The debate on the recommendations for implementation of the MacIver Report, as submitted by the N.C.R.A.C. Evaluative Studies Committee, is expected to continue through Monday. The recommendations do not cover the first section of the MacIver Report dealing with fundamental concepts of the nature of the Jewish community and Jewish life in America. They stress the following:
1. “It is important and desirable continually to stud long-range needs, directions and methods of community relations work, ” and “this process should be the responsibility of a special N.C.R.A.C. committee with the competence, authority and resources required for such a study. “
2. There should be a continuing process of joint program planning among the agencies engaged in community relations work. Greater co-ordination is “possible through continuation of the process of joint planning within the framework of the N.C.R.A.C. A certain division of responsibility should result from this process. However, the process of joint program planning should have as its objective the development of an integrated program for the field as a whole, with a logical and practical division of labor among the national agencies within the framework of a generally accepted policy. ” The Evaluative Committee should submit specific proposals to implement the recommendations for joint planning to the N.C.R.A.C. executive committee by a date to be determined by the plenum.
3. Where no local community relations councils exist their establishment should be encouraged. The Evaluative Committee should prepare a more detailed statement on national and local agencies’ relationships.
4. The N.C.R.A.C. should be strengthened to enable it to fulfill its responsibility for stimulating and co-ordinating the planning and implementation of community relations work. its decisions and policies shall be established by a majority vote. The base of the N.C.R.A.C. should be broadened and a further study should be made of criteria for membership. The N.C.R.A.C. should more fully utilize its initiative to conduct inquiries, mate evaluative studies and recommendations on all matters within its range of aims and objectives.
5. New and equitable procedures should be devised for financing community relations work which “must relate financing to joint planning of the program so that the total funds available for national community relations activities will be distributed on the basis of the entire program of activity. The N.C.R.A.C. should continuously inform the welfare funds of progress in a co-operative process. ” A joint committee of the N.C.R.A.C. and the Large City Budgeting Conference should consider detailed problems of financing and should develop a specific plan for submission to the N.C.R.A.C. plenum, the L.C.B.C. and the General Assembly of the Council of Federations and Welfare Funds in 1952. The financing of the N.C.R.A.C. should also be referred to that joint committee.
The dissent by participating organizations to several of these recommendations was recorded in the evaluative committee’s report.
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