1. Effective Focus Groups
Terminal Learning Objective (TLO) : participants understand what Focus Groups are, what goes into planning them, and how they can be used.
At the end of this you’ll have a better idea of:
what a Focus Group is and is not.
Enabling Learning Objectives (ELOs):
ELO1 – Definition of a Focus Group; what it is and what it isn’t.
ELO2 – How the Focus Group is used.
ELO3 – Steps to prepare a series of Focus Groups.
ELO4 – What one looks like.
ELO5 – What you do with the info you’ve received.
ELO6 – Where to learn more.

2. What’s a Focus Group? It is a technique.
“…a means to elicit ideas and attitudes about a specific product, service or opportunity in an interactive group environment. The participants share their impressions, preferences and needs, guided by a moderator.”
2 CLICKS
Slide Theme – Define a Focus Group 1
What does the BABOK say about the “Focus Group” Technique?
BABOK 3.0, Technique 10.21

3. What’s a Focus Group? made up of PEOPLE
who possess certain characteristics
provide qualitative data
in a focused discussion
5 CLICKS
Slide Theme – Define a Focus Group 2
How do others define a “Focus Group”?
“Focus Groups – a practical guide for applied research.” Krueger and Casey
to help understand a topic of interest
Kreuger & Casey, “Focus Groups”

4. What isn’t a Focus Group?
More than 12 people in the room
Only scheduled for 30 minutes
Moderator spends more time speaking than anyone else
4 CLICKS
Slide Theme – Define a Focus Group 3
Technique is often “done” but frequently not “done well”.
Like “Brainstorming” there is much, much preparation that goes into doing it the right way.
It can also be thrown together at the last minute and executed.
Participants are expected to agree

5. What isn’t a Focus Group?
Brainstorming
Used to help solve problems
Communication Meeting
Information is presented, not sought
4 CLICKS
Slide Theme – Define a Focus Group 3
Technique is often “done” but frequently not “done well”.
Like “Brainstorming” there is much, much preparation that goes into doing it the right way.
It can also be thrown together at the last minute and executed.
Decision Meeting
Gains consensus, decides

6. 5 CLICKS
All these steps need to be followed to get the information you need to make your decisions.

7. When do BAs use Focus Groups?
BABOK 3.0
Elicitation and Collaboration
Conduct Elicitation task
Strategy Analysis
Analyze Current State task
Define Change Strategy task
Requirements Analysis and Design Definition
Analyze Potential Value and Recommend Solution task
4 CLICKS
Remember this from the BABOK? Use this!
Solution Evaluation
Measure Solution Performance task
Recommend Actions to Increase Solution Value task

8. When you want to know…. When is a Focus Group Appropriate?
What people are feeling
How strongly people are feeling
5 CLICKS
How do you know the Focus Group will be the right technique.
Also – recognize the limitations of a Focus Group:
Feedback is subjective
It is often best used at the very end or very beginning of a process
Can be effective in shaping scope for a large effort
Can be effective in seeing if the change had the desired effect (note: needed to have done a baseline prior).
Ideas
What people think

9. When a Focus Group isn’t Appropriate?
Personal, sensitive topics
Emotionally charged issues
There is no intention to use the information
3 CLICKS
Watch out for this…
If there’s discussion in the planning team on these points, that’s an indicator that the Focus Group might not be appropriate.
Also note that the Focus Group will yield feelings, thoughts and ideas.
If you want objective statistics on which to base a decision you will need a different technique.

10. Focus Group – Lets get Started
1. Understand Scope, then Plan
2. Execute
3. Analysis and Report
4 CLICKS
4. Closing

11. Focus Group – Understand Scope
1. What’s the issue, the question, the decision?
Focus Group informs the decision-making process,
the Focus Group is not the Decision-Making Process
2. Who has the info we need?
3. When do we need the info?
5 CLICKS (add’l notes appear under 1st bullet)
Scope: If this is wrong, the whole thing will be wrong. Know the decision. Think about the anticipated responses. Do you already know the COAs and you just need the info to pick the best one?
Who: What group or groups do we need to tap into so we can get the info we need?
Timing: How quickly does this need to be done? When is the decision going to be made? When is too late or too early?
In-House?: Are we too close to the issue to see it clearly? Could we bring in others to conduct the Focus Groups who are not invested in the issue? Is this too big for us?
DECISION-MAKING PROCESS: the Focus Group results will not give you a statistical mean on which to base your decision. The thoughts and ideas and feelings will help you understand the environment in which you’re making your decision better. It won’t make the decision for you.
4. Can we do this ourselves?

