2021 OMB Package_UAD TTHY_Focus Groups Facilitators Guide_Attachment D

Attachment D

Focus Group Facilitator’s Guide

INTRODUCTION [10 minutes]

• Hello. Welcome! Thank you for taking time from your day to come here to talk with us.

• My name is _______________, and I will facilitate our conversation today.

• The sponsor of today’s focus group values your opinions, ideas, suggestions, and concerns about parenting with today’s challenges and we will evaluate an idea they have to address some of those challenges. Your participation in this discussion is of great importance to the sponsor, because based on your suggestions they will be able to improve on the ideas you see.

• Even though I will be facilitating today’s conversation, I have nothing invested in this sponsor or the specific ideas we will be discussing. I am only interested in capturing your honest feedback to better inform the sponsor’s messaging and materials development process.

DISCLOSURES AND GUIDELINES

The session will last approximately 100 minutes (about 1 hour and 40 minutes).

You have signed a Release and Consent Form telling you that we are digitally recording this session so that the information can be used to accurately reconstruct our conversation and to assure that we capture all of your ideas.

Your privacy is important to us. Your names will not be used in reports and nothing you say will be attributed to you. A report will be written and only your opinions, suggestions, feelings, or experiences will be included. We are most interested in what was said, not who said it.

We want to hear about your opinions, comments, and experiences. On this very personal topic there are no good or bad answers, only comments. So please feel free to add a different perspective to what someone else said; we want to have several points of view.

Please speak one at a time, and loud enough to be heard.

I will move quickly, sometimes, from one topic to another to make sure that we touch on the many topics we need to cover.

Please take this time now to shut off or silence your cell phones. We cannot have the distraction of cell phones during the discussion.

Any questions?

RESPONDENT INTRODUCTIONS [5 minutes]

So, I am asking each of you to share:

• First name only

• The members of your household by relationship to you

• One topic related to parenting challenges you hope we will address in our conversation today.

BACKGROUND – PARENTING CHALLENGES [15 minutes]

Let’s talk for a moment about the parenting challenges that have been most concerning to you. From those just mentioned, which was the most challenging? What makes you say that?

How did you address that issue? How did you know what to do? What did you do first? How did you know to do that? What other steps are important to take?

You did/did not mention alcohol or underage drinking as a parenting challenge. Is that a concern? How does that compare to the other challenges you face?

You did/did not mention other drug/substance use, such as marijuana, tobacco, and opioids, as a parenting challenge. Is that a concern? How does other drug/substance use compare to the other challenges you face?

Of all the drugs/substances (i.e., alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, opioids), which is most concerning to you when it comes to your child(ren)?

What has been your most reliable source of information about alcohol and other drugs/substances? What is the main reason you rely on that one? Tell me who, if anyone, you talk to about things like underage drinking or other drug/substance use?

Describe how you felt as you looked for information or resources? Who/what did you rely on? What types of information did you seek most often initially? How did you use it? Did that change as you became more informed?

What has your search for information been like? Difficult or easy. [Probe for difficulties, roadblocks, open doors, etc.]

Are alcohol and other drug/substance use topics that you have discussed with your child(ren) aged 10–20? Who initiated? How would you rate the outcome? What did you do really well? What would have made it better?

WRITTEN: Finish this sentence. During my search for help, information, or resources on the topics of underage drinking and other drug/substance use, I wish I had .

REACTION TO PSA CONCEPT (55 minutes)

Now we are going to look at an idea for a PSA that deals with this specific parenting challenge, underage drinking and other drug/substance use. It is not finished.

• I would like to start out by walking you through the script of a TV PSA related to underage drinking and other drug/substance use.

• Please keep in mind that this is just a storyboard/animation of what might be said and shown.

• I would like to know about your thoughts on the concept, but not on the little things. For instance, please don’t be distracted if you don’t like a person’s clothes or expression. The final PSA will be shot in color with professional actors and in a location that we design and develop, which is specific for the PSA’s story.

• The final PSA will feature a diversity of individuals.

• Keep in mind that the final PSA is very brief and will last: 60 seconds or less.

SHOWCASE THE SCRIPT/STORYBOARD/ANIMATION

DISTRIBUTE THE WORKSHEET

EXPLAIN: After hearing and viewing the script/storyboard/animation, please write down what message you get from what you just saw and heard. WAIT A MINUTE TO COMPLETE EXERCISE

PRESENT PSA AND ASK:

1. UNDERSTANDING, RECALL, AND APPEAL

• Please, describe the _______(name PSA) in your own words.

• What do you think is the main idea or message of ____________(name PSA)?

• What were you saying to yourself as you heard the conversation in the script?

• What attracted your attention in a positive way? What attracted your attention in a negative way?

• Were there any memorable moments that stood out from the story?

  • PROBE: Is there something that catches your attention? What is it?

• Was there anything that was confusing or unclear? Was there anything that just didn’t make sense to you?

• Is there anything that would make the PSA more interesting?

• Is this topic important to you/your community/anyone you know? Tell me some reasons why you say that.

  • PROBE: What topics do you believe will be more appealing for your peers?

• What new insights did you gain from viewing/hearing this conversation/topic?

2. IDENTIFICATION AND RELEVANCE

• Who do you think this PSA is for? How close is this scenario to what you have experienced with your own child(ren)? Or, to what you have seen other parents/caregivers experience?

  • PROBE: PROBE FOR DESCRIPTIONS OF THE AUDIENCE: DEMOGRAPHICS, LIFESTYLES, WHERE THEY LIVE, ETC. Is it talking to people like you? Different than you? Anybody who has a child(ren)? The general public?

• What makes you think that? Explain?

• How do you think [the main audience] would react?

• How do you think the underage drinking and other drug/substance use issues shown affect you and your parental peers? Tell me some reasons you think the underage drinking and other drug/substance use issues are important or not important issues in your community?

• What else would you have liked it to discuss? Is there anything you want more information on?

3. CALL TO ACTION

• What are some reasons why you think the sponsor made this PSA? PROBE: What action is this script asking to you to take? What are they trying to achieve with it? What would happen if you accomplished the task?

• Would you do what it was asking you to?

(Refer to the call to action as respondents stated it, not the true call to action.)

• What did you see or hear that makes you say that?

• What would it have to say for you to take an action?

4. ACCURACY

• Was there anything in ________(name of PSA) that is especially realistic?

• PROBE: Did the script remind you of any person or situation you’ve known or heard about?

• Was there anything in ________(name PSA) that isn’t realistic?

• Was there anything in ________ (name PSA) that troubled you in any way? What? Why?

PROBE: Any particular words or phrases?

• Did it feel authentic?

PROBE CREATIVE ELEMENTS AND SPECIFIC MESSAGING OF THE PSA.

The goal of this PSA and other accompanying materials is to help parents and caregivers better understand and harness the power of the people and resources in their communities to prevent underage drinking and other youth drug/substance use. It is looking to create awareness that strengthening communities builds resilience and creates hope. With this in mind:

• What did the PSA do well to communicate the intended goal/message?

• What could it have done better?

• What other recommendations would you make to communicate the intended goal/message in this PSA?

COLLECT WORKSHEET.

CLOSING AND ADJOURNMENT (5 minutes)

• Thanks for coming tonight and providing your opinions.

• Your comments have been very helpful and insightful.

• Goodnight and have a great day tomorrow.

WORKSHEET

What is the main theme/point of the PSA?

(Name of PSA)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

EVALUATING THE CONCEPT

Please rate the PSA

PSA	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Very Good
NAME OF PSA

Please, suggest additional underage drinking and other drug/substance use topics for parental conversations: ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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