UNIT 2 – Approaches and methodologies

Focus groups

Main characteristics of the method:

A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions,
opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards to issues of interest. It supports generation of ideas and encourages
group thinking. The focus group concentrates on improving existing ideas. Preliminary ideas/products/versions
of strategies etc. are usually presented as a starting point. Participants in focus group are encouraged not only
to express their own opinions, but also to interact with other members and the facilitator.

Examples of typical topics:

In the framework of skills anticipation focus groups are often used as qualitative methods:

• To validate results of e.g. a quantitative forecast

• To get better understanding and interpretation of data
• To get a feedback / validate results of studies prepared by other research methods
• To gather additional information / fill in information gaps or to clarify ambiguous results obtained
by other methods (e.g. through an establishment survey)
• To get a feedback on tools used to present the results of skills anticipation to the final users
• To share and develop ideas on policies and strategies

Examples of possible forms:

• The standard focus groups are more oriented on getting information by the researchers. The
participants are representatives of expert and technical staff involved in various aspects of skills
anticipation, users of skills anticipation products etc.
• Various meetings and workshops of stakeholders are organized which use some elements of the
focus groups. They are more oriented on bringing together people who should share
responsibilities for the skills anticipation system and share ideas among each other.

There is a scale of many possible forms between these two poles.

Pros and cons

Advantages
• Useful to improve and develop ideas
• Strong tools to validate preliminary versions of
results/ideas/tools/strategies
• Brings new ideas how to tackle a particular
problem
• Problems can be defined better as new questions
arise
• Help to reduce conflicts
Disadvantages
• The results obtained may be influenced by the
facilitator
• Sometimes ideas produced are unworkable
• Opinions can be biased (group thinking effect)
• Participants may be reluctant to share some
opinions in a group
• Criticism often appears and “kills” creative ideas
 Contextual and methodological concerns
If we think about conducting a focus group (or brainstorming session), it is necessary to put emphasis on:

1. Defining the purpose. Purpose of the focus group should be clear and specific in order to avoid
being too broad and general. The objectives of focus group are either validating or clarifying
findings or filling the information gaps.
2. Establishing a timeline. It is necessary to identify the participants, develop questions, locate a site,
gather materials for the session etc. It is all very time-consuming.
3. Identifying participants. This is not a task that could be developed overnight. Firstly, it should be
determined how many participants are needed (usually 6 – 12, it is better to keep the number of
participants low). Then choosing suitable participants and securing information and contacts also
need time. Participants may be all from one field or it could be a combination of different types of
stakeholders. Identifying participants should be carefully planned in order to create non-
threatening environment.
4. Generating the questions. The focus group may last from 1 to 2 hours; therefore it is necessary to
put emphasis on what is important and what qualify for the purpose of session. Questions should
be open-ended and move from the general to the specific. Sometimes it is appropriate to send
relevant materials or even distribute the questions to participants in advance, so they have time to
get familiar with the topic and all issues.
5. Selecting the facilitator. The facilitating person should be chosen wisely, because his role during
the session is essential. Facilitator should keep the discussion on the track and make sure every
participant is heard.

Session itself should be well organized; all equipment and materials should be prepared and time should not
be exceeded. After the focus group, meeting should be summarized, these summaries should be analysed
and final report should be created. Careful and systematic analyses of the discussions provide information on
how the discussed issue is perceived by the group or alternatively what could be done better or improved.
Focus group is very similar to brainstorming, so even the advantages and disadvantages of these methods are
analogous.

Sources:
Kriechel, B., Wilson, R.A., Bakule, M., Czesana, V., Havlickova, V., Rasovec, T. (2014). Guide to skills
anticipation and matching – volume 2: Developing skills foresights, scenarios and forecasts. Luxembourg:
Publications Office. Jointly published by Cedefop, ETF and ILO.