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Introduction to program outcomes
Would you like board members to understand the basics of outcome-based evaluation? Have new staff joined your organization since you began tracking and measuring outcomes? If so, offer to sign them up for Measuring Program Outcomes, a thorough, hands-on workshop that covers terminology, measurement, analysis and reporting. The next sequence of sessions will meet November 8, 15, 22 and 29 (Mondays), 1-4:30 p.m. in the Greater Kalamazoo United Way Board Room (709 S. Westnedge Avenue). Cost is $15/person; any community member welcome. Register by October 29, 1999. For a registration form, call Elaine Griffin at 616/343-2524.
Focus Groups: Part I The Basics
- What is a focus group? It’s more or perhaps different than you may think. A group of people in casual conversation is not a focus group, not even if they talk about a common topic. A genuine focus group is a focused group interview of 6-12 people, guided by a moderator and recorded for subsequent analysis. The purpose of the group interview is to elicit the widest possible range of opinions and feelings.
- When should one use a focus group? Focus groups gather a broad range of responses, so they work well when you are trying to brainstorm or explore the range of reactions to something. You can use a focus group as a source of ideas about the impact programs have and/or how to measure that impact. If you want to compose a fixed-response survey on a new topic and are unsure what responses to list, comments from focus groups can suggest responses.
- Who participates in focus groups? You need to recruit participants with characteristics or experiences that enable them to speak on the relevant topic. Sometimes focus group organizers screen potential participants by asking a question on the topic to be sure the person has opinions about the issues and will express them. Many hosts offer incentives to improve the likelihood of attendance ($25 is customary). Very often, one holds a series of focus groups to allow for grouping of participants by demographic characteristics. Research indicates that people disclose more readily to persons similar to themselves.
- How long will it take? The actual focus group session lasts 1 ½ to 2 hours. Including preparation and analysis, the entire process of conducting focus groups requires an average of 3 months. First, decide who will serve as moderator/analyst. Line up recorders – a human recorder and recording equipment. Allow 3 weeks for preparation of the discussion outline (protocol). Allow another 3 weeks for recruitment of participants. After the focus group session, the moderator will need 2-3 weeks to summarize and analyze transcripts and notes.
- What is a discussion outline? The discussion outline structures the focus group session and, if you conduct multiple sessions, helps ensure consistency. The outline has the moderator start with a brief introduction. The opening question helps participants become acquainted and more comfortable with one another. Subsequent questions should deal with the topic about which you seek opinions. Questions should be open-ended, flow logically, and ask participants to think back to what they did or how they felt.
- Where should focus groups meet? Choose a neutral site that participants will find comfortable and accessible. Provide refreshments and have participants’ chairs in a circle.
- What is the moderator’s role? The interviewer or moderator guides the group through a planned series of questions, all the while trying to ensure that the group expresses its full range of opinion.
More on moderating focus groups in the next newsletter!
Noteworthy Resources
Greenbaum, Thomas. (1993).
The Handbook for Focus Group Research.
New York: Lexington.
Kreuger, Richard A. (1994). Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Templeton, Jane Farley (1994). The Focus Group: A Strategic Guide to Organizing, Conducting and Analyzing the Focus Group Interview. Rev. ed. Chicago: Probus.
TIPS & TOOLS
"When we began to analyze outcomes for After School and Summer Respite services, some patterns jumped out at us. We tracked social functioning of program participants in community settings. We saw fewer behavioral incidents in the After School program, even by clients who participated in both services. That led us to think about structural and operational changes for the Summer program - smaller groups, more sites, a new curriculum. Of all the incidents of inappropriate behavior in Summer Respite, nearly 60% occurred during the first week. Based on that, we know we need to enhance staff training for Summer 2000. Outcomes evaluation can indeed lead to program improvement!"
--Kathleen "Cody" Fitzpatrick, Family & Children Services
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Asking Good
Questions
Collecting and
Sharing Useful
Information
Using the
Information for:
- Improvement
- Accountability
Continuing
to Repeat
the Cycle
Evaluation for
Learning is:
- Everyone’s
Responsibility
- Continually asking good
questions, getting
answers, and taking
action based on those
answers
- Integrated into the
day-to-day operations
of the organization
- Collaborative and
dependent on
information sharing
- Going to ensure the
organization’s health
and viability in the long
run in a changing
environment
Evaluation for Learning
newsletter is a product of the
Greater Kalamazoo Evaluation
Project with support from the
Greater Kalamazoo United Way,
the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation,
and the Kalamazoo Foundation
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