The public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated to be 2 hours. You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed.
OMB Number: (XXXX-XXXX)
Expiration Date:
[DISCUSS THE PURPOSE OF OUR PROJECT/CONTRACT BASED ON THE DESCRIPTION IN THE CONSENT FORM. THEN READ THE FOLLOWING OUT LOUD TO THE INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS BEFORE STARTING.]
Before we begin, I want you to know that the information you share in this interview will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. We will not include your name in our notes or reporting, and our notes and recordings will not be shared outside of our Urban Institute research team. When we report our findings, we will combine information from everyone we talk to and present it in a way that individual answers cannot be easily identified. Every effort will be made by the research team to preserve your privacy by not using your name or any other identifying information that can be linked to a specific comment in our report.
We want to be sure that you freely consent to participate in this interview and that you are aware that you are not obligated to answer any questions you do not wish to. Do you consent to participate in the interview?
(If the contract monitor is in the room, have them read this) My name is _________, and I am with the Office of Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development national office, the agency that funds [GRANTEE NAME] to provide the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator program and that is funding this program evaluation. If you agree, I would like your permission to observe how the Urban Institute conducts this interview to ensure the quality of their research process. I would like you to know that I am only here to monitor the research, and perform no role in the collection or analysis of the data you provide to them. I will not use any of your personal information or discuss any of the experiences you describe during this interview for any other purpose. Your responses will remain private to the extent permitted by law and will not be reported to anyone. Do you consent to my staying in the room to observe this interview?
(If there is more than one participant in the interview): However, because there is more than one participant in this interview we cannot ensure that what is shared during this conversation not be shared with outside stakeholders. We encourage participants not to share what other respondents say in respect of their privacy.
[IF THE INTERVIEWEE RESPONDS YES, NOTE THE TIME. IF NO, THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME AND ALLOW THEM TO LEAVE.]
[THE INTERVIEWER SHOULD CONTINUE BY READING THE FOLLOWING]
With your permission, we would also like to record our interview for note-taking purposes. Only our research team will have access to the recording and we will erase all recordings after our research is finished. Do you consent to have the interview recorded?
[IF YES, BEGIN RECORDING].
Before we begin, do you have any questions for us about the interview?
First, we would like to ask you about yourself, and your professional experience. Then we would like to ask you about the ROSS program and your role as a ROSS Service Coordinator.
How did you come to this job?
How long have you been here?
How do you like it?
What did you do before this job?
What training/certification/education/experience did you have prior to starting this job?
What training have you received while you were working in this job?
Now, we would like to ask you about the ROSS program and your role as a ROSS Service Coordinator.
How would you describe the ROSS program in your own words?
What does your typical day look like from beginning to end?
How much time did you spend in the last month:
With residents
With work colleagues [IF NEEDED, CLARIFY BETWEEN SAME PROGRAM STAFF/DIFFERENT PROGRAM/SUPERVISOR]
With service partners
On administration [IF NEEDED, CLARIFY PAPERWORK, REPORTING & DATA ENTRY, ETC]
How much of this is for [INSERT GRANTEE NAME] vs. HUD?
Do you ever find you have to enter the same data in multiple places?
Can you explain where and in what context?
What do you like most about your work?
What do you like least about your work?
[FACILITATOR READS]: We would like to hear more about the activities you perform during an average week.
What is a considered a full caseload for you in terms of the number of residents you work with?
How many residents are you expected to see on a weekly basis?
How many of them would you say you work with on a regular basis (at least monthly) or are considered “active”?
What do you do to reach out to residents and get to know them?
How do you make yourself available to help them?
One-on-one meetings [IF NEEDED, PROBE IF THESE ARE SCHEDULED VS. WALK-INS]
Events
Other
What outreach methods do you find to be most effective?
Are there any particular events or communications strategies that have been more effective than others to increase resident participation?
What kinds of conversations do you have with families?
For elderly/people with disabilities? [AS APPROPRIATE]
What are some of your residents’ greatest needs?
Are any residents reluctant to or unwilling to participate?
Why do you think that is?
Do you have residents complete an Individual Training Service Plan (ITSP) – or a plan that defines their final and interim goals, the steps they need to reach those goals, and barriers they may face?
At what point do you encourage a resident to complete such a plan?
How many people have an active plan right now? Are the ROSS participants similar or different from participants in other programs or services that you offer?
If yes, how? [PROMPT: BY TYPE OF NEEDS, INTERESTS, DEMOGRAPHICS, OTHER CHARACTERISTICS]
Do you refer residents to services/agencies/ resources outside of your agency?
If yes, can you provide a few examples?
How do you know about these various resources?
Are these resources available on or off-site?
If off site, how do residents access them?
Do you meet with or speak to representatives within these agencies/organizations regularly?
Do you strategize with them about how to meet your residents’ needs?
Give them feedback on your residents’ experiences with their services?
Are there referral services that are necessary, but not available or don’t have the capacity to meet all of your residents’ needs?
Which resources for residents do you wish you could improve or expand?
Which referral services do you feel best enhance residents’ self-sufficiency?
How do you track progress and follow up with residents?
How often do you follow up with each resident?
