The Institutional Assessment Task Force continues to lay the groundwork for gathering evidence of the gap between our perception and our reality of systemic racism within Friends General Conference. Using the knowledge and tools learned from Crossroads at the November 2017 workshop, each of the three Task Force subgroups (The Continuum, Power Matrix, and Survey teams) have developed potential questions to be used in a survey of the FGC constituencies, stakeholders and governance members.

The Institutional Assessment Task Force continues to lay the groundwork for gathering evidence of the gap between our perception and our reality of systemic racism within Friends General Conference. Using the knowledge and tools learned from Crossroads at the November 2017 workshop, each of the three Task Force subgroups (The Continuum, Power Matrix, and Survey teams) have developed potential questions to be used in a survey of the FGC constituencies, stakeholders and governance members.

The survey team conducted three winter focus groups to solicit feedback on potential survey questions. The results have help to identify content that should be included in the survey. The Continuum and Power Matrix teams have also developed potential questions based on their focus area. The Survey team is vetting the draft survey questions with an eye toward our key goal of “gathering evidence of institutional racism within FGC.” The structure of the survey will primarily consist of assessing respondents’ level of agreement or disagreement with a series of definitive statements as well as a limited number of open-ended questions. Demographic data will be collected to facilitate breaking out responses by different constituencies.

The Task Force plans to collect the Institutional Assessment (IA) data via an online survey. Our timeline is to launch the IA survey during the spring of 2018 through multiple avenues (e.g., FGC website, Yearly Meetings, affiliated Monthly Meetings) with an over-sampling of Friends who are also People of Color (e.g., Fellowship of Friends of African Descent). During early summer of 2018, the data will be analyzed to identify themes that emerge from the survey responses. These themes will be validated and further clarified with focus groups at the pre-Gathering of Friends of Color and Adult Young Friends, and during the Gathering. During August 2018, the Task Force will re-convene with Crossroads consultants to finalize our recommendations report. 

The Continuum Team will overlay a tool from Crossroads with our organizational structure, policies (e.g., Blue Book), decision-making processes, and culture to look into inequities. “What are the sacred cows of Quaker culture?”

The Continuum Team
Marvin Barnes	LEYM, IAWG
Justin Connor	BYM, IAWG
Janice Domanik	ILYM
Keira Wilson	BYM/PHLYM

The Power Analysis Team will examine FGC against a “matrix of domination,” the degree to which individuals, institutions and our Quaker culture uphold white supremacy and marginalize our subcultures. “How does Quaker practice, programs, etc. benefit white society and oppress people of color?”

Power Analysis Team (aka Matrix Team)
Michael Doo	BYM
Vanessa Julye	PHLYM, IAWG
Marijke van Roojen	NYM
Dwight Wilson	LEYM

The Survey Team will conduct winter focus groups to design a survey to be administered across FGC constituencies during the spring, and will review themes arising from the survey with focus groups during the summer. 

Task Force Survey Team
Sharon Lane-Getaz	NYM, IAWG
Carolyn Lejuste	LEYM, IAWG
Katrina McQuail	CYM
Elanna Reber	PHLYM

The IAWG will continue to communicate on the progress of the Task Force as we move forward on the institutional assessment.