Form 2 FG survey

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Expires XX/XX/20XX

ATTACHMENT D: FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR’S GUIDE

NHVREI Evaluation

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response. This time includes the length of time allotted for the survey questions. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: NIH, Project Clearance Branch, 6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7974, Bethesda, MD 20892-7974, ATTN; PRA (0925-0585). Do not return the completed form to this address.

Focus Groups with Local and National Program Partners and NHVREI Network Organizations

Hello, my name is <INSERT NAME>, and I am conducting this telephone focus group on behalf of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Thank you for taking the time to participate today. Today we will be talking about your thoughts on NIAID’s HIV Vaccine Research Education Initiative (NHVREI^*). Specifically we will discuss your involvement as a participant in the NHVREI Local Partnership Program/National Partnership Program/Network^ organized by AED. I am going to take a minute to review some details about the call.

• Your participation in this focus group is completely voluntary. You can stop your participation at any time during the discussion. If you choose not to participate or stop your participation, it will not affect your relationship with your organization, NIAID, or AED now or in the future.

• You may skip any question that you prefer not to answer.

• Your name and opinions will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. Reports based on focus group data will involve information combined across all respondents without identifying any specific organization or individual.

• The focus group will be audio taped and researchers may listen in on this call.

• The focus group will only be used for research.

This focus group should take approximately one hour. Please remember that there is no right or wrong answers and that it is important to hear everyone’s opinion, so please give everyone in the group a chance to talk. Do you have any questions before we start?

Once I ask a question, please feel free to jump in with your response. Since we are doing this via telephone, the first few times you speak please announce your first name and city. For example, “This is John from Philadelphia…” After I’ve heard comments from one person, I’ll ask for others to provide their opinions. I will not ask each person to respond to every question, but if you feel like you want to add to the discussion, feel free to speak up.

[WHERE APPROPRIATE]:

[Test consensus statement regarding what was discussed. Was there any consistency of organizational experience? Or did the experience range considerably according to the location and target populations involved?]

