Transcript Effective Use Of Focus Groups

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.”
BABOK 2.0, Technique 9.11
 made up of PEOPLE
 who possess certain characteristics
 provide qualitative data
 in a focused discussion
 to help understand a topic
of interest
Kreuger & Casey, “Focus Groups”
 More than 12 people in the room
 Only scheduled for 30 minutes
 Moderator spends more time
speaking than anyone else
 Participants are expected
to agree
Focus Groups – on a page
Starts with a question.
“What are they thinking?”
“How do they feel?”
“What ideas do they have?”
Who are “they”?.
Homogeneous Group?
Varied backgrounds or experiences?
Decide.
Hold the group.
Listen
What will you do with the information?
Which Business Decision are you trying to inform?
How much fidelity do you need (depth)?
BABOK 2.0
 Elicitation
 Prepare, Conduct, Document tasks
 Enterprise Analysis
 Define Business Need task
 Solution Assessment and Validation
 Assess Organizational Readiness task
 Evaluate Solution Performance task
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
 Solution Evaluation
 Measure Solution Performance task
 Recommend Actions to Increase Solution Value task
When you want to know….
 What people are feeling
 How strongly people are feeling
 Ideas
 What people think
 Personal, sensitive topics
 Emotionally charged issues
 There is no intention to use the
information
1. Understand Scope, then Plan
2. Execute
3. Analysis and Report
4. Closing
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?
4. Can we do this ourselves?
1. Build the Schedule.
2. Identify participants.
3. Build the Interview.
4. Plan the Communications.
5. Agree on format for
delivering results
 What are the key questions?

lead-in
and
3.Create
Build the
Interview.
follow-up questions.
 Lock-in the key interview
questions prior to the first
Focus Group.
1. Work through the Schedule.
2. Fight scope change, adapt to
participant changes.
3. Debrief, maintain
consolidated notes.
4. Provide in-process updates.
1. Compile feedback.
2. Identify key pieces of feedback
received.
3. Highlight themes and
make recommendations.
4. Deliver final report.
1. Ensure the Communication Plan is executed.
2. Record final feedback.
3. Reminder about that
Communication Plan.
4. Capture and share Lessons
Learned.
5. Don’t forget Communication Plan.
 One Moderator
 One or two Scribes
 Comfortable setting
 Snacks or a light meal
Lets see one….
 Opening statement? Level-setting?
 Explanation of purpose and setting
Ground Rules?
 Participants taking part; agreeing
and disagreeing?
 Facilitator pulling people into
the discussion?
Focus Groups
Kreuger and Casey
 Columbus, OH
 Cincinnati, OH
 Cleveland, OH
 Detroit, MI
 Indianapolis, IN
 Pittsburgh, PA
Focus Pointe Global
L & E Research
Wolf Group
Focus Groups of Cleveland
Michigan Market Research
C & F Market Research
Indy Focus
Campos
FCP Research
 Howard Pearce, CBAP
Progressive Insurance Corporation