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[READ THE FOLLOWING OUT LOUD TO THE FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION]
Good morning/afternoon.
Our goal for this conversation is to learn more about your experiences with the ROSS-SC program. [ESTABLISH HOW RESIDENTS AT THIS SITE REFER TO THE ROSS PROGRAM AND USE THIS TERMINOLOGY THROUGHOUT THE FOCUS GROUP].
Before we begin, I want you to know that the information you share in this interview will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. We will not include your name in our notes or reporting, and any notes and recordings that are shared with HUD will include no identifying information. When we report our findings, we will combine information from everyone we talk to and present it in a way that individual answers cannot be easily identified. Every effort will be made by the research team to preserve your privacy by not using your name or any other identifying information that can be linked to a specific comment in our report. While we ask all focus group participants to keep what is shared today to themselves, we cannot offer confidentiality, as there is always a chance that other focus group participants may share what is said in our discussion today. We ask you to be particularly mindful when it comes to sharing any information back with your ROSS service coordinator. Please share only your own thoughts and not the comments or opinions of others in the room.
We want to be sure that you freely consent to participate in this interview and that you are aware that you are not obligated to answer any questions you do not wish to. Do you consent to participate in the interview? (If yes, note time. If no, thank them for their time and allow them to leave.)
(If the contract monitor is in the room, have them read this) My name is _________, and I am with the Office of Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development national office, the agency that funds [GRANTEE NAME] to provide the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator program and that is funding this program evaluation. If you agree, I would like your permission to observe how the Urban Institute conducts this interview to ensure the quality of their research process. I would like you to know that I am only here to monitor the research, and perform no role in the collection or analysis of the data you provide to them. I will not use any of your personal information or discuss any of the experiences you describe during this interview for any other purpose. Your responses will remain private to the extent permitted by law and will not be reported to anyone. Do you consent to my staying in the room to observe this focus group?
[THE FOCUS GROUP FACILIATOR SHOULD CONTINUE BY READING THE FOLLOWING]
With your permission, we would also like to record our interview for note-taking purposes. Only our research team will have access to the recording and we will erase all recordings after our research is finished. Do you consent to have the interview recorded?
[IF YES, BEGIN RECORDING].
Before we begin, do you have any questions for us about the interview?
[THESE ARE BACKGROUND QUESTIONS. TIME SPENT HERE SHOULD BE LIMITED TO 10 MINUTES]
How long have you all been living in public housing here in [CITY]? Which development do you live in (LIST DEVELOPMENTS)?
What are some good things about living here?
What are some things that people do not like?
What are some common challenges that residents face?
Where do people turn for support when they need help with something?
[FACILITATOR READS] Now I’d like to turn the conversation to talk more about the ROSS-SC program run by [GRANTEE].
Tell us a little bit about involvement with the ROSS-SC program.
How do residents find out about ROSS-SC?
Why do people decide to participate?
What ROSS-SC activities are available to residents? Where are these activities located?
How can people get in touch with the ROSS-SC? Are the Service Coordinators on site on a regular basis? How often? When?
[FACILITATOR READS]: We have some questions about the kinds of support services residents receive, first at your development, and then services provided at other places in the city.
What services are available to residents at your development?
[IF NOT MENTIONED BY RESPONDENTS, COVER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES]:
For Families – Employment; Child care; Education; Job training; Certification program; Financial education or counseling; Other
For Elderly/Disabled – Independent living; Coordination of services; Alternatives to long-term care; Aging in place supports; Meals; Socialization; Other]
Who provides these services?
Where are these services provided? [Office, community center, in-home, other?]
Which ones have been helpful to residents, and how? Which ones haven’t been helpful, and why not?
Do the Service Coordinators refer residents to other agencies or organizations for help or support?
If so: What are some of these referral agencies or organizations?
Where are they located, and how do residents get there?
What supports do they provide?
[IF NOT MENTIONED BY RESPONDENTS, COVER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES]:
For Families – Employment; Child care; Education; Job training; Certification program; Financial education or counseling; Other
For Elderly – Independent living; Coordination of services; Alternatives to long-term care; Aging in place supports; Meals; Socialization; Other
Which ones have been helpful to residents, and how?
Which ones haven’t been helpful, and why not?
Do people have plans or goals to move out of public housing? If so, do the Service Coordinators help people achieve these goals?
Are there any other services that people receive through the Service Coordinators or [GRANTEE]? Do you know what program those services are a part of?
[FACILITATOR READS]: Now we have a few last questions about how you think the ROSS-SC program could be improved.
Are there certain resident needs that are hard for the ROSS-SC program to meet? Certain resident needs for which there are no opportunities for support or help?
How could your service coordinator better help you and other residents meet your needs?
Do you have any other feedback on the ROSS-SC program? Are there any other questions that we should be asking of residents to evaluate the ROSS-SC program?
[FACILITATOR SHOULD TAKE THIS TIME TO NOTE IN WRITING ANY RELEVANT INFORMAL OBSERVATIONS]
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Thompson, Megan |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-21 |