Comparison of Focus Groups Questions for LPPs and NPPs

 = same question asked

LPP	NPP
Background I’d like to start our discussion today by finding out a little more about your organization. First I’m going to read through the list of who is supposed to be on the call. When I call your name, say here and then please tell everyone a little about your organization and the work that you do. Briefly describe: Your organization’s primary mission The services and activities related to HIV vaccine research that your organization conducts; and The main population(s) that your organization serves.	Background I’d like to start our discussion today by finding out a little more about your organization. First I’m going to read through the list of who is supposed to be on the call. When I call your name, say here and then please tell everyone a little about your organization and the work that you do. Briefly describe: Your organization’s primary mission The activities related to HIV vaccine research that your organization conducts; and Who is your target audience? (probe: your community constituents)
Educational Efforts & Materials
We are going to discuss your involvement in the Local Partnership Program, the activities you worked on as a program grantee and your overall feedback on the program. How was your experience implementing educational activities to raise awareness and knowledge about HIV vaccine research in your communities? Probes: What problems/challenges did you encounter when educating your communities on HIV vaccine research? How were these resolved? Did you have to make changes to your original plans? Why were changes made? What strategies did you find to be most effective for educating communities on HIV vaccine research? What would you do differently? What have you learned? What has been your greatest educational success?	We are going to discuss your involvement in the National Partnership Program, the activities you worked on as a program grantee and your overall feedback on the program. How was your experience implementing educational activities to raise awareness and knowledge about HIV vaccine research among your constituents/targeted audience? Probes: How was your experience engaging opinion/community leaders in a dialogue supporting HIV vaccine research? How many opinion/community leaders did you reach? Were there similar characteristics of leaders willing to participate /not participate in the dialogue? What were these characteristics? What problems/challenges did you encounter when educating your constituents on HIV vaccine research? How were these resolved? Did you have to make changes to your original plans? Why were changes made? What strategies did you find to be most effective for educating your audience on HIV vaccine research? What strategies were most effective for engaging leaders? What would you do differently? What have you learned? What has been your greatest educational success?
How was your experience educating your own organization staff about HIV vaccine research? Probes: What problems/challenges did you encounter? How were these resolved?	How was your experience implementing educational activities designed to raise awareness and knowledge about HIV vaccine research among your organization’s leadership (senior and middle managers), board members, advisory members & spokespersons. Probes: What problems/challenges did you encounter? How were these resolved?
Materials
How did you utilize educational materials to educate your constituents about HIV vaccine research? Probes: What materials did you use? Did you use NHVREI/ BTG materials? Did you use other educational materials? Were materials provided by NHVREI adequate for your needs? Did your organization create new materials with HIV vaccine research information? If yes, what was the main difference between the other materials and the NHVREI materials? Which educational material has been most useful?	How did you utilize educational materials to educate the public, your constituencies, and your partners about HIV vaccine research? Probes: What materials did you use? Did you use NHVREI/BTG materials? Did you use other educational materials? Were materials provided by NHVREI adequate for your needs? Did your organization create new materials with HIV vaccine research information? If yes, what was the main difference between the other materials and the NHVREI materials? Which educational material has been most useful?
What educational messages were used by your organization to inform others about HIV vaccine research? Probes: Did your organization create new messages? If yes, what information was missing in the NHVREI messages and was covered in the new messages?	
What is your experience with integrating HIV vaccine research information into your organization’s existing educational materials? Has it been difficult to do, and why or why not?	
Please describe the assistance you received from AED/GYMR when implementing your educational activities, using existing or new HIV vaccine research materials, and conducting media outreach? Probe: Did you request additional help from them beyond the trainings and materials provided? Was it enough? Would you have liked it to be more or different? How?	
Community Partnerships and the Involvement of Key Leaders and HVTU
Community Partnerships
We’d like to hear about your experience partnering with other community agencies. How has your organization worked in partnership with other community agencies to educate the community about HIV vaccine research? Probes: Did you develop new relationships for this project, or did they exist previously? What types of activities did you work with these partners on? What problems/challenges did you encounter when partnering with other community agencies? How were these resolved? Did you have to make changes to your original plans? Why were changes made? What were the benefits of partnering with other community agencies? What would you do differently? What have you learned?	We’d like to hear about your experience partnering with other agencies in your work concerning HIV vaccine research. Has your organization worked in partnership with other agencies to educate the community about HIV vaccine research? Probes: Did you develop new relationships for this project, or did they exist previously? What types of activities did you work with these partners on? What problems/challenges did you encounter when partnering with other agencies? How were these resolved? Did you have to make changes to your original plans? Why were changes made? What were the benefits of partnering with other agencies? What would you do differently? What have you learned?
Involvement of Key Leaders
How was your experience engaging other key influencers to foster support for HIV vaccine research? Probes: To what degree was it successful? How has your organization engaged them to support HIV vaccine research? Who were these key influencers (e.g., positions, organizations they represent) you worked with? What were the benefits of engaging key influencers for NHVREI activities? What problems/challenges did you encounter when engaging key influencers? How were these resolved? Were there any key influencers whom you tried to work with and refused? What would you do differently? What have you learned? Who has been your greatest ally or supporter for HIV vaccine research?	How was your experience engaging other key influencers to foster support for HIV vaccine research? Probes: How has your organization engaged them to support HIV vaccine research? Who were these key influencers (e.g., positions, organizations they represent) you worked with? What was the benefit of engaging key influencers? What problems/challenges did you encounter when engaging key influencers? How were these resolved? Were there any key influencers whom you tried to work with and refused? What would you do differently? What have you learned? Who has been your greatest ally or supporter for HIV vaccine research?
NPP	LPP
We’d like to hear about your experience with the NHVREI National Partners on HIV vaccine research education. Have you collaborated with the National Partners on HIV vaccine research educational activities? How was the experience? If you haven’t worked with a National Partner, was there anything in particular that prevented you from doing so? Probes: What kind of activities did you work together on? What problems/challenges did you encounter when working with a National Partner? How were these resolved? Were you made aware of opportunities to work with National Partners? Was there any National Partner that you tried to work with and was challenging? What would you do differently? What have you learned?	We’d like to hear about your experience with the NHVREI Local Partners on HIV vaccine research education. Have you collaborated with the Local Partners on HIV vaccine research educational activities? How was the experience? If you haven’t worked with a Local Partner, was there anything in particular that prevented you from doing so? Probes: What kind of activities did you work together on? What problems/challenges did you encounter when working with a Local Partner? How were these resolved? Were you made aware of opportunities to work with Local Partners? Was there any Local Partner that you tried to work with and was challenging? What would you do differently? What have you learned?
Information on local HVTU
Have you collaborated with the HVTN, CTU/HVTU/CRS, NIAID, or AVAC in the past year? If so, describe the nature of the collaboration. If you haven’t worked with any of these groups, what prevented you from doing so? Probes: What kind of activities did you work together on? What helped in working with these groups? What problems/challenges did you encounter when working with the local HVTU? How were these resolved? Did you have to make changes to your original plans? Why were changes made? What would you do differently? What have you learned?	11. Have you collaborated with the HVTN, CTU/HVTU/CRS, NIAID, or AVAC in the past year? If so, describe the nature of the collaboration If you haven’t worked with the any of these groups, was there anything specific that prevented you from doing so? Probes: What kind of activities did you work together on? What helped in working with these groups? What problems/challenges did you encounter when working with the HVTN? How were these resolved? Did you have to make changes to your original plans? Why were changes made? What would you do differently? What have you learned?
What assistance did you receive from AED when partnering with other community agencies, other key influencers, NPP, and local HVTU to raise awareness about HIV vaccine research? Probe: Was it enough for some, but not all? Would you have liked it to be more or different? How? For which activities? Did you ask for additional assistance?	Not asked for this group
Media Outreach and Capacity Building
We’d like to hear about media activities conducted by your organization about HIV vaccine research. What types of media outreach activities has your organization conducted to raise awareness about and promote HIV vaccine research in the community? Probes: Were media activities local or national? What problems/challenges did you encounter with media activities to raise HIV vaccine research awareness? How were these resolved? Did the outreach effort unfold as planned? Why were changes made? What would you do differently? What have you learned? Which media materials have been most useful? What is your greatest media success/accomplishment? What is your greatest challenge?	We’d like to hear about media activities conducted by your organization about HIV vaccine research. 12. How was your experience with media outreach to improve public awareness of and support for HIV vaccine research? Probes: Were media activities local or national? What problems/challenges did you encounter with media activities to raise HIV vaccine research awareness? How were these resolved? Did the outreach effort unfold as planned? Why were changes made? What would you do differently? What have you learned? Which media materials have been most useful? What is your greatest media success/accomplishment? What is your greatest challenge?
Outcomes
How has your involvement in NHVREI activities influenced you? Probes:   Has your involvement in NHVREI impacted your awareness and knowledge about HIV vaccine research issues? If so, in what way? Have your attitudes about HIV vaccine research changed since you started working on NHVREI? If so how?	13. 
Have you noticed any changes in attitudes about HIV vaccine research among staff not directly involved with NHVREI in your organization since NHVREI activities began? Probes: Has your agency demonstrated an increased interest in activities to support HIV vaccine research since participating in NHVREI (e.g., sought additional funding)? Have other staff inquired with you about or requested information on HIV vaccine research?	14. 
AED/GYMR Support
What was the nature of the TA received from AED/GYMR for media outreach activities? Probe: Was it enough? Would you have liked it to be more or different? How? What was most helpful? Did you initiate communication or did AED/GYMR contact you or our agency? How would you describe the overall support you have received from AED/GYMR? Probes: What kind of support was provided to your organization? Technical assistance, knowledge transfer, training, financial enhancement? Can you provide some examples? What types of assistance was most helpful in meeting your objectives?	15. 
Do you have any other feedback on NHVREI or the LPP/NPP program?	16. 

