Center Director Interview, Center Inventory and Request Form

Westat FINAL DRAFT—2/29/08

Appendix C

Interview Protocol for Center Director

Study of the Personnel Development Program to Improve Services

and Results for Children with Disabilities

Interview Protocol for Center Director

[There should be an up-front paragraph or two in which the evaluation, the goals of the interview, etc. are explained to the interviewee, namely, this is a follow-up interview to the inventory in order to clarify anything that wasn’t clear in the inventory and to get some more context about the operations of the center. There should also be some lead into each section letting the interviewee know what the upcoming questions will be about.]

Name Of Interviewee _________________________

Date Began as Center Director __________________

Part I. Center Goals and Objectives –

We have reviewed your grant proposal, progress reports, and your inventory, but we realize that the focus of activities often changes over time, so we want to be sure we have a good picture of what the center’s focus has been up to this point.

1. Please start by giving us a description of the center’s goals and objectives.

2. In what ways is the work of the center a continuation of work that the center has done previously?

3. Has the work of the center changed since you were initially funded? [If yes,] What prompted that change?

4. Are there any obstacles and challenges that the center has faced in completing the work that you envisioned?

5. [If the grant is ongoing] What do you envision as the future direction of the center?

6. [If the grant is over] In what ways has the center’s work been sustained since the end of the grant?

7. To your knowledge, which center products, services, or activities have been used the least extensively?

8. To your knowledge, which center products, services, or activities have been used the most extensively?

Part II. Organization Structure and Staffing.

1. Please give me an overview of the center’s organizational structure.

2. Where is the center housed (e.g., a department within the university)?

3. How many people work at the center and what are their roles?

4. Does the center use any subcontractors or outside consultants? [If yes,] What are their roles?

Part III. Inventory of Products and Services [In this part of the interview, review instructions for completing the inventory of products and services and answer questions, as needed.]