12. Focus Group – Plan 1. Build the Schedule. 2. Identify participants.
3. Build the Interview.
4. Plan the Communications.
6 CLICKS
Schedule: backwards plan, ask sponsor to determine the relative importance of the Focus Group so you know whether she wants people off other work to take part.
Participants: Homogeneous or Heterogeneous? All managers, all workers? How do you want it split up?
Build the Interview: Here’s where you’ve got to get the right questions. [more on next slide]
Communications: THIS CAN SCREW UP EVERYTHING if it ain’t done right. Make sure the sponsor is clear on what he must do and what you will do.
Format of Results: Make sure what you’re planning on delivering is agreed to long before the final meeting (or it aint gonna be the final meeting).
5. Agree on format for delivering results

13. Focus Group – Plan 2. Identify participants.
Who has the info you need?
Who haven’t you heard from?
Who may be most affected?
6 CLICKS
Schedule: backwards plan, ask sponsor to determine the relative importance of the Focus Group so you know whether she wants people off other work to take part.
Participants: Homogeneous or Heterogeneous? All managers, all workers? How do you want it split up?
Build the Interview: Here’s where you’ve got to get the right questions. [more on next slide]
Communications: THIS CAN SCREW UP EVERYTHING if it ain’t done right. Make sure the sponsor is clear on what he must do and what you will do.
Format of Results: Make sure what you’re planning on delivering is agreed to long before the final meeting (or it aint gonna be the final meeting).
What joins or divides participants?
Job?
Female/Male?
Age?

14. Focus Group – Plan 2. Identify participants. 6 CLICKS
Schedule: backwards plan, ask sponsor to determine the relative importance of the Focus Group so you know whether she wants people off other work to take part.
Participants: Homogeneous or Heterogeneous? All managers, all workers? How do you want it split up?
Build the Interview: Here’s where you’ve got to get the right questions. [more on next slide]
Communications: THIS CAN SCREW UP EVERYTHING if it ain’t done right. Make sure the sponsor is clear on what he must do and what you will do.
Format of Results: Make sure what you’re planning on delivering is agreed to long before the final meeting (or it aint gonna be the final meeting).

15. Focus Group – Plan 1. Build the Schedule. 2. Identify participants.
3. Build the Interview.
4. Plan the Communications.
6 CLICKS
Schedule: backwards plan, ask sponsor to determine the relative importance of the Focus Group so you know whether she wants people off other work to take part.
Participants: Homogeneous or Heterogeneous? All managers, all workers? How do you want it split up?
Build the Interview: Here’s where you’ve got to get the right questions. [more on next slide]
Communications: THIS CAN SCREW UP EVERYTHING if it ain’t done right. Make sure the sponsor is clear on what he must do and what you will do.
Format of Results: Make sure what you’re planning on delivering is agreed to long before the final meeting (or it aint gonna be the final meeting).
5. Agree on format for delivering results

16. Focus Group – Plan What are the key questions?
3. Build the Interview.
Create lead-in and follow-up questions.
Lock-in the key interview questions prior to the first Focus Group.
4 CLICKS
Plan for a couple “softball” questions that are designed to get everyone to speak at least a little.
The Key Questions need to have very specific verbiage as well as one or two specific prompting or follow-up questions.
These tend to be more scripted because the feedback received needs to be applied to the key topic.

17. Focus Group – Plan 3. Build the Interview. 4 CLICKS
Plan for a couple “softball” questions that are designed to get everyone to speak at least a little.
The Key Questions need to have very specific verbiage as well as one or two specific prompting or follow-up questions.
These tend to be more scripted because the feedback received needs to be applied to the key topic.

