Data from Focus Group Responses
If you completed focus groups as part of your data gathering, it is important that you prepare a summary shortly after each focus group has been completed.
In general, there are three basic ways to look at the responses that come from focus groups:
Themes: The most important outcome from a focus group is capturing the themes that arise from the group regarding the issues about which you are most concerned. Typically, the moderator will be responsible for capturing the themes and for writing a summary of the pertinent themes after the focus group is over.
Verbatim Responses: A transcript of a focus group can provide you with a clear sense of the tone of the group, the dynamics within the group, and most importantly, the word-for-word responses from participants. Sometimes there are things that individuals might say in a focus group that are of particular relevance but might not get picked up in someone else's interpretation of key themes. Creating transcripts requires audio-taping a focus group, and then having someone type the responses from the audio-tape. This can be costly and time-consuming, so if your budget is limited, this might not be feasible.
Insightful Comments/Suggestions: In most focus groups, there are a few very illuminating comments made by participants that aren't necessarily shared by the whole group but that are insightful nonetheless. Sometimes the comments come in the form of constructive criticism, particularly astute analysis or observation, or a recommendation about how an organization's work can be improved. Whoever is responsible for creating a report at the completion of the focus group should pay close attention to these valuable comments and be sure they get recorded.
When summarizing the results from a focus group, break down the responses into categories (e.g., Mission and Organizational Values, Board of Directors, Personnel, Programs, etc.). Keeping data in categories will help you easily review the necessary information when it comes time to create the inclusiveness blueprint.
Complete Stakeholder Perspectives: Compiling Focus Group Responses.
Overview: Compiling Information
Data from Stakeholder Perspectives
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