3 Focus Group PC CPEP mod guide

2020 CPEX P&C Evaluation CPEP

2020 CPEX P&C Evaluation CPEP

Focus Group Moderator Guide for Community Partnership Engagement Program Partners

Date: ____ /____ /______ Start time: _______ AM / PM End time: _______ AM / PM

Location: ______________________­­­_____ Moderator: ______________________­­­_____

[MATERIALS: AUDIO RECORDER(S), MARKERS, EASEL PAPER, CONSENT FORMS, RECEIPT FORMS, NAME CARD PAPER, MODERATOR GUIDE(S)]

[THE ASSISTANT HANDS THE CONSENT FORM OUT TO ALL PARTICIPANTS AS THEY ENTER THE ROOM].

[THE ASSISTANT AND MODERATOR USE THIS EXPLANATION WITH EACH PARTICIPANT AS THEY ENTER THE ROOM]. The consent form explains everything we will do and it asks for your permission to audio and video record our conversation. It also explains that we will keep everything you say confidential, meaning that we will group what everyone says and the results will not identify you personally. We will only use it for research purposes. Do you have any questions before you sign it? [COLLECT SIGNED FORMS FROM EACH PARTICIPANT].

[THE ASSISTANT HELPS SET UP THE NAME PYRAMIDS FOR EACH PARTICIPANT AS THEY ENTER THE ROOM]. Please write down your name and set up a pyramid. [SHOW THE MODERATOR’S PYRAMID AS AN EXAMPLE].

INTRODUCTION (10 MINUTES)

GREETING:

Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. The purpose of our group is to talk about your experiences working with your communities during the 2020 Census. We are interested in how your communities responded to the Census questions and how you reached out to them during the Census count.

I understand everyone has read the consent form. Does anyone have any questions about the consent form? Let me know if you have not signed the consent form yet.

SELF-DISCLOSURE:

My name is [MODERATOR NAME] and I will guide today's conversation. I’m a researcher at [AGENCY]. My job is to do research by going out and talking to wide varieties of people and groups. By asking questions and listening, I can help the decision makers hear the voices of people like you and apply that information to help make improvements at the Census Bureau. Myself and the other people working on the project are sworn to protect your confidentiality. Only those working on this project and those who have been sworn to protect your confidentiality may view or listen to the recordings of this group.

IF APPLICABLE:

• [POINT TO THE ASSISTANT] This is [ASSISTANT NAME]. (S)he is my colleague from [AGENCY] and will also help me with today's conversation.

• We are in a room with [RECORDING EQUIPMENT]. Observers, including project team members, sponsors, and stakeholders may observe and listen from the back room. The observers are also sworn to protect your confidentiality.

Let me mention a few basic rules.

• First, I will ask a lot of questions. There are no right or wrong answers to my questions; we just want your honest opinions. We don't need to have everyone agree. In fact, if you have a view different from others it is especially important for us to hear it because you may be the only person who is representing a different point of view here today.

• Be respectful of other's people comments. It is fine to disagree with each other’s comments. But please do not interrupt, and wait for your turn and cordially explain to the group your point of view. We are interested in listening to everybody's opinion in a respectful manner.

• Only one person speaks at a time and we’d like everyone to get a turn. Please do not have a side conversation with the person sitting next to you or speak while somebody else is talking. Please speak up and let us know what you are thinking. If you are the type of person who always participates, please give a chance to others to talk.

• Due to limited time, I must move the discussion along and may sometimes have to interrupt in order to do so. Please do not be offended.

• Please keep what everyone says here private. During the group conversation, we use first names only. We keep what you say entirely confidential and I ask that each of you treat as confidential what others say around the table. Your names will not be used in any reports.

• Please turn off your phone and put it away in your bag or pocket before we begin.

[IF IN THE CENSUS BUREAU OR BUILDING WITH SIMILAR RULES]

• If you need to leave the room, please let me know. Unfortunately, we have limited time so there are no scheduled bathroom breaks during the focus group conversation. Of course, if you really need to go to the restroom, quietly let me know so we do not interrupt the conversation and either my colleague or I can show you where the bathroom is and we will wait for you outside.

ICEBREAKER:

Let's go around the room and have each one of you tell us briefly:

• Your first name or nickname

• What communities you worked with for the 2020 Census

• What you like to do in your free time

I’ll go first. My name is…

Please feel free to jump in and introduce yourself. We do not necessarily need to follow an exact order around the table.

[SINCE THIS IS A “POPCORN” STYLE OF INTRODUCTIONS, MAKE SURE EACH PARTICIPANT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES].

Before we begin, are there any questions?

