitute up to 15% of global poor.

* Indigenous Australians have life expectancies 11.5 years lower for males and 9.7 years lower for females than non-Indigenous Australians.

People Living with a Disability

* Approximately 1 billion people, 15% of the world’s population, are living with a disability.

* 20% of the populations in developing countries, and 25% of the people living on less than USD 1 per day, have a disability.

* 150 million children live with a disability, including 1 out of every 3 children not attending primary school.

Women’s Rights

* Women make up 70% of the world’s poor.

Demographics and Urban Poverty

* Worldwide population is expected to increase from approximately 7 billion in 2012 to over 9 billion in 2050.

* Over 70% of population growth will occur in just 24 low or lower-middle income countries.

* By 2050, urban populations will account for approximately 70% of the global population and include over 2 billion people living in poverty.

Australian Aid Policy

* Australia’s overseas aid budget is expected to increase from 0.35% of Gross National Income to 0.5%, by 2017-18.

* By 2015-16, Australia’s 12 largest bilateral aid recipients will be Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, Solomon Islands, Vietnam, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Timor Leste, Pakistan, Cambodia, Burma and Vanuatu.

* At least 10% of Australia’s official development assistance budget will be delivered through partnerships with NGOs by 2015-16.

Australian Not-For-Profi t Sector

* In 2010-11, ACFID Members and Code of Conduct Signatories received AUD 1.3B in revenue from all sources, up from AUD 1.2B in 2009-10.

Rollen, 24, featured in Project Compassion 2013. Thanks to the support of Caritas Australia and Mercy Works, Rollen graduated from high school and is looking forward to the future.

Photo: Father Philip Gibbs, Papua New Guinea

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In 2013, we mark a decade of Caritas Internationalis and Action by Churches

Together (ACT) Alliance assisting the

local women, men and children of Darfur

in Sudan.

Photo:

P Jeffrey ACT/Caritas,

Sudan

Caritas Australia’s strategic planning process followed an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach: “A vision based approach of open dialogue that is designed to help organisations and their partners to create a shared vision for the future and a mission to operate in the present” (Cooperrider & Srivasta, 1990). This approach helped Caritas Australia clearly identify, understand and communicate

our organisational values, direction (vision), purpose (mission), core and unique capabilities (internal analysis), strategic opportunities (external analysis), structures and systems.

During the strategic planning process, Caritas Australia consulted over 1,500 stakeholders, including people considered poor and marginalised and their communities, supporters, partners, peers,

staff , volunteers, and Catholic clergy and parishioners. Consultation included a series of surveys about their lives, aspirations, and their interactions with, attitudes towards and desires for Caritas Australia.

Staff and other stakeholders had several other opportunities to contribute to the strategic planning process, through focus groups that included Community Engagement, Corporate Services and

International Programs group meetings; a group tasked with drafting the new Vision and Mission; and the “Propositions for the Future Workshop”, which was attended by over 120 Caritas Australia partner representatives, National Council members, peers, supporters and staff .

Caritas Australia has developed a series of key performance indicators for each of the Strategic Direction’s Goals and Outcomes. These will assist the agency to assess whether actions taken to implement strategies are achieving the desired change or result. The plan will be evaluated regularly and strategies reassessed, adjusted and/or changed if the measures of success are not being demonstrated.

The development of an Eff ectiveness Framework, aligned with the Strategic Directions 2013-2018, will ensure that resources are deployed where they will provide the best outcome for those Caritas Australia is accompanying. The annual review of both the strategic plan and the eff ectiveness of the strategies implemented will help maintain the currency of the documents and enable resources to be utilised where they are most needed.

OUR APPROACH MEASURING OUR EFFECTIVENESS

During the strategic planning process, Caritas Australia consulted

over 1,500 stakeholders, including people considered poor and

marginalised and their communities, supporters, partners, peers,

staff , volunteers, and Catholic clergy and parishioners.

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GLOSSARY & ACRONYMS

Advocacy An action directed at changing the policies, positions or programs of any type of institution.

Appreciative Inquiry A philosophy for change and organisational analysis in which people in an organisation ask questions aimed at discovering what is valuable, meaningful, and successful in the organisation in order to expand the realm of what is possible.

