Focus Group Manual


Focus Group Manual	The Family Assets Initiative	The Ford Foundation	Muskie School	Home

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Appendix A: DRAFT Work Plan - Year 1

**Child Care and Special Needs Children: Challenges for Low Income Families**
Tasks	2001-2002
Organize partnership (months 1-3)	Oct 01	Nov 01	Dec 01	Jan 02	Feb 02	Mar 02	Apr 02	May 02	Jun 02	Jul 02	Aug 02	Sep 02
Solidify and invite membership of joint state advisory committee		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Research options for Advisory Committee meeting place & time		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Contracts for consultants, facilitator		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Planning Meeting		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Determine Team Meeting schedule		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Define roles and responsibilities of Advisory Committee		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Introductory/Planning Meeting w/ Advisory Committee to clarify roles, present project workplan, plan project, identify possible community groups	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Background Research/Preparation (months 1-7)
Research contextual data, benefits system for ME & CT				.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	..
Contract with transcription and translation services	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Purchase NVIVO software	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Attend NVIVO training	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
IRB application	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
+Develop one-page project description	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Research/investigate methods of finding/recruiting special needs children	.				.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Research/investigate obtaining the cooperation of necessary agencies (dbases, lists, etc)	.				.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Research/investigate methods of dealing with differences/definition of special needs	.				.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Assign observer/recorder roles & responsibilities	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Define coding system for sessions	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Arrangements between facilitator/translator if necessary	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Travel arrangements (hotels, rental cars, etc.)	.	.	.	.		.		.	.	.	.	.
Flight arrangements for facilitator	.	.	.	.		.		.	.	.	.	.
Focus Group Preparation (months 3-7)
+Finalize focus group target communities	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
+ Schedule period for focus groups in each state	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Contact suggested community groups for assistance	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
+ Determine schedule of check-in calls, community group conference calls for questions	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Develop protocol/probes for research questions	.	.				.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Develop site criteria	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.
CT Advisory Meeting	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Select/Contact possible sites in each state	.	.	.	.		.		.	.	.	.	.
Develop recruitment materials	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Set schedule for recruiting for each state	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Translate recruitment materials if necessary	.	.	.			.		.	.	.	.	.
Ideas from community groups concerning recruitment strategies	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Finalize recruitment strategies for communities in CT	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
ME Advisory Meeting	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Finalize recruitment strategies for communities in ME	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.
Find/create/obtain outreach materials for sessions	.	.	.	.		.		.	.	.	.	.
Develop screening instruments	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.
+ Determine number of participants to invite	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
CT Focus groups and interviews (months 5-9)
Train community groups on methodology	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Arrange for child care, transportation, refreshments, toys, etc. w/community groups, sites	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Hire necessary translator/s for facil/notetaking/ observing	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Translator for screening calls	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Begin recruiting - CT	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.
Take screening calls - CT	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.
Contact potential participants -CT	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.
Select and invite participants - CT	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.
Determine/arrange child care/transportation needs -CT	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.
Conduct pilot focus group	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.
Meet/conference call with advisory com. to discuss pilot focus group	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.
Conduct 7 focus groups in CT	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.
Choose participants for in-depth interviews	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.
Arrangements for interviews	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.
Toys or books for children (instead of stipends)	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.
Conduct In-depth interviews with selected parents for case studies in CT	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.
Transcription of CT sessions, interviews	.	.	.	.	.					.	.	.
Translation of CT sessions and interviews if necessary	.	.	.	.	.					.	.	.
ME Focus groups and interviews (months 7-11)	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Train community groups on methodology	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.
Hire necessary translator/s for facil/notetaking/ observing	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.
Hire translator for screening calls	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.
Arrange for child care, transportation, refreshments, toys, etc. w/community groups, sites	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.	.	.
Begin recruiting - ME	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.
Take screening calls - ME	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.
Contact potential participants -ME	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.
Select and invite participants - ME	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.
Determine/arrange child care/transportation needs -ME	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.
Conduct 8 focus groups in ME	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.
Choose participants for in-depth interviews	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.
Arrangements for interviews	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.
Toys or books for children (instead of stipends)	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.		.	.	.
Conduct In-depth interviews with selected parents for case studies in ME	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.
Transcription of ME sessions, interviews	.	.	.	.	.	.	.					.
Translation of ME sessions and interviews (?) if necessary	.	.	.	.	.	.	.					.
Analysis (months 9-12)	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Analysis of findings	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Meet with advisory com. to discuss/clarify findings	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Report on focus group findings and case studies	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

+ = Decision Point

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Focus Group Manual

The Family Assets Initiative

The Ford Foundation

Muskie School

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