Conference discusses faith-based services

Economists and academics from other social science fields packed Wylie Hall Friday and Saturday to discuss faith-based social services and the problems associated with evaluating service providers.\nThe conference, "Evaluating Methods and Practices Appropriate for Faith-Based and Other Providers of Social Service," was hosted by Maureen Pirog, professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and George von Furstenberg, James H. Rudy Professor of Economics. The focus was on the Bush administration's policies toward funding faith-based organizations and how these organizations could be evaluated.\n"Faith-based social services, which is a major priority of the Bush administration, is evolving into a major area of research since we have so little well-established research in this most crucial area of American life," said John H. Stanfield, professor of African-American and Diaspora Studies, who chaired a roundtable discussion Saturday.\nCharitable Choice, a provision of the federal welfare reform law, established in 1996, has changed the way in which social service organizations receive funding. It was established so that faith-based organizations could better serve the needy without discrimination. \nAccording to the Charitable Choice Web site, "The Charitable Choice provision is designed to protect the religious character of faith-based organizations that choose to accept federal funds to help the poor. The provision is designed also to protect the religious liberty of beneficiaries of welfare services."\nMany factors that seem to separate faith-based organizations from secular social services have caused people to question if and how FBOs can be evaluated for their effectiveness and efficiency. \n"The first task is to specify the data that should be collected and how and at what cost records are to be assembled, checked and stored, and how government-funded intermediaries should be advising participating organizations in this regard," said von Furstenberg in the paper he presented, "Pitfalls in the Evaluation of Social Service Programs."\nIn his paper, von Furstenberg wrote about the causes of the "evaluation deficit." \n"Faith-based organizations are rarely shy about proclaiming themselves superior or drawing invidious comparisons with secular providers whom they like to lump together as 'government agencies,'" he wrote.\nDuring his presentation Saturday, von Furstenberg explained that there were unique values in FBOs. \n"I certainly believe that churches provide a menu of services," he said. \nHe raised the point that while FBOs may provide something unique to those who would prefer faith-based assistance over that of a secular organization, this does not mean that certain ethics and values of FBOs could not be applied universally. \n"Is there anything that can be extracted from faith-based treatment that could be used more widely?" von Furstenberg asked.\nMoya Andrews, dean of the faculties and vice chancellor of academic affairs, attended the roundtable discussion. \n"I was very pleased that such a conference was held at IU and think it was very productive," she said, "The roundtable made me aware of the expertise of the participants and I learned a lot. Professors von Furstenburg and Pirog are leaders in this area, and we are fortunate to have them at IU."\nThe participants of the conference were able to discuss the many questions that have arisen from the problem of evaluating faith-based organizations.\nStanfield said because the field is fairly young, it's hard for everyone to agree on all aspects of the issue. \n"This is a new area of research, and thus we are far from a consensus on the multitude of theoretical, methodological, policy, political, and ethical issues which challenge researchers who are beginning to ask important, penetrating questions about this major public policy issue which will be with us for a very long time."\n-- Contact staff writer James E. Klaunig Jr. at jklaunig@indiana.edu.