PART A: General Discussion of OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

(15 MINUTES)

1. What made you decide to work with the Census Bureau on the 2020 Census in your community?

2. What kinds of things have you done in support of the 2020 Census in your community?

1. When you talk to people in your communities, is it over the phone, by email, or face-to-face like in meetings, presentations, or town halls?

PART B: Concerns/General Complaints (45 MINUTES)

[ENCOURAGE EACH PERSON TO SPEAK AND PROBE FOR AGREEMENT AND DIFFERENCE IN OPINION].

One of the things we are interested in is what types of issues that impact your work and the concerns that have been expressed by the communities you work with about the 2020 Census.

3. As you may know, a new strain of a virus called coronavirus was identified by the World Health Organization, and the U.S. has been part of the coronavirus pandemic for several months. What impact, if any, has the coronavirus pandemic had on your work?

[INTERVENTION: DESCRIBING COMMUNITY CONCERNS]. Now I’m going to ask you about the concerns that have been expressed by the communities you work with about the 2020 Census. I’m going to use this board.

4. What concerns have you heard from the communities you work with about the coronoavirus pandemic as it relates to responding to the 2020 Census?

5. Besides concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, what kinds of concerns are you hearing from your communities about responding to the 2020 Census? Call them out, and I’ll write them on the board. [IF PARTICIPANTS BEGIN TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS, TELL THEM THAT THE TOPIC WILL BE DISCUSSED LATER]

1. [IF CONCERNS ARE EXPRESSED]: How strong is this concern [ASK FOR EACH CONCERN MENTIONED]? Are they strong enough that the issue would actually prevent them from completing the census?

6. [IF NOT DISCUSSED]: Have you heard any mention of privacy or confidentiality concerns? [IF NEEDED]: What types of things do people mention about privacy and confidentiality?

1. Has anyone expressed concern about [FILL WITH EXAMPLES FROM THE FOLLOWING LIST IF NECESSARY]?

   1. The government being too big,

   2. The government having too much information,

   3. The Census Bureau sharing data with other government agencies,

   4. Risk or fears of identity theft,

   5. Government already having this information,

   6. Fear of hackers or data breaches.

[IF NOT DISCUSSED] Are any of these issues strong enough that the issue would actually prevent them from completing the census?

7. For the people in your community who did not respond to the census, what do you think are the main reasons they did not respond?

[IF NOT DISCUSSED] How have social or political matters affected people’s willingness to respond?

8. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the concerns your communities have with the Census, have you heard anything positive from your communities about responding to or answering the 2020 Census?

9. When you speak to your communities about completing the census, what reasons do they mention for wanting to complete it?

1. [IF NOT DISCUSSED] When your communities talk about participating in the census, do they ever talk about helping others in the community as a reason to participate? For what reasons?

10. For the next census in 2030, one proposal is to do away with census forms entirely. No one would be asked to fill out a form. Instead, the Census Bureau would count the entire population by getting information from other government agencies. What do you think about this?

1. [IF NOT DISCUSSED] Would you be in favor of the Census Bureau getting everyone's information from the records of other government agencies, or against it? Tell me more about why you are in favor/not in favor.

PART C: STrategies used to ADRESS PRIVACY CONFIDENTIALITY CONCERNS

(35 MINUTES)

We’re going to shift gears and talk about strategies you used to help address community concerns and increase census response.

11. Please tell me about some of the strategies you are using to increase response to the census in your communities.

    1. Earlier you mentioned [FILL WITH EACH CONCERN FROM WHITEBOARD INTERVENTION, AND ASK FOR EACH CONCERN] as a concern, what type of strategy have you or would you use to address this concern?

[IF NOT DISCUSSED] What about the strategy (ies) makes it (them) helpful?

12. Earlier we talked about privacy and confidentiality concerns. What kind of strategies have you used to address privacy and confidentiality concerns with your communities?

13. Do you use different strategies for different people? If yes: Tell me about how you change your strategies for different people.

[IF NOT DISCUSSED] What strategies do you use for people who do not speak English to address their privacy or confidentiality concerns?

[IF NOT DISCUSSED] The Census Bureau made language assistance guides to help people who don’t speak English fill out the English Census form. They are paper forms or videos that explain the Census and show step-by-step how to fill out the English questionnaire. Did you know about the language assistance guides?

[IF YES] How effective have video or paper language assistance guides been with addressing privacy and confidentiality concerns for people who don’t speak English.

12. Are there strategies that you think would be helpful for addressing privacy and confidentiality concerns, but are not using for some reason?

1. [IF NOT DISCUSSED] What is preventing you from using these strategies?

Based on what we’ve talked about today, what are the most important things for the Census Bureau to remember from this discussion?

Does anyone have any final comments?

Thank you very much for your participation!

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