Phase 6

Strategies for Facilitated Sessions

As suggested in the Methodology, enlisting a facilitator, or team of facilitators, to conduct the focus group interviews allows the sponsor to fill an extremely important role during each session. The primary responsibility of the sponsor is to listen during regional interviews. The key messages and perspectives offered by the local practitioners being interviewed feed directly into the content needed to write the statewide strategic plan. By partnering with a facilitation team, the sponsor can actively listen to the interview responses and leave time management and facilitation of the discussion in the hands of an objective facilitator. A successful facilitator will be careful to constantly develop an alliance and collaborative partnership with the focus group interviewees and the state sponsor.

SAFECOM believes that in order to fully understand the impact that the lack of interoperable communications has on the public safety community and absorb their recommendations on the best route forward, the sponsor must create a relationship with the local responder communities that is built through open and sincere dialogue. Outlined below are some considerations for what a state sponsor should think about when partnering with facilitators to deliver a highly successful focus group interview.

The description of a focus group interview can be delivered as an agenda as well as a day long session design. The agenda is typically prepared for the benefit of the interview attendees and describes the day’s events. A session design not only outlines the order of events, but also goes into detail about who is responsible for delivering each section of the day, the outcome(s) for each section, the process used to meet the outcomes, visual aids and tools available as a resource (roadmaps, gameboards, state maps etc.), and any materials needed (i.e. markers, tape, flip charts).

See the table below for a sample session design that organizes one element of the focus group interview.

Time	Agenda Item	Outcomes	Exercise/Approach	Owner	Visual Aids	Materials
9am	Welcome	Participants are oriented to the facility. Contents of welcome folders are made clear. Sponsor is introduced.	Large group/lecture format	Sponsor	Picture of focus group, interview process (dates, locations, outputs)	Markers, name tags, welcome folders

The information captured in the table above can be used by the facilitator to partner and communicate with the sponsor on his/her needs and expectations for delivering a focus group interview that is practitioner-centric.

No matter the size of the interview group, expectations should be set between the sponsor and the facilitation team regarding the team’s approach and philosophy on the design of the day and how responsibilities will be shared. Listed below are the main agenda items to consider during discussions with the facilitation team.

• Preparation

• Prepare the room. 
  • Note: Consideration should be made regarding tables and chairs (small round tables that seat 6-8 are more effective than theater style), coupled with a diverse mix of participants at each table.

• Welcome

• Orient participants to the facility
• Distribute folders and review contents.
• Review agenda.

• Opening the interview

• Review purpose and outcomes, modify, and agree.
• Check and document participant expectations.
• Clarify roles and responsibilities of facilitators, participants, and sponsor.

• Conducting the Interview

• Introduce interview model.

• Encourage participation.
• Manage behaviors.
• Ask for case examples and anecdotes.
• Focus discussions.
• Minimize interruptions.
• Surfacing core issues.
• Clearly explain the intent behind each question before beginning each new conversation.
• Capture and display output.
• Validate information captured with the group.
• Solicit feedback throughout the day (verbal and written).

• Closing the interview

• Summarize results and match against expectations.
• Review outstanding issues.
• Complete workshop on time or agree on more time with the group.
• Develop commitment to follow-through by associating action items with owners.
• Clearly explain next steps and how participants will be notified about future events/news associated with the planning process.

These considerations build heavily from SAFECOM’s ongoing efforts to promote experiences and practices that reflect inclusiveness and bring attention to making the most of a local practitioner’s experience during a statewide planning process. Facilitated events can be approached in a variety of ways; this reality strongly reinforces the need for the sponsor to enlist the support of a facilitation team that values collaborative and participatory techniques for working with groups.