CA Caritas Australia

Development As a faith based organisation Caritas Australia understands the need for a transformative change in people’s lives to be an essential ingredient in international development assistance work.

Eff ectiveness Framework A mechanism for assessing whether a series of actions and activities to implement a plan or pursue a goal have generated the change that was originally envisioned.

Goal The object of a person’s or organisation’s ambition or eff ort; an aim or desired result. The destination of a journey.

Holistic Development Addressing the whole person, or the whole community, rather than smaller, individual parts in isolation from each other.

Indicator A statement of what success could look like; what an observer could see that would tell them that a particular goal, behaviour or vision had been achieved.

Integral Development Integrating a number of facets into an understanding of development – similar to holistic development.

Local Pertaining to the immediate community and geographic area.

Mission An organisation’s purpose and reason for being. A mission statement explains what functions the organisation performs, how it performs these functions, and whom the organisation serves.

Network Individuals or organisations willing to assist one another or collaborate around a common topic or goal.

NGO Non-government organisations are a diverse mix of organisations with varied purpose, issues and supporters.

Operating Environment The range of elements and forces outside of an organisation that aff ect and are aff ected by the organisation. The operating environment may include government, businesses, donors, cultural and technological innovation, and religious, social, and educational institutions.

Operational Plan An operational plan draws directly from an organisation’s strategic plan to describe an organisation’s mission and goals, program objectives, and program activities. Operational plans should establish the activities and budgets for each part of the organisation for the next 1 – 3 years. Operational Plans link the strategic plan with the activities the organisation will deliver and the resources required to deliver them.

Outcome A medium term developmental result that is the logical consequence of achieving a combination of outputs.

Policy A plan, course of action, or set of regulations adopted by a government, business, or an institution, designed to infl uence and determine decisions or procedures.

Program A set of projects with common objectives, taking place over a number of years. The benefi ts of a program should be greater than the sum of the individual projects because the projects feed into each other and multiply their outcomes.

Project An activity supported fi nancially by CA, limited in duration and scope. The activity is usually defi ned by a project document that describes its objectives and method, including a budget.

Propositions An idea worthy of consideration and development that may be adopted within an organisation’s strategic plan.

Stakeholder An individual, group of individuals, or institution that is an important audience, client, group, supporter, or investor in the organisation and has a shared interest in or concern about the outcome of an issue.

Strategic Direction A course of action that ultimately leads to the achievement of the stated goals of a business or organisational strategy. Strategic direction is established during the strategic planning phase of an organisation.

Strategic Plan A broadly defi ned plan aimed at creating a desired future.

Strategic Planning A process by which an organisation identifi es and discusses key organisational issues, analyses its environment, determines its priorities, and maps out a medium-term future (usually 2 – 5 years).

Strategies A plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.

Sustainability The ability to continue into the long term without additional assistance. This can include sustainability with purely local resources (i.e. continuation after funding is ended), or, continued lower level funding.

Vision An organisational vision describes the future of an organisation and the impact that organisation will have on the communities of its benefi ciaries.

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REFERENCES

ActionAid (2012). Fueling the Food Crisis: The Cost to Developing Countries of US Corn Ethanol Expansion. Washington DC, USA.

Arbuckle, G. (2007). Crafting Catholic Identity in Postmodern Australia. Catholic Health Australia, Deakin, Australia.

AusAID (2012). Australia’s Comprehensive Aid Policy Framework to 2015-16. Canberra, Australia.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012). Cultural Diversity in Australia, October 2012. Accessed on 22 November 2012 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2071.0main+features902012-2013

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012). Are all schools uniform? March 2012. Accessed on 22 November 2012 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features40Sep+2011

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (Georgetown University) (2012). Frequently Requested Church Statistics. Accessed on 22 November 2012 http://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/requestedchurchstats.html

Catholic News Agency (2010). Catholic Hospitals Comprise One Quarter of World's Healthcare. February 10, 2010. Accessed on 22 November 2012 http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/catholic_hospitals_represent_26_percent_of_worlds_health_facilities_reports_pontifi cal_council/

Catholic World News (2012). World's Catholic Population Up 1.5%. March 12, 2012. Accessed on 22 November 2012 http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=13639http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=13639

Dai, A, Trenberth, K. & Quian, T (2004). A Global Data Set of Palmer Drought Severity Index For 1870-2002: Relationship With Soil Moisture and Eff ects of Surface Warming. J Hydrometeorology, 5, 1117-1130

FAO (2012). The State of Food Insecurity in the World: Economic growth is necessary but not suffi cient to accelerate reduction of hunger and malnutrition. Rome, Italy.

