Exit Interview Assessment Slide 1 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Exit Interview Assessment Exit Interviews: Opportunity or Albatross?

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 2 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Background Exit Interviews do not appear to provide significant benefit to center stakeholdersExit Interviews do not appear to provide significant benefit to center stakeholders »Not done »Not done in a timely fashion (don’t know when they leave) »Information is not different from what directors already know »Respondents are not really forthcoming »Questions are not getting at real issues »Failure to provide aggregate analysis of data Exit Interview Assessment: “Do it right for a year, then decide to drop it or modify it.”

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 3 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Overview Key QuestionsKey Questions DeliverablesDeliverables Analysis & ReportingAnalysis & Reporting TimelineTimeline Questions & DiscussionQuestions & Discussion

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 4 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Key Questions What is the value of the exit interview process? Are there untapped “nuggets” in the exit interviews - for individual centers or the program as a whole?Are there untapped “nuggets” in the exit interviews - for individual centers or the program as a whole? –What exit interview activities provide timely and actionable information to I/UCRC stakeholders? What does doing it right mean?

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 5 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Deliverables What does “doing it right” mean? Revised, Stakeholder-Driven, Exit Interview Guide Based on feedback from two telefocus groups: Center Directors Evaluators Goal: develop user-relevant interview guide including “big picture issues,” questions, and prompts Challenges: »Information is not different from what directors already know »Respondents are not really forthcoming »Questions are not getting at real issues

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 6 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Deliverables What does “doing it right” mean?Challenges: »Not done »Not done in a timely fashion (don’t know when they leave) Centralized member exit Reminder Notification System (for Center Directors and Administrators) Automated reminders for exit interviews (for Evaluators)

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 7 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Deliverables What does “doing it right” mean?Challenges: » Failure to provide aggregate analysis of data Central Repository for exit interview data On line interview guide for evaluators Space for evaluator comments, insights, and interpretations Centralized analysis of large percentage of exiting members

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 8 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Analysis & Reporting Qualitative content analysis exit interviews (HyperRESEARCH qualitative analysis software)Qualitative content analysis exit interviews (HyperRESEARCH qualitative analysis software) –data reduction, data display, & verification Descriptive Statistics (SPSS)Descriptive Statistics (SPSS) Preliminary report presentation: Jan 2010Preliminary report presentation: Jan 2010 Data and Report to inform a consensus meeting on the future of the exit interview process at the January 2010 I/UCRC Meeting

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 9 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Timeline Select CD and Evaluator telefocus group participants (Feb 08); Complete telefocus groups (March) Revise Exit Interview Guide (March)Select CD and Evaluator telefocus group participants (Feb 08); Complete telefocus groups (March) Revise Exit Interview Guide (March) Construction of on-line reporting form & database (March-April 08)Construction of on-line reporting form & database (March-April 08) Center Directors and Administrators Prompted to Notify Local Evaluator of Terminating Sponsors (May 08 to May 09, every two months). Evaluators also prompted.Center Directors and Administrators Prompted to Notify Local Evaluator of Terminating Sponsors (May 08 to May 09, every two months). Evaluators also prompted. Local Evaluators complete interviews, submit data to on-line database (May ‘08 to May ‘09)Local Evaluators complete interviews, submit data to on-line database (May ‘08 to May ‘09) Qualitative Content Analysis (July ‘08-May ‘09)Qualitative Content Analysis (July ‘08-May ‘09) Preliminary Report and Consensus Meeting (Jan ‘10)Preliminary Report and Consensus Meeting (Jan ‘10) Final report to NSF (Feb 19, 2009)Final report to NSF (Feb 19, 2009)

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 10 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Questions & Discussion

Exit Interview Assessment Slide 11 I/UCRC June 2007 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Exit Interview Assessment Exit Interviews: Opportunity or Albatross?