The moderator is assisted by a recorder who takes notes of comments and supervises the electronic recording of the discussion such as on a cassette recorder. In some circumstances sessions are videoed. The purpose of focus group evaluation is to identify any gaps in message comprehension or the communication delivery and what can be done to bridge those gaps. This can happen at four different levels of evaluation. At this level focus groups can help obtain information about the context of the audience, their beliefs and values and so on.
Focus groups can generate ideas and test concepts, programs, messages or products.
After a focus group of radio listeners evaluated a health radio program in Pakistan, communication planners realised the topic would be relevant to only a small part of the country. That information influenced their scheduling plan. Focus groups are mostly employed in formative evaluation, especially pre-testing messages, but they are also useful in the following evaluation levels. Focus groups can assess the efficiency and quality of administrative components and procedures in a communication project. Use focus groups here to evaluate what is or is not working, why and what needs to be done to improve.