JOHN J. CARROLL INSTITUTE ON CHURCH AND SOCIAL ISSUES
THE PRESENT MOMENT IS CRUCIAL. THE WORK TO BE DONE IS URGENT.

Our Work

The John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues is an organization and community of professional researchers and advocates committed to faith that does justice, working in solidarity with the Church and various sectors, responsive to the issues and concerns of the poor.

More recently, JJCICSI’s efforts have focused more strategically on capacitating local actors as an added dimension to the research and advocacy work for which the Institute is known. The program teams continue to undertake research-based policy advocacy but they have also ventured into developing projects that benefit the urban and rural poor, women and children, and local communities in environmentally vulnerable areas. At the same time they are engaged in mentoring, training, providing consulting services, and the production of manuals, templates and other tools to facilitate and make more effective the development of pro-poor projects on the ground.

This new strategy is born out of the analysis that in many cases, the failure to implement good laws and policies is due to weak institutions and/or a lack of capacity of those running these institutions. Moreover, with the decentralization of most basic services and governance responsibilities, local governments play a particularly crucial role in implementing social policies. Hence, one important thrust across the different programs has been capacitating local actors, particularly local governments, in the implementation of pro-poor programs.

At the same time, work with the organizations of the poor has continued, likewise focusing more strongly on capacity building. The usual research and advocacy have been complemented with a more deliberate effort at enabling these groups to participate effectively in governance processes, as well as in the implementation of policies and projects. The Institute’s expertise in social research and Catholic Social Teaching is put to use in the critical study of implementation and institutional issues, in addition to policy issues. This subtle but important shift is also in keeping with the kind of support increasingly being needed and requested by the Institute’s various coalition partners which involves policy implementation in addition to policy advocacy.

PROGRAMS