Focus Groups and their management

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Focus Groups and their management

• A tool for program evaluation
• AES Lunchtime Seminar
• 11 September 2006

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Who am I

• Matthew Andrew Manager Processed Foods Unit
  DSDTI
• Worked as a market research consultant Brisbane
  and Sydney
• Facilitated numbers of focus groups
• Has commissioned focus groups
• Recently used focus groups depth interviews to
  develop Processed Foods Strategy for Qld.

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What is a focus group?

• Difn. Of a focus group
• Groups of individuals brought together to
  discuss a particular topic or situation
• or
• A group of people selected for their relevance
  to an evaluation which is engaged by a trained
  facilitator in a series of discussions designed
  for sharing insights, ideas and observations on a
  topic of concern

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To use or not to use that is the question

• Why would you use a focus group?
• When would you use a focus group?
• How do they fit in with other methodologies?
• What do you need for a focus group?

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Recruitment Who

• Clients
• Stakeholders
• End Users
• Other affected parties
• Key Question(s)
• What do they have in common?
• Who do we need to honour?

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Recruitment Group Make-up

• Honesty/Rapport is key
• Think about making a 'safe' environment
• Things to consider
• - gender
• - power
• - 'level of ignorance'
• Competition can be healthy

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Group Conduct
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Some Basic Tips and Tricks

• Usually 90 minutes long
• Introduction
• Your entrance
• Permission to record
• Thank why important
• Hear from everyone
• Feed water them
• Timing of groups
• Props

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Some Basic Tips and Tricks (cont.)

• Number of participants
• Push at end top three approach
• Kill own ego
• Power of the pregnant pause

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Data Analysis

• Context is key
• What do they really mean?
• Managing new ideas
• Counts - 's etc
• Use of quotes in reporting

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In sourcing V Outsourcing

• Topic Dependent
• Skills Dependent
• Need for neutrality
• Use your common sense
• Some groups very specialised eg children

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• Thank You Any questions?