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Instrumentation and Measurement:

Focus groups

A group selected for its relevance to an evaluation that is engaged by a trained facilitator in a series of discussions designed for sharing insights, ideas, and observations on a topic of concern.

Focus groups are conducted with evaluation and program/initiative stakeholders. These include, but are not limited to, staff, administrators, participants and their parents or families, funders, and community members.

Questions posed in focus groups are generally open-ended and responses are documented in full, through detailed note-taking or transcription. The purpose is to gather detailed descriptions, of the program processes from a representative sample of stakeholders, and their opinions of those processes.