what is a facilitator? facilitate means “to make easy.” as a facilitator, – your job is to...
TRANSCRIPT
Church of St. Gregory’s Focus Group
Facilitation Guideline
What is a facilitator?• Facilitate means “to make easy.”• As a facilitator,
– your job is to make the meeting easier for the participants.
• A facilitator – manages the method of the meeting, rather
than the content. – Facilitators are concerned with how decisions
are made instead of what decisions are reached.
Facilitator responsibilitiesBe enthusiastic Be energeticBe open-mindedBe Self – OrganizedEstablish a rapport with the group and set the stage for a
productive discussion.Stay alert to group dynamics, to recognize threats to
productive group discussion Manage group dynamics so that discussion flows
smoothly and people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. There are no wrong answers
Stay open-minded themselves so that the preconceptions about the topic and the participants are minimized
State the questions clearly
Key Characteristicsfor a focus group
6 to 12 peopleParticipants are homogenous on the basis of recruitment Led by a facilitator (usually 2) in a group interview format1-1 ½ hours duration; max is 2 hrsUsed when qualitative information is needed – goal is NOT
to reach consensus, solve a problem or make a decision Seek to obtain insights into attitudes, perceptions, beliefs
and feelings among the participants Questions are predetermined, sequenced, and open-ended
Why a focus group?Identifying needs and expectations of
stakeholdersProbing for perceptions and experiences Obtain feedback for improvement and
expansionObtaining more detail from key issues
identified in the survey
Structured QuestionsAssists the group to be on “focus”Assists the facilitator to be on track Allows opportunities for everyone to
participateEnsures that specific areas are covered Provides some structureAllows for more quantifiable information to
be collected
Respectful RulesBe respective of participantsInterpret feedback accuratelyClarify any statements, using open ended
questions (how, why, what) Clear up any misunderstandings of
informationBe objective, please refrain from giving an
opinion, if wish to give one , you are welcome to join a focus group
Respectful RulesAim for balance
Empathy with a participant and bias that prevents you from seeing the situation in another point of view
Individuals story and the need for the group to fully participate
Emotions- your own feelings to a response and your professional responsibility to manage the discussion
Order - between the questions as planned and the unexpected direction that may occur
Communications SkillsNon-Verbal Skills Active ListeningAdopt a relaxed open
postureListen with your eyes as
well as your ears-look at the speaker
Listen for basic fact and main ideas
Listen for attitudes, opinions, or beliefs
Do not interrupt the speaker
Use positive, non-verbal communication to prompt the speaker
Be aware of the speaker's non-verbal communication
Repeating key phrases: ‘more specific information ..’
Summarizing messages: ‘So, what you’re wanting to see here is…’
Showing empathy: ‘It must have been really frustrating ….’
Repeat your understanding of their comments in your own words
Ask the speaker if that is correct and for any clarifications
Make sure key points by the speaker are captured
Ask as a check to verify understanding
When to use Active Listening?
The person isn’t being clear You are reacting defensively to what is
being discussedYou want to demonstrate that you
understandYou want to defuse the situation You want to sum up what has been saidYou want to elicit more information You want to move on
Handling SituationsAssertion Skills –
be clear, firm, respectful if session is not going in the desired direction.
“I would like to move on”, “We are going off track”
Criticism: Please do not be defensive especially if a
participant criticizes us, our service or organization. Politely defer to the end of the discussion and then obtain the nature of the problem, showing concern and empathy and then relay the issue and information to Fr. John
Remember
If the going gets toughUse your own (very good) judgmentTune in to the atmosphere of the groupTwo heads are better than one (co-
facilatator /notetaker assists)Use a combination of listening skills and
assertion skills
Getting StartedMain facilitator will
be given their list of focus group and participants
contact the participants and co- facilitator schedule a convenient time to set up the
interviewYou may use the rectory for your
interview, contact Judy Walsh to reserveConduct interviews by Aug 31st Contact Judy Walsh with the date and time
of your interview and where it will be held if not at the rectory
Beginning of the Session 2 co facilitator
One leads the interviewingOne takes notes and keeps time and assist if
neededStart on time;
Provide refreshments upon arrival but must be brief
Have ready:Your introduction (provided tonight) Copy of the questions for each participant
(provided tonight and rectory will make copies for the group)
Focus group participant list Note book – for recording commentsClosing statement
General DiscussionGreet each participant You will open by thanking the group for their timeExplain the purpose of the focus group Start the session by introducing yourself and the group
members – quickly!You will explain that there will be two facilitators
One to manage the discussion/questions/ One to take the notes
We want all participants to be comfortableNo person should be compelled to participate in a focus
group, or to answer a question nor should they be made to remain if they wish to leave
State that Confidentiality will be maintained The note taker may take a name for reference ( if need to call for
clarification) however the name will not be placed in the completed focus summary which will be submitted unless the person consents!
