PLANNING

Planning is a social, organizational, and systematic process of deciding in advance what needs to be done in the future, when and how this should be done, and who is going to do it.....takes into account the whole organization, its current and future activities and all its sections and departments.

Planning is the preparation and finalization of decisions regarding specific actions to reach the desired end.  it starts with the formulation of objectives.

PASTORAL

All those actions the Church legitimately engages in to carry out the mission entrusted to it by Jesus Christ.

- What are the different ministries the local Church is engaged in?

- How do you see communication as a support to all these ministries?

VISION

A pastoral plan for communication needs a vision of what the organization will be in the future and how it will function.

MISSION

The purpose, charter and very essence of existence of an organization.

The Summary Diagram under 'pastoral' gives an overview of this material.  The original is contained in 'Pastoral Planning for Social Communication', (1998) ed. V. Sunderaj, Montreal: Paulines.

EVALUATION

There is a need for criteria or indicators to satisfy yourself that you are meeting a communication need and that you are on the right path to realize your objectives and goals.

Once projects are implemented it is worth asking overall questions:

- what were the strengths and weaknesses of the past plan?

- what eneds to be done to avoid past pitfalls and build on strengths?

what needs to be foreseen in future plans so implementation will be smooth?

CONTEXT

Communication planning must be context specific, considering local religious, social, economic, and political situations as well as media context.

- What mass media exist?

- Who owns these?

- What possibilities of access exist for the Church?

- At what cost?

- What has the Church done with these in the past?

- What are the successes/failures?

What is the percentage of programs of foreign ownership on tv?

- What impact do mass media have on the local pastoral/social/cultural/political/religious/al ethical levels?

- What traditional/folk media exist in the area?

What use of these has been made by the Church in the past?

- What lessons were learned by such use?

- Has the Church (or you) any possibility of influence on the formulation of media policies for the area?

DETERMINING A COMMUNICATION NEED

Signs of the times; need to promote and defend local culture; challenges of local situation to faith and morals, values and culture of people; inculturation of the Gospel; genuine request from local people; ministry of compassionate service.

EXAMPLES OF COMMUNICATION NEEDS