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Focus Groups

A focus group is a group of individuals that have been brought together for a moderated discussion about a particular topic. Because they tend to be open-ended in nature, focus groups allow for a deeper exploration of a given topic. Typically, they consist of eight to ten people and a moderator. The moderator can be someone involved in your collaboration or an outsider to the process. More important, however, is that the moderator is skilled. They play the important role of guiding the conversation and encouraging all participants to contribute. To make sure that a broad and diverse set of perspectives has been elicited, it is a good idea to conduct a series of focus group. Each group should consist of individuals from a specific key stakeholder group (i.e. survivors with disabilities, front-line staff, administrators, policy-makers, criminal justice system personnel, etc.).

When to Use

A focus group should be used when your collaboration needs to explore a topic in depth or generate ideas through group discussion.

Benefits

• Focus groups can be an efficient way to get a range and depth of information in a short period of time.
• Focus groups can guide individuals to find common ground by allowing the space for varying perspectives to be shared. Focus groups may be used to allow an open dialogue on why certain views exist, resulting in increased understanding among communities.
• Participants are provided with networking opportunities that may ultimately assist them in their assessment process and/or strategic planning. Building relationships with participants is one way for people to be able to ask them for more information or assistance in a later process.

Drawbacks

• Focus groups can be time and resource intensive.
• It can be difficult to schedule eight to ten people together at the same time.
• If individuals involved in the focus group are at varying professional levels or status, some participants may be reluctant to contribute to the discussion.
• If participants do not reach consensus about a particular issue, it may be difficult for them to generate strategies or to find a resolution.
• It can be hard to analyze and compare the responses from a focus group.

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