GHA (2012). Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) Report 2012. Somerset, UK.

Global Risk Identifi cation Programme (GRIP)(2012). Better Risk Information for Sound Decision Making: Guidelines for Establishing a National Disaster Observatory. BCPR/UNDP. Geneva, Switzerland.

Guha-Sapir, Dl Vos, F., Below, R.(2012). Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2011: the numbers and trends. Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). Belgium.

IFRC (2001). World Disasters Report: Focus on Recovery 2001. Geneva, Switzerland.

IEA (2012). Tracking Clean Energy Progress: Energy Technology Perspectives 2012 excerpt as IEA input to the Clean Energy Ministerial. Paris, France.

IFAD (2012). Statistics and Key Facts About Indigenous Peoples. Accessed 20/11/2012. http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/topic/statistics/tags/indigenous_peoples

Kharas, H & Rogerson, A. (2012). Horizon 2025: Creative Destruction in the Aid Industry. Overseas Development Institute, U.K.

Lowy Institute (2011). The Future State of the World As it relates to the Australian Aid Program. Final Report 11 March 2011.

Morgan, R. (2010). MDG Review Project. www.mdg-review.org

Pope Paul VI (1967). Populorum Progressio. Accessed 22 November 2012 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum_en.html

Pope Benedict XVI (2005). Deus Caritas Est. Accessed 24 November 2012 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html

Pope Benedict XVI (2009). Caritas in Veritate. Accessed 22 November 2012 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html

Pope John Paul II (1986). Address to the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in Blatherskite Park, Alice Spring (Australia) on 29 November 1986. Accessed on 22 November 2012 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1986/november/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19861129_aborigeni-alice-springs-australia_en.html

Population Institute (2011). From 6 Billion To 7 Billion: How Population Growth is Changing and Challenging Our World. Population Institute, Washington, USA.

Roche, Chris (2010). Promoting Voice and Choice: Exploring Innovations in Australian NGO Accountability for Development Eff ectiveness (ACFID, 2010). Accessed on 23 November 2012 http://www.acfi d.asn.au//resources/docs_resources/Promoting%20Voice%20and%20Choice%20ACFID%202010.pdf

United Nations (2010). Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Report 2010. New York, 2010.

United Nations (2011). Millennium Development Goals Report 2011. New York, USA.

United Nations (2011). World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. UN, New York.

United Nations Habitat (2010). State of the World’s Cities 2010/2011: Bridging the Urban Divide. Nairobi, Kenya.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2012). Global Environment Outlook 5: Environment for the future we want. Progress Press, Malta.

U.S. Catholic Bishops (1986). Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy, Economic Justice for All. Accessed 22 November 2012 http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/EconomicJusticeforAll.pdf

Wilkinson, P.(2011). Catholic Parish Ministry in Australia: Facing Disaster? Accessed 2 Nov 2012 http://www.catholicsforministry.com.au/uploads/28737/ufi les/wilkinsontext1a1_Copy.pdf

World Health Organisation (2011). World Report on Disability. Geneva, Switzerland.

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Photo: Pia Zanetti

In 2014, Caritas Australia celebrates 50 years of solidarity with people across the globe.

Strategic Directions builds upon this heritage and renews our agency’s commitment to our Mission.

LEARN about us at www.caritas.org.au

ACT it’s never too late to help

DONATE to Caritas Australia. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.

Thanks for your support.

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www.caritas.org.au

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COVER: Happy girls from a small village in Indonesia. Caritas Australia works in over 35 countries worldwide, including Indonesia in Southeast Asia.

Photo: Sean Sprague