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Re-Engagement Center

Partner Interview Protocol (for Individuals or Focus Group)

(IC# 2_ Burden 1.5 Hours per Respondent)

Assent Script

Thank you for taking time today to talk with us about [program name]. The U.S. Dept. of 

Education has asked us to develop a resource guide on re-engagement centers so that others who 

want to set up similar programs don’t have to reinvent the wheel. To learn as much as possible 

about how the centers work, we are interviewing staff, youth, and key partners of several centers 

across the country. The guide will be broadly disseminated and help build awareness about programs 

like [program name]. Do you have any questions about the purpose of the research?

In this interview, we are going to focus on how your organization works with [program name], the 

strategies you are using to re-engage disconnected young people, and the results of your work. It 

should take about an hour, does that work for you? Everything we discuss is confidential. We will 

tape-record the interview, but your name will not be included in the transcripts, and all the 

information will be kept in a secure location in our offices at Johns Hopkins. Please let me know if 

there’s any point at which you would like me to turn off the tape recorder. Are you willing to 

participate in the interview? [hand out written consent form if not already signed] We need your 

signature on this form to indicate that you understand the purpose of the research and that you are 

participating of your own free will. [collect form(s)]. Thank you, let’s get started.

Questions

Note: questions will be customized for each site based on prior information on partners

1. Tell me a little about yourself and your organization...

a. Probes: What is the purpose of your organization? What kind of work do you do? 

2. How long have you/your organization worked in partnership with [re-engagement center 

program name]?

3. How did you/your organization come to partner with [program name]?

a. Probe: volunteered, recruited?

4. What’s the nature of your partnership? How does it work?

a. Probe—type of partner: Do you provide a service to [program name] clients? What 

type of service--outreach/recruitment, intake, assessment, referral, direct service, 

case management, other? Do you serve as intermediary linking [program name] to 

others? Do you serve on the board? Are you a funder?

b. Probe—communications: How do you/your organization communicate with 

[program name]? By what means? How frequently? With whom? What about?

c. Probe—coordination: Is your work integrated with other academic or social service 

providers? How does that work? Is your work integrated with schools or school 

district programs? How does that work?
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d. Probe—funding: How is your partnership/work with [program name] funded?

5. Are there any formal documents (MOUs, contracts) that frame the terms of your 

partnership?

a. If no, should there be?

b. If yes, how were they drawn up? What do they address? Are they needed? Are they 

sufficient?

6. How do you/your organization benefit from your partnership with [program name]?

7. How does [program name] benefit from partnering with you/your organization?

8. Have there been challenges to your partnership? How have you addressed them?

9. How do you measure the impact of your work with [program name]?

10. What outcomes have you achieved in your work with [program name]?

11. Do you see any opportunities to have a greater impact? Are there any changes you would 

make to [program name], to your partnership, or additional partners you would like to see 

brought on to increase your collective impact on re-engaging youth?

12. What advice would you give to organizations looking to start up or partner with a program 

similar to [program name]?