Getting Closer to the Target

On the metrics continuum between exactitude and "striving to do our best," smaller ministries try to hit the bulls-eye

For two years, as a celebrated demonstration pilot with the U.S. Navy's famed Blue Angels, Jim Horsley routinely performed aerobatic formation maneuvers, the wingtips of his 500 mile-an-hour A-4 aircraft dancing at arm's length from a neighboring jet. Such success, let alone survival, demanded precision. "We videotaped and reviewed every maneuver as a team," he says. "We put a stop watch on each formation. If we were going to be excellent—and there was no other option—we had to measure what we were doing."

Two years ago, Horsley, who has significant operational experience with two large Christian ministry organizations and a Boeing simulator subsidiary, became chief operating officer for Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO). The ministry based in Issaquah, near Seattle, encourages and equips sports leaders to live and share their faith. While a new effort to high school coaches is flourishing, PAO's main deliverable has been annual outreach-training conferences for pro athletes, coaches and their spouses. With a staff of nine and an annual budget of $1.6 million, PAO's "small ministry" designation belies its reputation for being one of the most respected and trusted sports ministries in pro circles.

Recently, after more than 25 years of ministry, PAO implemented a strategy review and update process to assure the organization's interests were being met.

"Until we could articulate a couple of key goals, or measurement criteria, it would be hard to gauge and evaluate our efforts," says Horsley. Working with a leadership team headed by PAO president Norm Evans and executive director Bobbi Evans, the ministry implemented a review and evaluation process. The PAO team defined three "Primary Objectives and Ministry Effectiveness Measures:"

• Optimize conference attendance

• Ensure programs are culturally relevant to audience

• Strengthen affiliate sports ministry partnerships

For each category, two or three measurable goals were established to ensure a balance between quality and growth. "Clear ministry effectiveness measures were necessary to maintain focus in our efforts," says Horsley. "First and foremost, we had to better define and understand the motivations of our customers. For instance, meeting targeted goals for scholarship funds was key to our conferences' success. Because most coaches and spouses can't afford the full cost of the event, and since they're our key customer, we had to secure appropriate resources to enable them to attend."

At least three lessons emerged for Horsley and PAO:

"First, most small ministries are so busy it's hard to best measure mission effectiveness. Generally, you're only going to improve what you measure. Where's the impetus to make it better? You have to decide what's most important, and until it's validated and examined, no one will think it's broken.

"A second takeaway was the need for continued focus. The temptation for PAO and, I suspect, other small ministries, is you can get drawn into the details of daily, urgent stuff and lose sight of the big-picture requirements and related evaluation.

"Third, we were reminded that the measurement process doesn't stop. We raised the bar for our conference attendance last year, and we almost hit it. We spent a good chunk of money on a promotional DVD, but now we're wondering if anyone looked at it. We need to go back and ask the hard questions about these and other initiatives."

The split-second metrics of the Blue Angels' high-precision may not apply to a conference, but that hasn't stopped Horsley from asking the right questions. "How do you measure the impact and influence on a person's life? At PAO we do our best to bring people to a setting where their hearts can be touched, where we can provide some tools, and then let the Lord do the work. We want to see lives changed—and we do. We're still looking for better ways to gauge this. Evaluation-comment cards are helpful, but they're only one way to gauge effectiveness. In the end, you need instruments that can tell you, 'Here's the target, here's where we're hitting today, and here's what we need to do to really hit the bull's eye.'"

Discover how Pro Athletes Outreach is equipping players, encouraging coaches and mentoring women at www.pao.org.