SSTV Focus Group Guide

SSTV Discussion Guide

I. Introduction/ Welcome

• Good morning/afternoon. My name is <insert first name>, and I will be your moderator for this session. I am employed by [the Social Security Administration] or [Macro International, a research firm which the Social Security Administration has hired], and I am interested in hearing your opinions about the Social Security TV presentation you recently viewed in your local field office. Please note that throughout our discussion, I will be referring to the Social Security TV presentation, as SSTV. * Moderator will have the acronym written on a sheet of flip chart paper along with the full name.

SSA will use the findings from this focus group to improve the SSTV presentation that persons like you view in the field office.

Ground Rules

Before we begin, I’d like to review some ground rules for today’s discussion.

DISCLOSURES

• Facility Setting – note mirror, observers, microphones. I have some colleagues from Social Security observing.

• This session is being audio recorded so I can write an accurate report.

You will not be identified by name in the report…I’m only interested in what is said so I can accurately transcribe our discussion.

• The persons observing our discussion today have signed a confidentiality agreement. Nothing you will say will affect your application for Social Security benefits or any Social Security benefits you now receive.

GUIDELINES To help make our session run as smoothly as possible, please:

• Please speak just one at a time so everyone has a chance to participate.

• Don’t engage in side conversations-- we need for everyone to hear what the others are saying and for everything that’s said to be heard easily on the tape.

• Sometimes I’ll go around the table and ask everyone for their input. At other times, I will just throw a topic open for general discussion.

• Participation -- we would like to hear from everyone in the group, but you don’t have to answer every question.

• No evaluation -- there are no right and wrong answers. We expect differences in how people see things, and we need to know about these differences.

• Feel free to disagree or question each other. The purpose of a group session is for us to learn things in group interaction that we don’t get out of one-on-one discussions. If someone says something you disagree with, please let us know.

• Some employees from Social Security and Macro International, a research firm working for Social Security, are observing us behind the one-way mirror. They want to hear what you have to say about the topics we’ll discuss, but we don’t want you to feel constrained by their presence. As I said, everything you say here today will be confidential.

• If anyone needs to use the restroom, they are located (specify). There is no need to stop the discussion.

• Your participation is voluntary. Therefore, at any point in time you may leave the room.

• If you have a cell phone, please turn it off or set to vibrate.

• We estimate that it will take about 2 hours to complete this focus group. If you would like to submit your comments to the Social Security Administration on this estimate, we’ll tell you how to do that at the end of the focus group.

Self Intros and Icebreaker

• To begin tonight’s discussion, let’s go around the room and tell me your favorite television show of all time?

2. Visit to the Field Office

Let’s think back to your visit to the field office…

1. What was your main reason for visiting the SSA field office?

Let’s talk about the TV presentation that you saw in the [fill-in name of FO] Social Security office.

2. Did all of you get to watch the entire presentation?
   PROBE: Were there any one topics that you recall? Was this the main reason for your visit?

Those of you who did not watch the entire presentation, can you tell me why? PROBE: For example, were there any distractions in the office? Could you see the TV monitor? Did you have paperwork or forms to complete? Was your number called for your appointment? Were any topics not interesting to you?

Thanks, now let’s take a brief look at the SSTV presentation you viewed at your local field office.

III. Presentation A - Version 2.0

After viewing the presentation again, I would like to get your thoughts about the presentation from a fresh perspective.

3. Having seen it again in this setting, what is your reaction now to this presentation?
   
   

4. What do you think about the animation?

PROBE: Are they effective? Did they get your attention?

5. What do you think about the about the video clips?

PROBE: Are they effective? Did they get your attention?

6. What do you think about the music?

PROBE: Is it effective? Did it get your attention?

7. Did you have sufficient time to read each slide?

8. What do you think about the length of the presentation? Too short, too long, just right?

9. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 meaning not at all helpful and 10 meaning very helpful; how helpful was the Social Security TV?

Probe: How were you helped? What did you learn?

10. What do you think about the presentation colors?

    • PROBE: Did the presentation slides catch your attention?

    • PROBE: How so?

    • PROBE: If no, please tell me more about how to improve the color scheme.

11. Is there any information that was not featured during the presentation that you would like to have more information about?

    • PROBE: Please tell me more about …

12. What do you think about the amount of information contained in the presentation?

    • PROBE: Is it too much information or too little information being displayed

PROBE: What about the size of the print?

13. How would you improve this presentation?

Now, let’s look at another version of SSTV

IV. Presentation B - Version 1.0

Okay, now that you have viewed this presentation, let’s get your thoughts.

14. What is your reaction to this version?
    
    

15. What do you think about the about the video clips?

PROBE: Are they effective? Did they get your attention?

16. What do you think about the music?

PROBE: Is it effective? Did it get your attention?

17. What do you think about the presentation colors?

18. What do you think about the amount of information presented?

19. What do you think about the length of the presentation? Too short, too long, just right?

20. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 meaning not at all helpful and 10 meaning very helpful; how helpful was the Social Security TV?
    Probe: How were you helped? What did you learn?

21. How would you improve this presentation?

5. Version 2.0 versus Version 1.0

22. One of the primary reasons, SSA is using SSTV is to inform visitors about the many services they can obtain safely and conveniently using the Internet.

• Which of the two presentations you saw today does a better job informing people about these online services?
  
  

23. SSA is also using SSTV to alert visitors about the documents they will need in order to apply for certain benefits or get a new or replacement Social Security card.

• Which of the two presentations you saw today does a better job informing
  people about the documents they need?

24. Considering your recent visit to the field office, which version do you think like better? Version 2.0 (presentation A) or Version 1.0 (presentation B)

(Moderator will post presentation features on the flipchart and ask for responses. Responses should be short. Top of the mind thinking from participants. )

Presentation A : Version 2.0

Features	Likes	Dislikes
Picture Quality	e.g. colorful	e.g. too dark
Color
Video
Animation
Music
Ease of Reading
Print Size
Length of Time
Other _____________

Presentation B: Version 1.0

Features	Likes	Dislikes
Picture Quality
Color
Video
Music
Ease of Reading
Print Size
Length of Time
Other _____________

* This version does not have animation.

VI. False Close

Moderator will leave the room and ask the observers in the back if he/she missed any questions or if they have any questions from the discussion.

VI. Recommendations/ Suggestions

24. Is there anything else you would like to say about Social Security TV?

Thank you for your time. You have provided valuable feedback for this project.

NOTE TO MODERATOR: If someone wants to comment on time estimate, read PRA statement to them:

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement – This information collection, which meets the requirements of 44 U.S.C. §3507, as amended by section 2 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, is cleared under OMB number 0960-0526. We estimated that it would take about 2 hours to participate in the focus group. If you would like to submit comments on our time estimate, please send them to: SSA, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235-6401.

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Discussion Guide: SSTV