Diaconal workers’ views on the effectiveness of diaconal work
The purpose of this study is to establish how diaconal workers in Finnish Evangelical Lutheran parishes perceive the effectiveness of their work, and the factors that contribute to the perceived effectiveness. The data were collected through participant observation and a survey providing both quantitative and qualitative data. Effectiveness means that the goals of the activity are achieved. The core goal of diaconal work is to help people who are in the greatest need, but the survey results indicate that is not always achieved. The findings highlight the difficulties in addressing people's problems. The study suggests that prioritizing goals would better enable evaluation of effectiveness, while stronger links to the health care system would enable diaconal work to do more to promote mental health.
