**Conducting a Focus Group**

![](media/image1.png){width="1.3333333333333333in"
height="1.3333333333333333in"}When conducting a focus group, the
following tips will help you maintain focus on the training needs
analysis.

1.  Planning in advance can help with the time-consuming nature of a
    training needs analysis. Time for analysis must be planned.

2.  Facilitation is key; you must direct conversation without being part
    of it.

3.  You must keep the group on task.

4.  Don't let special interests get you off the original purpose of the
    training needs assessment.

5.  Establishing guidelines for staying on task or returning to the task
    at the beginning of the session will help you to stop "bird walking"
    as soon as it starts.

6.  Guidelines make getting off task less likely to continue or
    mushroom; it lets you maintain the agenda.

7.  Explain the limitations to the participants.

8.  Assure all participants speak; probe participants to give their own
    opinions.

9.  Have a note taker transcribe and code information for analysis.

10. When the group asks to go off the record, turn off the tape.

11. Have the tape transcribed as soon as possible after the meeting so
    that the interviewer and note takers can remember any non-verbal
    communication.

12. Several note takers can be used if taping is not advisable.

**Conducting a Simple Training Needs Assessment**

This tip sheet describes how to conduct a training needs assessment to
help define a common training program.

**What You Need:**

-   Conference Room

-   Flip Chart or White Board and Markers or colored adhesive dots

**^1^Here's How:**

1.  Gather all participants with the same job responsibilities in a
    conference room with a white board or flip charts and markers or
    adhesive dots.

2.  Ask each participant to write down their ten most important training
    needs.

-   Emphasize participants should write specific needs like resolving a
    conflict with a co-worker or giving feedback to colleagues.

-   Emphasize that training needs like communication or team-building
    are too broad.

3.  Have participants share their ten training needs with the group.

-   The facilitator captures the training needs on a flip chart.

    -   Don\'t write down duplicate training needs

    -   Confirm by questioning to ensure each training need is unique

4.  Once all training needs have been listed, vote to prioritize the
    training needs across the group.

-   Use a weighted voting process that lets the participants prioritize
    their list of training needs.

-   Points are assigned to each training need by participants, using
    colored markers or sticky dots as follows:

    -   25 points

    -   15 points

    -   5 points

5.  Make a list of the training needs in order of importance, with the
    number of points assigned as votes determining priority.

-   Make sure you have a note taker

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-   Use the flip chart to maintain a record of the training needs
    assessment results

6.  Using the highest 3 training needs identified in the needs
    assessment process, brainstorm the needed outcomes or goals.

-   This helps identify the participants' needs.

-   After the first or second training session, you may need to redo the
    needs assessment

**Tips:**

-   Training Needs Assessment can be, and often needs to be, much more
    complicated than this. But, this is a good process for a simple
    training needs assessment.

-   Make sure you keep the commitments generated by the training needs
    assessment process.

-   Participants will expect to see their key needs identified in the
    training sessions with the objectives met.

^1^Revised from "How to Conduct a Simple Training Needs Assessment" by
Susan M. Heatherwood,
[About.com.](http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingneedsassessment/ht/training_needs.htm)

**Interviewing and Writing Questions**

**Active Listening**

![](media/image2.png){width="1.0277777777777777in"
height="1.3333333333333333in"}Active listening means to focus both on
the words being spoken and to the person himself in order to better
understand what he or she is saying. As you listen you should also
communicate your understanding and show nonjudgmental acceptance of what
is being stated. The following are some other tips for active listening:

-   Ask non-leading questions: "can you tell me more about that?"

-   Rephrase what the speaker said in your own words

-   Reflect underlying feelings: "when that happens to me, I feel really
    bad"

-   Avoid analyzing what was described

-   Use personal disclosure: "I'm not sure I fully understand what you
    are saying"

-   Avoid using probing questions

-   Face the speaker

-   Watch the speaker and listen

-   Keep your mind on what the speaker is saying

**Writing Questions**

-   ![](media/image3.jpeg){width="1.25in"
    height="1.2326388888888888in"}Written questions present unique
    challenges but at the same time can be advantageous.

-   You can test multiple iterations of questions to ensure there is no
    bias and can hone the grammar and sentence structure as well.

-   The main thing to ask yourself about any question as you write it is
    whether it will measure what you are trying to measure

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Written Questions**             |                                   |
+===================================+===================================+
| **Negativity**                    | -   Can be very difficult to      |
|                                   |     understand                    |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   Example: Shouldn't the CZM    |
|                                   |     program deny permits for      |
|                                   |     beach re-nourishment?         |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Repetition**                    | -   Can make respondents angry    |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   Irritates people when they    |
|                                   |     think you are playing games   |
|                                   |     with them                     |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   At a minimum, change the      |
|                                   |     wording (most folks will      |
|                                   |     catch on)                     |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ![](media/image4.wmf)**Written    |                                   |
| Questions**                       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Sensitivity**                   | -   Word things tactfully         |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   Sensitive questions usually   |
|                                   |     best asked in the middle      |
|                                   |     towards end of questionnaire  |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   Sensitive questions usually   |
|                                   |     are best in a face-to-face    |
|                                   |     format                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Clarity**                       | -   Make questions less than 20   |
|                                   |     words                         |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   Make sure questions are       |
|                                   |     grammatically correct and     |
|                                   |     spelled correctly             |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   Don\'t use jargon             |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   Highlight important words     |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   Define "wiggle" words         |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   Never use more than one       |
|                                   |     variable                      |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**Open Ended and Closed Questions**

There are two different types of questions you can use that will elicit
very different responses. These two types are called open-ended and
closed questions.

**Open-ended questions** are used when longer and more thoughtful
answers are required. Typically these questions:

-   Ask the interviewee to think and reflect

-   Will provide the questioner with opinions and feelings

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Open Ended Question Example**

  Describe two examples of interpreting results of your research for
  coastal management applications
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

![](media/image5.wmf){width="1.75in" height="1.0680555555555555in"}

**Closed Questions**

![](media/image7.wmf)Closed questions are typically those that can be
answered with one word. For example, \"Yes/No\" questions are closed
questions. These questions are useful for testing comprehension and when
long essay answers are not required. Typically these questions:

-   Provide facts

-   Are easy to answer

-   Can be answered quickly.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Closed Question Example**                                           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| What methods have you utilized in the past year to interpret the      |
| results of your research for coastal managers? (Check all that apply) |
|                                                                       |
| Workshops                                                             |
|                                                                       |
| Field demonstrations                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| Interpretive materials (signs, exhibits)                              |
|                                                                       |
| Posters at professional conferences                                   |
|                                                                       |
| Presentations at meetings                                             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

![](media/image8.wmf){width="1.875in" height="1.8493055555555555in"}

^1^Information from NOAA Coastal Services Center,
<http://www.csc.noaa.gov/needs/section_a-35.html>