Focus Group for 2 Hrs. Plus Travel 1 Hr. - FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-196

IHP LETTERS REVISION

FOCUS GROUP

MODERATOR’S GUIDE

Applicant Feedback for the Revision of the IHP Letters

CUSTOMER SURVEY and ANALYSIS (CSA) SECTION

Example

IHP LETTERS REVISION FOCUS GROUP

MODERATOR’S GUIDE

4 min Welcome Introduce Evacuation Restrooms Sign In Sheet Name Tent Consent Form

FEMA INTRODUCTIONS / HOUSEKEEPING Welcome / Introductions / Housekeeping: Welcome / Thank you Introductions Evacuation plan Location of restrooms Name tents / Sign In Consent Form Welcome! On behalf of FEMA, we want to thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to participate in this focus group. Your feedback will be very valuable to us. My name is _______. The rest of the team is ________ I will explain more about us in just a moment. First let’s cover some incidental but important information. In the event of an emergency where we have to evacuate, we will exit out of __________ doors. The restrooms are located _________. Please fill out the Name tent on both sides with your first name and place it where we can easily see it. Also, has everyone signed the Sign in Sheet? Now I would like each of you to sign a Consent Form stating your willingness to participate in this Focus Group. Please read carefully and sign and date. This has no connection to your FEMA case, it is just a way for us to ensure your participation today is voluntary.

4 min About Us Reason Note-taking Personal Opinions Ease and Assurance No case or program info FEMA #

PURPOSE / SESSION DETAILS Session Details: About us Reason we Invited Participants Note Taking Personal Opinions/Ease/Assurance Ease and Assurance No Case Info FEMA Helpline number Now a little bit about us. We work in various roles in the Recovery Division of FEMA, providing disaster assistance to individuals like you and your families who have been in a disaster. Blair is the Section Chief of the Program Management Section. Anna is an analyst who helps make improvements to the services FEMA provides. And Sheri and I are analysts who collect disaster survivors’ opinions about the services FEMA provides. The reason we invited you here today is to ask you to review the information letters FEMA has redesigned and then ask you to answer a few questions about the new design. Specifically, we want you to tell us if they are easy to read and easy to understand. Sheri will be typing your statements as you speak so that we have an accurate record of your responses. With that in mind, we ask that you speak clearly and one at a time so she doesn’t miss anything, and so everyone has an opportunity to speak. There are no right or wrong answers. This discussion is meant to gather your personal opinions which will help us determine any areas in the letters that may need more attention. We want you to feel completely at ease to share your true thoughts, so please be assured that your responses today will not in any way affect the outcome of your FEMA case. I also want to mention that we do not have any information about the decisions of your case. Our purpose here today is simply to gather your opinions about the disaster assistance information that is provided in the new letters. If you have questions about your case, we encourage you to call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621- FEMA (3362).

3-6 min (30 seconds per participant) 3 min 3 Letters Original Packet New Intro Letter Super Letters

PARTICIPANT INTRODUCTIONS Okay, now I’d like each of you to introduce yourself to the group. LETTER DETAILS 3 Letters New 7 page Introduction Letter We will be looking at 3 letters: a new introduction letter, and 2 new approval status letters. The first documents you received after you applied with FEMA were in a packet containing a 2 page introduction letter, a 9 page list of referrals to other agencies, and a 33 page booklet titled the Applicant’s Guide to the Individuals & Households Program. [hold up copies of each to show] The information in these 44 pages has been shortened to one 5 page introduction letter and one 2 page referral document. [hold up copies of each to show] I will ask you to review the 5 page letter and then ask you to answer some questions about it. Next is the approval letters. After you applied you received a letter explaining what assistance you were approved to receive and/or not approved to receive, and how to appeal if you disagreed with the decisions. You also may have received additional letters explaining the results of any appeals you may have requested. We have redesigned these letters and I will ask you to review them and then again ask you to answer some questions. New Super Letter and A-Super Letter

10 min Reading Preferences

QUESTIONS - Top of Mind Opening Question Before we begin with the letter reviews, I will start with a general question. For this first question I will go around the room to give each of you an opportunity to share your opinions one at a time. 1. Which is more important to you when reading information about any type of service being provided to you: do you prefer brief reading materials that you can read quickly in one sitting, or detailed materials that might take you longer to read but fully answer all of your questions? ________, let’s start with you…

10 min Read in Sections Wanted to Know Page 1 Two Parts Easy to Read and Clearly Explain

QUESTIONS – Introduction Letter We are ready to review the new introduction to FEMA letter now. You will read the letter in sections and I will ask a question after each section. The letter is printed front and back which is the way it will be printed when it is mailed out. While reading, I would like you to think about what you most wanted to know about disaster assistance after you registered with FEMA. Read all of page 1, then flip it over and read until you get to the purple flag on page 2. [allow 5 minutes to read] 2. Tell us if the descriptions of the categories in the Individuals and Households Program were easy to read, and if they clearly explained how FEMA’s disaster assistance works. Who would like to go first?

10 min Insurance Inspection SBA Appeal

Thank you everyone. Now you can read the rest of page 2 and continue to page 3, stopping at the green flag. [allow 5 minutes to read] 3. After reading the details in this section, what is your understanding of what happens after applying for disaster assistance? Who would like to go first?

10 min Flood Insurance

Next read the section at the bottom of page 3 under the green flag and stop at the end of the page. [allow 3 minutes to read] 4. What do you understand about Flood Insurance after reading this section? Who would like to start?

10 min Mail Record Keep Fraud Discrimination

Now read all of page 4 and stop at the end of the page. [allow 5 minutes to read] 5. What do you think about the way the topics on this page are explained? Who would like to start?

10 min Resources

Now read all of page 5 and stop at the end of the page. [allow 5 minutes to read] 6. What do you feel about the level of detail on this page? Who would like to start?

10 min Resources

Now take a look at pages 6 and 7. You don’t need to read each description, but please skim the titles of each referral to get a feel of other resources that are available for disaster assistance. [allow 5 minutes to read] You may remember that the list of other resources provided to you after you applied was 9 pages long. 7. Compared to that list, what do you think about this shorter list? Who would like to start?

5 min

Break That was the last question about the Introduction letter. Let’s take a 5 minute break and then we will review the 2 approval status letters. These letters are short and we only need a total of 30 minutes to review. [collect hard copies]

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10 min Method of payment, eligible types, law, audits

QUESTIONS – Super Combo Letter [pass out hard copy] This letter is the first decision letter applicants receive after applying. Please read page 1 of the letter. [allow 5 minutes to read] 8. What two or three things stand out to you about the approval information on this page? Who would like to start?

10 min Ineligible, appeal, other agencies, DRC

QUESTIONS – Super Combo Letter Now, please read page 2 of the letter, on the back. [allow 5 minutes to read] 9. What do you understand about assistance that is not approved? Who would like to start?

10 min Ineligible, final, other agencies, DRC

QUESTIONS – Super Appeal Combo Letter The last letter we will review is the second decision letter applicants receive after appealing the decisions in the first letter. This letter is nearly identical to the first one so you can just skim the first page. Then turn it over to page 2 and read the bottom section starting at the orange flag. [allow 5 minutes to read] 10. What does the information in this section tell you? Who would like to start?

Closing That was the last question! You have all provided excellent feedback. We thank you for your participation and assure you that the feedback you provided today will be used to improve service to disaster assistance victims across the country. [collect hard copies]