Stakeholder Interviews for Break the Chain Retailer Education Campaign

Appendix C: Small Group Stakeholder Discussion Agenda and Guide

Introduction:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA's) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) is responsible
for reducing tobacco initiation and use among youth in the United States. Because of their role in
the marketing and sale of tobacco products, tobacco retailers are a critical stakeholder in these
efforts. FDA is committed to the continued outreach and engagement of retailers as key active
partners through the development and implementation of targeted communications strategies,
such as Break the Chain of Addiction.
Decision Partners is supporting CTP in the development and delivery of effective
communication and education strategies for its retailer education campaign by conducting
formative research to gain an in-depth understanding of retailers' knowledge, decision-making
and communications needs regarding their role in compliance with FDA regulations and limiting
youth tobacco access. This research project involves a thorough review of the available
literature, interviews with experts such as yourself, and interviews with individual retailers. We
are trying to understand what is involved tobacco retailer decision-making and to learn their
priorities, perceptions and communications needs so FDA can develop, design, and evaluate
communications that address retailers' needs.
Stakeholder Roundtable Webinar Purpose:
The purpose of this roundtable webinar is to: a) provide the Project Team an opportunity to share
key project learnings to date and b) to learn directly from key stakeholders about important
issues related to tobacco retailers’ decision making regarding protecting youth from tobacco.
Your expertise will help us develop a framework for understanding decision-making in the retail
environment and how this influences compliance with tobacco regulations. The information
collected during our conversation today will also help inform current and future FDA education
activities around retailer education.
Webinar Objective:
The objectives of this webinar are to:
•

Provide a brief overview of the project and the research methodology to participants.

•

Share key learnings from the literature review and expert interviews conducted to date
with participants.

•

Present the draft Expert Model.

•

Gain participants' insight into the Expert Model (and the key topics it covers), which will
support final refinement and validation of the Expert Model.

•

Discuss the in-depth retailer mental models research plan (Task 4 of this project) and
identify potential opportunities for collaboration with local stakeholders on sample
development and recruitment in each case study research location.

Workshop Agenda (Sample times only)
Time

Topic

Party Responsible

1:00 pm
Welcome and Introduction
•
•
•
•

Welcome
Project Overview
Roundtable Introductions
Overview of the Agenda

FDA
Decision Partners

1:10

Present Key Learnings and Draft Expert Model

Decision Partners

1:30

Facilitate discussion with participants on Expert Model
(See Facilitators' Guide below):
• Participants' comments on the Expert Model.
• Participants' insight into key nodes of the Expert Model.
• Key data gaps remaining.
• Opportunities for communications and engagement with
tobacco retailers and other key stakeholders.

Decision Partners

2:30

Facilitate discussion on empirical mental models research
with tobacco retailers:
• Provide an overview of the research plan
• Discuss potential opportunities for participants to provide
support with sample development and/or participant
recruitment.

Decision Partners

2:50

Wrap up and Close
• Provide contact information of Project Team.

FDA

Discussion Guide
{Note: Question wording and order is subject to change in the course of the interview. Follow up questions will be asked by the Interviewer in order to probe deeper into the Interviewee's
responses to each question.
1. Overview of Base Expert Model:
a. Are there any questions on the draft Expert Model?
b. Are the key variables and their relationships accurate?
c. Is there anything missing from the model?
2. Detailed discussion on key variables in the Expert Model:
Key topics may include:
a. FDA's regulatory requirements, inspection and enforcement (including coordination
with its partners at the State and local levels).
b. Tobacco retail store policies, education, communications and training.

c.
d.
e.
f.

Salespersons' perceptions and beliefs re: youth access to tobacco.
Social and situational factors that may contribute to retailer sales to youth.
Community stakeholders' role in limiting youth access to tobacco.
The role of FDA (and others') in retailer-focused education and communications.

Key questions for each topic:
ƒ To what degree do the key learnings presented align with your expertise and
experiences?
ƒ Is there new insight that we can add? Do you have evidence to support this?
ƒ Is there anything missing?
3. Discuss how the Expert Model may be used to identify and evaluate retailer education and
communications opportunities.
a. For example, opportunities to increase other key stakeholders' understanding of their
role in protecting youth from tobacco.
4. With regard to FDA's retailer-focused education and communications efforts, what would
be the key elements of a successful retailer education campaign?
a. What key lesson can we learn from current or past retailer education campaigns?
b. What key metrics should be used to evaluate the effectiveness of FDA's current
and future retailer education and communications efforts?
5. What are the opportunities for FDA to engage stakeholders like you as partners in
protecting youth from tobacco?
a. What value would this have?
b. How might FDA achieve that?