Form 1 VirtualConference FocusGroupGuide

OMB Control No: 0970-0401

Expiration date: 5/31/2018

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to be 90 minutes per response to complete this focus group. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Child Welfare Virtual Expo Focus Group

Facilitator Guidelines:

• Introduce leaders of the focus group and roles of each in supporting the meeting (i.e., facilitator, note taker).

• Briefly discuss the purpose of the focus group: As participants in the first Child Welfare Expo, we appreciate your participation in an evaluation designed to assess the overall effectiveness of the Expo and to get a better understanding of your experience. Your participation in this focus group will provide valuable feedback about your experience with the Expo and help identify areas for improvement. Your contributions to the evaluation effort is extremely valuable and will be used to improve future virtual conferences.

• Convey to each focus group participant our confidentiality policy: (1) the focus group is voluntary; (2) you can decline to answer any questions, or you can stop participating in the focus group at any time; (3) the information will be held in confidence by the evaluation team who have signed confidentiality agreements ensuring the protection of data; (4) focus group data will be maintained in password protected files on a secure server; and (5) please respect others’ privacy by not sharing any information from the focus group outside the focus group.

• Ask permission to tape record the focus group: In order to ensure we capture the discussion accurately and completely, I would like to tape record the session. Only evaluation team members will have access to the tape and the transcript will not contain your names. If you choose not to have the focus group recorded, we will be taking notes but will not include your names in reporting.

• Ask if they have any questions for you before you begin. Ask them to provide their verbal consent to participate in the focus group, and remind them (if they haven’t already) to send the signed consent via email to: [email protected].

• Note to facilitator: italicized questions are to be used as optional probes to encourage respondents to expand upon their responses. Questions in bold font are key questions that should be prioritized if time becomes an issue.

1. How would you describe your overall experience with the technology? (note to facilitator: show screen shots of Virtual Expo platform to provide refresher as probes are asked)

• Probe: Did you experience any connection issues? Any problems logging in? If yes, how did you resolve them? Was the resolution satisfactory?

• Probe: Describe your experience with the various features of the platform (e.g. sessions, exhibit booths, networking lounge, resource center). What (if anything) would have made it easier to get into these different spaces in the virtual environment?

• Probe: What additional support/guidance could have been provided before the conference? During the conference?

2. What aspects of the virtual conference went well?

3. What aspects of the virtual conference could be improved?

• Probe: What did you find to be most challenging about your experience?

• Probe: What barriers did you experience during the virtual conference? What barriers prevented you from having a better experience at the conference?

4. Polling Question (note for facilitator: display question on webinar platform): Briefly (few words or phrases) describe 3 things related to PL 113-183 that you learned during the Virtual Expo that have had the most impact on you.

5. How have you used or intend to use what you learned at the expo in your work?

• Probe: How have you applied the information learned at the Expo in your work?

• Probe: Have you done anything differently in your work as a result of something you learned during the expo? If so, what?

6. *How has the Virtual Expo changed your opinions about issues related to P.L. 113-183?

• Probe: Did it motivate you to do something differently, in your role?

• Probe: Did it make you think or feel differently about survivors, perpetrators, or service providers?

7. Polling Questions (note for facilitator: display questions on webinar platform)::

• Had you participated in a virtual conference before the CW Virtual Expo? (Yes/No)

• On a scale, 1 through 5 (1=Extreme discomfort, 5=Very comfortable), how would you describe your comfort level with virtual technology (e.g. webinars, use of Skype, chat, polling, etc.) before the CW Virtual Expo?

8. *Aside from not being able to interact with the presenters or other participants in-person, what is the biggest difference between your recent experiences at the 20th NCCAN Conference and the Virtual Expo? What are the biggest similarities?

• Probe: Compare/contrast your focus/attention during the sessions.

• Probe: Compare/contrast your motivation and opportunities to connect with other participants (e.g. reconnect with people you already know, develop new relationships, etc.) during breaks or in between sessions.

• Probe: Compare/contrast your motivation and opportunities to get resources and tools.

9. What barriers prevented you from engaging fully in the virtual expo? What could have been done to reduce these barriers?

10. Polling Question (note for facilitator: display question on webinar platform):

Approximately how many resources did you put in your briefcase during the expo?

1. None

2. 1-3

3. 4-6

4. 7-9

5. 10 or more

11. How have you used the resources? If you haven’t already, what plans (if any) do you have to use the resources?

Optional probes if they have used the information:

• Probe: Have you used or intend to use the resources to develop training (informal or formal)? If so, which ones? What kind of adaptations did you have to make to the resources to do this?

• Probe: Have you used or intend to use the resources to write policy or procedures? If so, what kind of adaptations did you have to make to the resources to do this?

• Probe: Have you sent or intend to send the resources to colleagues? If so, how many?

• Probe: Have you shared or intend to share the resources with clients (e.g. families and children)? If so, what did you share and for what purpose?

12. How could the resources have been developed or provided differently to better facilitate your awareness and use of it?

• Probe: How could resources have been provided in different formats?

• Probe: How could resources have been organized differently on the platform?

13. How has the Virtual Expo impacted your involvement (or future involvement) with the Collaborative’s services?

• Probe: Has it motivated you to use the Collaborative’s services?

• Probe: Have you registered for any of the Collaborative’s learning experiences?

• Probe: Have you downloaded any products from the website or CapLEARN?

14. What advice would you give to future virtual conference planners?

• Probe: What should s/he do or avoid doing?

• Probe: What should s/he be sure to include or exclude?

15. Are there other comments you would like to share with us regarding the Child Welfare Virtual Conference?

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