18. Focus Group – Plan 1. Build the Schedule. 2. Identify participants.
3. Build the Interview.
4. Plan the Communications.
6 CLICKS
Schedule: backwards plan, ask sponsor to determine the relative importance of the Focus Group so you know whether she wants people off other work to take part.
Participants: Homogeneous or Heterogeneous? All managers, all workers? How do you want it split up?
Build the Interview: Here’s where you’ve got to get the right questions. [more on next slide]
Communications: THIS CAN SCREW UP EVERYTHING if it ain’t done right. Make sure the sponsor is clear on what he must do and what you will do.
Format of Results: Make sure what you’re planning on delivering is agreed to long before the final meeting (or it aint gonna be the final meeting).
5. Agree on format for delivering results

19. Focus Group – EXECUTE! 1. Work through the Schedule.
2. Fight scope change, adapt to participant changes.
3. Debrief, maintain consolidated notes.
4 CLICKS
Note: stick as closely to agreed upon questions as is realistic. The reason for this is the note-taker needs to be able to categorize on the fly. Your scribe is also watching body-language and is furiously trying to keep up with ideas and discussion. Rephrasing questions can make it hard to catch transitions.
You also need to be asking the questions consistently so you’re framing the topic for the participants uniformly.
Changes will happen, but asking subsequent groups different questions dilutes the feedback and makes drawing clear recommendations more difficult.
4. Provide in-process updates.

20. Focus Group – Analysis & Reporting
1. Compile feedback.
2. Identify key pieces of feedback received.
3. Highlight themes and make recommendations.
4 CLICKS
For the team, this is the challenging part.
Delivering the Final Report
I prefer to identify key themes, sometimes supported with direct statements heard in the sessions, and roll that into a synopsis report.
I provide that synopsis to the sponsors prior to meeting with them, but I do not provide raw comments until after we’ve met in person to talk about the themes. I do this to ensure the big picture is seen first then follow that with all the supporting comments.
4. Deliver final report.

21. Focus Group – Closing 1. Ensure the Communication Plan is executed.
2. Record final feedback.
3. Reminder about that Communication Plan.
4. Capture and share Lessons Learned.
5 CLICKS
Critical that the Communication Plan is completed.
Few things are worse than asking for people to give you feedback and for your organization to fail to recognize that feedback. The organization can choose to go against recommendations, but this is an opportunity to let the group know that their input was part of that decision.
5. Don’t forget Communication Plan.

22. What does a Focus Group look like?
One Moderator
One or two Scribes
Comfortable setting
4 CLICKS
Run through the staffing for a Focus Group
Snacks or a light meal

23. What does a Focus Group look like?
Let’s see one….
In this section I will lead a small, abbreviated Focus Group (no more than 10 minutes) with some select class members acting as specific roles within the Focus Group.
Example Focus Group
Set the Stage: 5-6 people in the front of the room. Explain that all the other processes have occurred.
Facilitator, scribe, recording device.
Explain the layout: comfortable, easy to see everyone. Food and drink. Best to provide just some gnosh-time at the beginning for people to eat then go into the session.
Your budget and timeframe will dictate how elaborate you can think about being.
Introduction:
“This is a Focus Group, we’re here to hear from each of you. I am interested in your thoughts and ideas. It is perfectly fine to express different opinions, in fact I’d really like to hear whatever you think about the topics. Disagreeing is fine, too. I want to make sure we respect one another throughout. I also have a little of a time constraint so I may bring us back to the topic if we get too far away. I am recording the session only so my scribe and I can ensure we’ve accurately captured your thoughts, then the recording is erased. Likewise, this session is non-attributable so we ask that you leave what other people have to say here and leave it to me to bring your thoughts to the organization.”
Lead in Question:
“Please tell me about your daily commute; how far, how long, highway?”
Core Topic:
“When you arrived, did you use the Valet Service?”
“What do you like about Valet Service?”
“What don’t you like?”
Participant #1 – Normal Participant. Take part as you normally would. Actively offer input.
Participant #2 – Hesitant Participant. Do not offer any input unless called upon. Once called upon, take part as you normally would.
Participant #3 – FogHorn LegHorn. You jump in immediately after each question is asked. However, once the moderator asks you to take a step back and allow others to comment, you participate normally.

24. What did you see? Opening statement? Level-setting?
Explanation of purpose and setting Ground Rules?
Participants taking part; agreeing and disagreeing?
4 CLICKS
Recap what the group saw in the mock-session.
Facilitator pulling people into the discussion?

25. Where can you find out more?
Focus Groups
Kreuger and Casey
Step by Step guide

26. Effective Focus Groups
Thank You
Howard Pearce, CBAP
Cleveland Chapter
International Institute of Business Analysis