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Introduction to program outcomes
Do you have board members or staff interested in outcome-based evaluation? An in-depth introduction is available through Measuring Program Outcomes, a thorough, hands-on workshop that covers terminology, measurement, analysis and reporting. The next sequence of sessions will meet February 17 and 24, and March 2 and 9 (Thursdays). Each session runs 2-5 p.m. in the Greater Kalamazoo United Way Board Room (709 S. Westnedge Avenue). Cost is $15/person; any community member welcome. Register by February 7, 2000. For a registration form, call Elaine Griffin at 616/343-2524.
Focus Groups: Part II The Art of the Moderator
- What is a focus group? A
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 on the selected
topic.
- How does the moderator prepare to lead a focus group? The moderator reads over the discussion outline to gain familiarity with the interview questions, and practices the verbal introduction to the project. As participants arrive, the moderator greets and interacts with them to determine how best to seat them. The moderator places the name tent of the most vocal person next to the moderator for maximal control. If someone seems shy, the moderator seats him or her across from the moderator for maximal eye contact.
- How does the moderator get participants to talk? After a brief overview of the focus group project, the moderator asks an "icebreaker" question to help participants become acquainted and more comfortable with one another. One tactic involves having participants fill out a demographic sheet that also asks a couple of questions on the focus group topic. For example, "List 5 adjectives that describe [the topic]." The moderator begins the group interview by having each person share one adjective. A different approach uses humor. If, for example, an organization were the focus, the moderator might ask each participant, "If this organization were a car, what kind would it be?"
- What types of questions does the moderator ask?
To elicit opinions and emotions about the topic, the discussion outline includes questions about what participants did and how they felt. The moderator avoids "why" questions, because they focus people on rational explanations rather than opinions and feelings. The moderator may ask participants to think back to what they did or how they felt.
- Should the moderator express opinions? Focus
groups work best if participants regard the moderator as neutral and uninvolved in the issue under discussion. If the moderator states personal reactions, those reactions may affect participants' comments. To encourage participation while remaining neutral, the moderator can reflect answers by rephrasing. "So you are saying& .What do others of you think? To elicit more discussion, the moderator asks for examples or fuller descriptions.
- What if participants talk too much?
The discussion outline lists the approximate length of time the group should spend on each question. The moderator can gently remind participants that the purpose of the focus group is to gather the group's range of opinions and reactions, not to solve problems or make decisions. The moderator is responsible for moving the group along and keeping individuals from dominating the discussion.
- How are participants' contributions preserved?
Most focus group sessions are preserved on audiotape. Two machines record simultaneously, one in the center of the group and the other off to the side as a backup. The moderator encourages participants to vocalize their reactions rather than expressing them solely through facial expressions or gestures, which audiotape cannot capture. The moderator's assistant changes tape, and takes notes on aspects of the session that will not be evident in the transcription of the tape. The assistant's notes describe body language, intensity of comments, mood of the group, and pace of discussion. Immediately after the session, the moderator spends 30-45 minutes writing down impressions of the discussion.
Noteworthy Resources
Tutorial from Concordia University
Guide from Health Dept
Rich resource list from Univ. of Surrey
TIPS & TOOLS
"We decided the outcome objective for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) would be improvement of volunteers' feelings of well being and value. Then we had to say how we would recognize feelings of well being and value. We defined 'well being' as having regular eating, sleeping, and stable health patterns. For 'feelings of value,' we asked volunteers themselves. They told us that they feel valued when their volunteer placement involves at least once per week a positive face-to-face or telephone interaction that allows them to assist another person or organization."
--Tracie Wheeler, Senior Services, Inc
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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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