How to conduct a focus group

| February 5, 2018

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This week’s Spotlight is about radio broadcasters in the Democratic Republic of Congo who are preparing a special series of programs about child marriage. How did they know that child marriage was an important topic for the communities they serve? How will they ensure their programs are relevant to their listeners’ interests and needs?

One way to find out is to conduct a focus group. A focus group is simply a group of people, guided by a facilitator, talking freely about specific issues.

This week’s Resource is a Farm Radio International guide to conducting focus groups.

The guide includes tips on:

  • Preparing for the meeting. For example, it’s often best to conduct separate discussions with women and with men, as they may be available at different times and have different priorities.
  • How to phrase focus group questions with care in order to encourage participants to share useful information, and to avoid bias.
  • How to introduce yourself and conclude the discussion. A model script is included.
  • Additional best practices for facilitating a focus group discussion.

To read the complete guide on our Broadcaster Resources website, please see:
http://scripts.farmradio.fm/radio-resource-packs/package-95-researching-and-producing-farmer-focused-programs/how-to-conduct-a-focus-group/