NHVREI Network

Background

I’d like to start our discussion today by finding out a little more about your organization.

1. First I’m going to read through the list of who is supposed to be on the call. When I call your name, say here and then please tell everyone a little about your organization and the work that you do. Briefly describe:

1. Your organization’s primary mission

2. Main services and activities that your organization provides; and

3. The main population(s) that your organization serves

NHVREI Network

2. Why did you join the NHVREI network? What were your expectations?

Probes:

What do you do as part of the NHVREI network?

Has being part of the NHVREI network met your expectations regarding HIV vaccine research education? Why, why not?

Educational activities and Materials

3. Has your participation in the NHVREI network impacted activities in your organization related to HIV vaccine research? If so, how?

4. Prior to joining the NHVREI Network, was HIV vaccine research information part of your organization’s existing educational materials? How? Why or why not?

Probe:

Since joining the Network, have you incorporated information about HIV vaccine research into your materials? Have you updated information about HIV vaccine research in your materials?

Working with other agencies

5. Did you have an opportunity to develop new relationships for this project, or did they exist previously?

Probes:

What types of activities did you work with partners on?

What were the benefits of partnering with other community agencies?

Involvement of Key Leaders

6. Did you engage other key influencers to foster support for HIV vaccine research?

Probes:

How was your experience engaging other opinion/community leaders to foster support for HIV vaccine research?

What were the benefits of engaging leaders?

Media activities

We’d like to hear about media activities conducted by your organization about HIV vaccine research.

7. Did your organization implement media activities to raise awareness about and promote HIV vaccine research in the community?

Probes:

How was the experience?

Were media activities local or national?

NHVREI Network, AED/GYMR Support

8. Has the NHVREI network helped your organization incorporate HIV vaccine research education into your activities? How?

Probes:

What kind of support was provided to your organization? Technical assistance, knowledge transfer, training, financial enhancement? Can you provide some examples?

9. What kind of support was provided by AED/GYMR?

10. Do you have any other feedback on the NHVREI network program?

-- THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION --

* pronounced “niv’ – ree”

 select one, depending on relationship of partner to NHVREI

NOVA Research Company, 5/4/09 Page 10 of 10