Getting Perspectives from Community Members

Ways to Use this Worksheet

  • Use it to help the guide the process for gathering input from community members.
  • Use it in conjunction with Appendix II which discusses information gathering techniques which can be used to gather the perspectives of community members.

General Questions

  1. Which techniques will you use to gather input form the community?
  2. Should information gathered to create a statistical profile of the community be shared during the information gathering process with community members?

Focus Groups

  1. What groups should be targeted?
  2. In what locations and settings should the focus group meetings be held?
  3. How will you invite focus group participants (letters, telephone, personal contact)?
  4. What supports and incentives will you provide to encourage people to participate (i.e., child care, transportation, food, prizes)?
  5. Who will host the meetings?
  6. Who will facilitate and record the discussions?
  7. What questions will you ask?

Key Informant Interviews

  1. Which individuals should be targeted?
  2. Who will conduct the interviews?
  3. What questions will be asked?
  4. Has an interview script been created?
  5. What outreach efforts will be necessary to interview the "hard-to-reach" individuals?

Surveys

  1. What process should be used to randomly select individuals to complete the survey?
  2. How many community members should receive the survey?
  3. What questions should be asked?
  4. What introductory comments will you include in the survey which will tell respondents why they are being requested to complete the survey and what effect their responses will have?
  5. Who will be responsible/pay for the mail out or delivery?

Community Forums/Public Meetings

  1. In what location will the meeting be held?
  2. How will you publicize the meeting?
  3. What supports and incentives will you provide to encourage people to participate?
  4. Who will moderate the meeting?
  5. What will your agenda be and what questions will you ask?
  6. Who will record the comments?

One Last Question

  1. Are the questions to be used in the various methods of information gathering consistent?

Adapted from Samuels et al., 1995

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