Not all participants may answer every questions due to time allowance.
InterviewingProvide the participants a copy of the questions
after your introduction and welcomeEnsure all participants with reasonable airspaceRotate the participant who answers the
questions. Avoid having the same person answer first.
Make sure all answer before a second round of opinions
Ensure that the questions provided are the focus of the discussion
Our purpose is to keep positive, if there are criticisms of the past remember we are discussing the future. Don’t concentrate on one topic question at the expense of others. Write down the criticism so we can follow up later.
Note- takingBoth facilitators my take brief notes, but one
should have primary responsibility Should summarize the key points being made by
the focus groupTry to record the comments in the appropriate
space of the interview schedule so that minimal sorting has to be done later
Use Tick marks when there is agreement between several members on an issue, tick the comment by the number of people
Record good quotes verbatim, so they can provide flavor to the report.
Submit summary to Judy Walsh no later than 48hours after the interview!
Note takingReport participants’ words but do not identify them by name Describe main participant characteristics Use descriptive phrases or words used by participants as they discussed the key
question Identify themes in the responses to the key questions Identify sub-themes indicating a point of view held by participants with common
characteristics Include a description of participant enthusiasm or other group characteristics if
relevant if there as inconsistency between participant comments and their reported
behaviors, record thisSuggest new avenues of questioning that should be considered in future: should
questions be revised, eliminated, added, etc.Summarize the overall mood of discussion In giving meaning to the descriptions, be careful about your own biases in
interpretation
If you run out of timemust be sensitive to the atmosphere to choose
the best optionAsk the group if you can extend the current session
Work quickly through the key questions with the time remaining
Finish before having all your questions answered
Allow for follow up feedback given by phone or email
ClosureLet the group know that if they wish to
see their focus group notes they may contact the note taker
Explain that once all the focus group interviews have been conducted and notes summarized, the pastoral council will review them to formulate their next steps in determining St Gregory’s goal for the five year plan which will be communicated in the bulletin
Thank the group for their time and input
St. Gregory’s Focus Groups Lectors
Eucharistic Ministers Religious Formation Teachers
Saturday Morning Men’s Group
Women’s Guild and Prayer Shawl
Daily Mass
Parents- High School Students Parents – Elem/MS Students Young Adults- 18-30 Years
Married Individuals
Separated/Divorced/Single Adults/Senior Citizens/Disabled
General Group – 2
Focus Group Questions1. Looking at your experience in our parish, can you recall a time when you felt
most alive, most proud, most enthused or most committed to St. Gregory's? What are the things that excite you about St. Gregory's?
2. How would you go about engaging people in a fuller, more active and conscious participation at the Eucharist? What do you value most about Sunday Eucharist?
3. What do you value most about your involvement at our parish? What are the opportunities that we are missing to actively engage you, your friends or family, more into our church community?
4. In what way does our parish work to accommodate people and families who have physical, spiritual, emotional or other needs? How do we reach out to them?
5. In what ways could our youth be more fully integrated into the faith community of St. Gregory's parish?
6. Looking to the future, if you could transform our parish in any way you wished, what three things would you do to enhance its life and vitality? Just list the 3 things.
7. What is your current assessment of our parish facilities in light of the evangelizing mission of the Church?
Any questions ???
Thank you for assisting in this
endeavor!