Form 1 AUCD SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

OMB Control Number 0915-0335

Expiration Date XX/XX/201X

ATTACHMENT I:

AUCD SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

Public Burden Statement:  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.  The OMB control number for this project is 0915-0335. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to HRSA Reports Clearance Officer, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10‑29, Rockville, MD, Maryland, 20857.

SEMI–STRUCTURED INTERVIEW GUIDE

2013/2014 AUCD

The purpose of this interview is to obtain some descriptive data about AUCD’s activities and outcomes for the evaluation of MCHB’s Combating Autism Act Initiative. We’ll focus on four main topic areas: providing technical assistance to CAAI grantees, fostering collaboration among grantees and between grantees and other organizations, performing data collection and management activities, and disseminating resources. We will also ask a few questions about your experiences with LEND and DBP grantees for their own evaluations. We have already collected some quantitative and qualitative data on your program from other sources, such as your continuing application reports and your performance reporting. The information we collect today is intended to supplement the data we have already collected.

This evaluation covers activities and outcomes that have occurred since fall 2011. Also, unless otherwise indicated, please report on activities pertaining to both ASD and other DD.

Do you have any questions before we begin? Do you mind if I record our conversation for transcription purposes?

Technical Assistance

For this first set of questions, I’d like to talk about some of the ways in which you provide technical assistance to CAAI grantees.

• Please describe the kinds of technical assistance you provide to the LEND and DBP grantees in support of their activities under the CAAI. Probes:

  • What are some examples of technical assistance offered?

  • How was that assistance provided?

  • Was it broadly available to all grantees or targeted to single grantees?

  • What methods or formats do you use for providing technical assistance?

• How do you learn what types of TA the grantees would like or need?

• What are some specific ways in which the TA provided by AUCD contributed to the grantees’ success in meeting their program goals?

  • How has the TA you provided helped grantees meet CAAI-specific objectives?

• What specific challenges did grantees manage to address with the support of AUCD?

Collaboration

Next, I’d like to ask you some questions about the ways in which AUCD facilitates collaboration, both among LEND and DBP grantees as well as with other organizations and entities focused on children with ASD and other DD and their families.

First, let’s talk about collaboration among CAAI grantees.

• How does AUCD facilitate collaborations among LEND and DBP grantees?

Probes:

• Format of collaborations? In-person meetings? Electronic forums, such as webinars? Teleconferences? Other ways?

• Frequency of these collaborations?

• How many grantees participate in these activities?

• To what extent were these efforts successful in promoting collaboration?

• If not already answered: What activities did AUCD host with the intention of facilitating collaboration specifically among LEND grantees?

Probes:

• Format of collaborations? In-person meetings? Electronic forums, such as webinars? Teleconferences? Other ways?

• Frequency of these collaborations?

• How many grantees participate in these activities?

• To what extent were these efforts successful in promoting collaboration?

• Does AUCD ever facilitate collaboration among other CAAI grantees besides LEND and DBP?

Now let’s talk about collaboration with organizations beyond the CAAI grantees. These could be State Title V agencies, advocacy groups, governmental commissions on autism, professional associations, etc.

• Please describe how AUCD facilitates collaborations that involve these types of entities.

Probes:

• Format of collaborations? In-person meetings? Electronic forums, such as webinars? Teleconferences? Other ways?

• Frequency of these collaborations?

• How many grantees participate in these activities?

• To what extent were these efforts successful in promoting collaboration?

• Overall, to what extent did AUCD’s collaborative efforts influence grantees’ success in meeting their goals and the broader goals of the CAAI?

Data Collection and Management Activities

The next couple of questions pertain to AUCD’s contributions to MCHB’s performance measurement of grantees through data collection and management activities.

• What types of data has AUCD collected and managed for CAAI grantees?

• How has AUCD supported grantees in their data collection and reporting requirements?

Resource Production and Dissemination

The final set of questions relates to the production and dissemination of resources, including research findings and other information about ASD/DD.

• What types of materials and resources has AUCD developed as part of its CAAI activities?

  • How are these materials and resources disseminated?

  • What is the audience for these materials?

• Does AUCD disseminate materials and resources developed by other entities, such as grantees, families, and other stakeholders?

  • How are these materials and resources disseminated?

  • Who are the authors and audiences for these materials and resources?

LEND and DBP

We would also like your input for our evaluations of the LEND and DBP grant programs.

• What are some of the ways in which LEND grantees have been particularly successful in working towards the goals of the CAAI since 2011?

• What outstanding challenges remain? What would help the LENDs meet those challenges?

• What are some of the ways in which DBP grantees have been particularly successful in working towards the goals of the CAAI since 2011?

• What outstanding challenges remain? What would help the DBPs meet those challenges?

Wrap-Up

Is there anything else you’d like to share about AUCD and its contributions to the CAAI?

Thank you for your time. We greatly appreciate your assistance.

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