1024-0224 - KLSE Focus Groups

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Social Science Program

OMB Control Number 1024-0224 Current Expiration Date:8-31-2014

Programmatic Approval for NPS-Sponsored Public Surveys

1.

Project Title:

Klondike Gold Rush Seattle Unit National Historic Site (KLSE) Community Youth Outreach Program Focus Group Study

Submission Date

3-2-2012

2.

Abstract:

Klondike Gold Rush Seattle Unit National Historic Site (KLSE) is committed to increasing outreach efforts with local youth organizations, and to serve as the contact point for the outreach efforts of its sister parks - Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, and Olympic National Park. In order to design and market programs that will attract youth organizations and meet their needs, KLSE has requested the assistance of the Visitor Services Project’s (VSP) to assess this audience by conducting focus groups with youth organization leaders and participants.

(not to exceed 150 words)

3.

Principal Investigator Contact Information

First Name:

Lena

Last Name:

Le

Title:

NPS Visitor Services Project (VSP) Assistant Director

Affiliation:

NPS Visitor Services Project, PSU, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho

Street Address:

6th & Line Streets, Room 17D

City:

Moscow

State:

ID

Zip code:

83844-1139

Phone:

208-885-7863

Fax:

208-885-4261

Email:

[email protected]

4.

Park or Program Liaison Contact Information

First Name:

Jacqueline

Last Name:

Ashwell

Title:

Superintendent

Park:

Klondike Gold Rush Seattle Unit National Historical Site

Street Address:

319 Second Avenue South

City:

Seattle

State:

WA

Zip code:

98104

Phone:

206-220-4240

Fax:

n/a

Email:

Jacqueline_ [email protected]

Project Information

5.

Park(s) For Which Research is to be Conducted:

Klondike Gold Rush Seattle Unit National Historical Site

6.

Survey Dates:

3-19-2012

TO

6-19-2012

7.

Type of Information Collection Instrument (Check ALL that Apply)

Mail-Back Questionnaire

On-Site Questionnaire

Face-to-Face Interview

Telephone Survey

Focus Groups

Other (explain)

8.

Survey Justification: (Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on a separate page.)

Social science research in support of park planning and management is mandated in the NPS Management Policies 2006 (Section 8.11.1, “Social Science Studies”). The NPS pursues a policy that facilitates social science studies in support of the NPS mission to protect resources and enhance the enjoyment of present and future generations (National Park Service Act of 1916, 38 Stat 535, 16 USC 1, et seq.). NPS policy mandates that social science research will be used to provide an understanding of park visitors, the non-visiting public, gateway communities and regions, and human interactions with park resources. Such studies are needed to provide a scientific basis for park planning, development. Klondike Gold Rush Seattle Unit National Historical Site (KLSE) is engaged in outreach programs with Seattle-area youth organizations, and serves as a focal point for the outreach efforts of other national parks in the Pacific Northwest area, specifically, Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, and Olympic National Park. The VSP will conduct focus groups with youth organization leaders and their participants to help determine the types of outreach activities that will best serve these organizations. The results will be used to help the NPS design activities and programs that will be best suited to meet the needs of the youth organizations and to maximize its outreach efforts. The research objectives are to: identify and categorize area youth organizations that would benefit from both on-site and off-site programs offered by KLSE and other national parks in the Pacific Northwest; learn about the goals, clientele, and nature of these organizations in order to guide appropriate outreach efforts; and to, determine the types of programs and the topics that would attract youth organization leaders and participants to become involved with other NPS outreach efforts.

9.

Survey Methodology: (Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on a separate page.)

Respondent Universe: The respondent universe for this study will consist of 8 - 10 adult leaders and 40-50 youth participants of Seattle-area youth organizations. Sampling Plan/Procedures: To recruit participants for the focus groups, KLSE staff will contact leaders of local youth organizations via telephone (see attached telephone contact script) to explain the purpose of the study and to determine availability and leaders and members of their youth group to participate in the focus group sessions. The initial contact is expected to last about 10 minutes. We expect that about 10 out of the 15 youth group leaders contacted will agree to participate in the focus group session. Once we have the consent of the leaders, we will invite their youth groups to participate in the youth focus group sessions. We will require that all participants under the age of 18 to have permission from a parent/guardian prior to being able to participate in the focus group activities (see attached permission form). We estimate that six to eight youth groups will participate in each focus group session. Instrument Administration: Group leaders and youth participant focus groups will be conducted separately. We will host one focus group for youth group leaders at the KLSE Education Center. This session will be facilitated by a trained focus group leader and will last approximately 90 minutes. We will conduct the youth focus group sessions at the locations where the groups normally meet. These sessions will be administered by the staff of the Visitor Services Project and will last approximately one hour. The attached scripts and pre-designed questions will be used to guide each session. Expected Response Rate/Confidence Levels: It is expected that each focus group will include approximately 8 - 10 participants. We will host at least one session with the group leaders; and eight student group sessions. Because this study design is qualitative and uses purposive samples selected from targeted groups, we do not intend to generalize any of the findings to all visitors. We will make suggestions and recommendations to the park based on the information we receive during the focus group. Since we are using a purposive sample, we feel that the response rates and confidence levels/intervals do no present the same concerns as they do in quantitative studies based on probability samples and employing inferential statistical analysis. Findings will be used to provide the KLSE staff with guidance on issues informing the outreach process.

Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias: During the initial contact, the interviewer will ask each visitor if they are willing to participate in the study at that time the interviewer will also ask all potential participants if they would be willing to answer the three questions listed below: Have you ever visited a National Park before? Did you know that Klondike Gold Rush was managed by the National Park Service? How long would it take you to travel by car to visit Klondike Gold Rush? The responses to these questions will be used in any non-response bias analysis for focus groups. Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or instrument (recommended): The instrument was developed by evaluation professionals at VSP based on the goals of the KLSE outreach program. The questions were not pretested. However, since this is a qualitative research, the validity and reliability of measurement scale are not applicable. Focus groups will be conducted face-to-face thus providing chances for explanation and clarifications of the questions if needed.

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Burden Estimates:

Estimated Number of Contacts

Estimation of Time (minutes)

Estimation of Respondent Burden

Total Number of Initial Contacts (leaders)

15

Estimated Time (mins.) to Complete Initial Contact (leaders only)

10

Estimated Burden Hours: Initial contact

3

Estimated number Respondents (leaders)

10

Estimated time to complete leader group sessions

90

Estimated Burden Hours

15

Estimated number Respondents (youth group members)

48

Estimated time to complete youth group sessions

60

Estimated Burden Hours

48

Total Burden Hours

66

11.

Reporting Plan:

The results of the studies will be presented in internal agency reports for NPS managers. Response frequencies will be tabulated and measures of central tendency computed (e.g., mean, median, mode, as appropriate). The reports will be also be posted on the Park Studies Unit VSP website at: http:/psu.uidaho.edu/vsp.reports.htm; and we will submit a copy of the technical completion report, as required, to the NPS Social Science Program for inclusion in the Social Science Studies Collection.

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