Visitor Services Project (VSP) of Interpretive Signage at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site (Survey and Focus Groups)

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

PARK PARTNER and STAKEHOLDER

FOCUS GROUP SCRIPT AND

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Introduction:

Good (Morning/Afternoon), my name is [MODERATOR], I work for the Park Studies Unit at the University of Idaho. We’re conducting research sponsored by the National Park Service. This focus group will take a maximum of 90 minutes to complete.

The purpose of this research is to understand the visitor experience at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, and how it can be improved. You have been invited to this discussion because your organization interacts with the National Park Service, and because visitors to Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site to may also be visitors to your sites.

This discussion group has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget and is in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Office of Management and Budget Control Number and expiration date associated with this collection are available at your request.

Before we begin I would like to tell you that your responses will be anonymous and will not be used for any commercial purposes. There will be no way to connect individual responses will any of the participants in the room. I would also like to inform you that we are audio recording this session, but the recording will not be shared with anyone and will only be used to create a summary of our discussion.

During the session, I am going to ask you to please take turns when speaking, that you try not speak at the same time, and that you do not interrupt when others are talking. If you have something to share while someone else is speaking, please raise your hand and I will make time for you to share when that person finishes. I want you to know that there are no right or wrong answers. What we want to know are your opinions and feelings.

You do not have to use your full names during this discussion. We can refer to one another by using our first names. Let’s begin the session by going around the table and introducing ourselves. As we go around the table, please:

• Introduce yourselves by stating your first name.

• Please tell us what organization you are representing today and how long you have been with your organization.

Let’s go around the table one by one, starting to my right....

For the purposes of this review and submission the justifications for each question or section of questions is highlighted in a shaded text box above each question. These text boxes will not be printed on the final version of the surveys. The Topic Areas noted are consistent with the currently approved pool questions for the NPS Programmatic Review Process (1024-0224 – Current Expiration Date: 8-31-2014). The questions that are slight variations are denoted as such. Any questions that are outside the general scope of the programmatic review process have been carefully discussed and generally approved by the NPS Information Collection Review Coordinator with understanding that that those questions will require further review and consideration by OMB before full determination and approval can be granted.

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

PARTNER FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS

Topic Area 3 – TRIPC36

1. First, we’d like your opinions concerning the visitor experience at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site (NHS).

a) In your opinion, do visitors face any potential safety concerns during their visit to the site? [Moderator will list example issues] If yes, please describe them.

b) [for each safety issue listed above] In your opinion, what could be done to improve visitor safety?

Topic Area 6 – EVALSERV6 (variation)

2. We’re interested in your opinions on the directional signs that help visitors find Martin Luther King Jr. NHS, and the directional signs within the Martin Luther King Jr. NHS.

a) Are you aware of any problems that visitors have as they navigate from the city (Atlanta) towards the historic site? If so, please describe the problems.

b) What could be done to make it easier for visitors to find the site?

c) Are you aware of any problems visitors may have finding their way within the site?

If so, please describe the problems.

d) What could be done to make it easier for visitors to find their way within the site?

Topic Area 6 – EVALSERV24 (variation)

3. We are interested in your opinions about the educational signs within the Birth Home Block (the six-block area around the historic site). These signs are placed in front of historic structures to provide visitors with historical information.

a) In your opinion, are there any issues regarding the educational signs?

b) In your opinion, what could be done to improve the educational signs?

Topic Area 6 - EVALTRAN

4. One of the many stops along the Atlanta Streetcar Project route includes Martin Luther King Jr. NHS. In your opinion, what impacts do you feel the Streetcar Project might have on Martin Luther King Jr. NHS?

Topic Area 6 – OPMGMT2 (variation)

5. In your opinion, how can the organizations represented here today help the National Park Service to improve the visitor’s experience at Martin Luther King Jr. NHS?

Topic Area 6 – OPMGMT2

6. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about Martin Luther King Jr. NHS and the visitor experience?

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