Focus Group for the youth

APPENDIX J

Focus Group Discussion Guide for Use with Frontline Program Staff

Instructions: Introduce yourself, explain your role, purpose of the focus group, ground rules for discussion, and explain that identifying information on participants will not be collected during the focus group discussion. Have everyone introduce himself or herself.

A. Staff Training Prior to Implementation

We will spend most of our time talking about (name of program) and how you feel about it, but I’d like to begin by asking about how you prepared to deliver it.

Probes: What amount and kind of training did you receive before the program began? Who provided the training? Did you feel it was adequate? Were you required to do any other type of preparation?

B. Implementing the Program

B1. Target population

Probes: Are you serving the youth you planned to serve, in terms of numbers, characteristics, risk factors? If not, what barriers to your original plan did you encounter? What outreach strategies have you developed to recruit participants? How do you recruit youth for the program? Have you encountered difficulties in recruiting? Have you encountered problems with retention? What strategies have you developed to improve retention? What are barriers to participation that you have little or no control over?

B2. Schedule for program activities

Probes: How is the program delivered? In how many sessions, of what length, and over what period of time? What challenges to scheduling the program did you encounter? How does scheduling affect retention? How does it affect your ability to deliver the program?

B3. Program components/activities/materials

Probes: have you been able to implement all the components/activities required by the program model (as adapted for the replication)? If not, which ones have you had to drop or modify? What were the reasons for the change? Do you feel that the materials provided, manuals and other guidance are adequate to help you implement the program with fidelity? What else would be helpful?

B4. Gaps in /problems with program content

Probes: Are there activities or program content that are inappropriate for the population you are serving? That seem out of date? Are there gaps in content, information that your youth population needs that is not part of the program? How have you dealt with these issues?

C. Participant Response

Probes: How engaged are youth in the activities/content of the program? What aspects of the program/activities/content are they most/least responsive to? Have you had any feedback form them about the program? What kinds of comments do they make about the program? Have you made any changes as a result of these comments? What kinds of changes did you make?

D. Staff Commitment to and Satisfaction with Program Model

Probes: How committed are do you feel to this specific program? Do you believe in the program’s goals? Feel the activities and content are appropriate for the youth population you are working with? Overall, do you feel it is the correct choice for the youth population you are serving? If not, in what ways is it less than ideal? In retrospect, would you choose a different program model? Which one (or what characteristics would be important)?

Abt Associates Inc. Appendix J: Focus Group Discussion Guide for Use with Frontline Program Staff