Establish ground rules (the facilitators may determine these ahead of time, but it is preferable to ask the group to develop the ground rules and then get the group’s agreement to abide by them)

Facilitating Focus Groups

Steps for Facilitating Focus Groups

Focus groups are normally used in action research. Focus groups always involve a facilitator. We teach students how to formulate questions for focus groups, but we never teach students how to carry out focus group facilitation. The following are the steps involved in focus group facilitation. Please provide an example of a research project you might be interested in doing as part of a future Capstone or Practicum project. Describe who the participants would be (the categories of people who would have to be involved in focus groups for your research.)

1. Welcome and Introduction of the Facilitator Team (each facilitator introduces themselves)

1. Present the Purpose of the Research (read the focus group protocol see Annex)

1. Explain logistics (inform participants about arrangements beverage/snack breaks, bathrooms, per diem’s, travel and the meeting schedule)

1. Confidentiality Statement (that who says what does not go beyond the focus group and that their comments will not be attached to their names in any reporting)

1. Establish ground rules (the facilitators may determine these ahead of time, but it is preferable to ask the group to develop the ground rules and then get the group’s agreement to abide by them)

1. Participants Introduce Themselves Icebreaker Exercise (for example each person can present their name and tell the group how and why they were given their name)

1. Focus Group Discussion (determine ahead of time how much time will be allotted for each of the focus group questions; decide which questions will be asked before the break and which questions will be asked after the break; take a beverage/tea/bathroom break halfway through, when discussion has ended around one question before starting another question)

1. Affirmation (have each participant present one new thing that they learned about and/or changed their mind about during the session)

1. Describe Next Steps and Reiterate Confidentiality Statement

Required Reading Materials:

Bens, I. (2012). Facilitating with ease! core skills for facilitators, team leaders and members, managers, consultants, and trainers. (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: The Jossey-Bass.

Schuman, S. (Ed.). (2005). The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation: Best Practices From the Leading Organization in Facilitation. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.

Saunders, (1999) A Public Peace Process. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

Subject:  Masters Social Science

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