Do you wait for them to reach out to you?
Do you schedule regular appointments/check-ins to follow up/update Individual Service Plans [INTERVIEWER SHOULD RELPLACE WITH THE NAME THEY USE AT THE SITE] with participants?
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
What has been your greatest accomplishment?
What would help you most in your work supporting ROSS participants?
Training
[IF YES] can you specify what type of training?
Did you find it helpful?
Compensation
Activities
Services/Partners
Coordination with other programs/grantee resources
Technical Assistance or help from HUD Did the help come from HUD HQ?
The local Field Office?
What type of help did they offer?
[IF NEEDED, PROMPT WITH EXAMPLES: DATA COLLECTION; OUTREACH TO PARTNERS; ENGAGING RESIDENTS]
Do you have any other recommendations you have that would make the ROSS program stronger?
[INTERVIEWER SHOULD TAKE THIS TIME TO NOTE IN WRITING ANY RELEVANT INFORMAL OBSERVATIONS]
How long have you had a ROSS-SC program running at this location?
Do you have multiple ROSS awards serving different public housing sites?
[IF SO SPECIFY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO ANSWER FOR ALL ACTIVE SITES]
[INTERVIEWER READS] We’d like to ask you some questions now about the ROSS-SC Program Structure and Processes
How many residents would you estimate are served at the ROSS-SC sites currently?
In the past year?
According to our data, the budget for the ROSS-SC program at this site is $NUMBER. Is this about right?
The data also show that you have had about $NUMBER of this amount dispersed. Does this seem about right?
Do you expect to use the full amount prior to the expiration in DATE?
Why or why not?
How does ROSS-SC program and staff fit into your overall organizational structure?
How is the SC’s work managed? To whom does s/he report?
How is the work divided between multiple SCs?
Does the ROSS-SC staff work coordinate with other programs you may be running?
What other self-sufficiency or service-related programs do you run?
Do they take steps to avoid duplication of program activities or participants served? If so, what kind of steps do they take?
Do you use the ROSS program to leverage funding or resources from within your agency? From external funders or agencies?
Do you expect to continue applying to be a ROSS site in the future?
If not, why?
[PROBE: RAD, OTHER LOSS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, STRATEGIC PLAN CHANGES, OTHER]
Do you run any other self-sufficiency focused programs?
[IF NEEDED, PROMPT]:
Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program?
Are there any interactions or overlaps between the ROSS and FSS or other self-sufficiency programs?
[INTERVIEWER READS] Now we’d like to turn the conversation to talk a bit about the characteristics and activities of your Service Coordinator/s
What are the qualifications (education, experience) for the Service Coordinator position and the Service Coordinator Manager position?
How are they compensated?
What type of training and technical assistance do you provide to your service coordinators?
Do your service coordinators receive any training from other sources, such as the Office of Field Operations, or the HUD Field Office staff?
How frequently do service coordinators turn over?
What activities do the service coordinators conduct as part of the services they provide to residents?
How do coordinators conduct outreach to residents?
Are the ROSS participants similar or different from participants in other programs or services that you offer?
If yes, how? [PROMPT: BY TYPE OF NEEDS, INTERESTS, DEMOGRAPHICS, OTHER CHARACTERISTICS]
What types of partners do you interact with?
What types of services do these partners provide?
Who maintains the relationships with these various partners or referral agencies?
Is someone charged with maintaining regular communication with these partners/agencies?
Does someone strategize with them about how to meet your residents’ needs?
Give them feedback on your residents’ experiences with their services?
Who runs the partner organizations?
State/local governments?
Non-profits?
Charities?
Which resources do you wish you could improve or expand for residents?
[THESE QUESITONS MAY EITHER BE SAVED OR REPEATED
FOR THE INTERVIEW WITH THE DATA MANAGER]
We would like to ask
you some questions about the data that you submitted both in your
proposed logic model as well as the reporting data submitted to HUD.
These questions are only so that HUD can better understand how
grantees are interpreting the data fields and to improve their
process moving forward. We are not evaluating your performance
specifically.
How do you, as a ROSS-SC grantee compile and track their data throughout the year?
Do they use a case management system?
What documentation do you keep on the program and its participants and for how long?
Who set the goals you use in the ROSS-SC Logic Model during the application phase?
What role does the SC play in determining the goals on the logic model?
Who completes the Logic Model during grant implementation?
Did the FY14 mandatory metrics affect the services you provide, the partners you work with, or your program’s overall design or mission? How?
How do you count the number of residents “served” by the service coordinator reflected in the logic model?
[PROMPT] Do you count individual sessions with residents?
The number of individuals served?
Number of referrals or programs each individual is involved in? [DISPLAY A COPY OF THE LOGIC MODEL FOR CLARIFICATION]
The logic model provides a space for projected and for recorded numbers. How do you determine the values for the projected numbers?
When filling out the form, are the projected numbers always referring to next year’s goals, or are they goals you set for yourselves for the current reporting period?
In looking at the data we received from HUD, we see that there are larger discrepancies between your projected and recorded numbers, such as in the Seniors/Disabled-Service Coordination-Referrals for senior/disability services sections [DISPLAY A COPY OF THE DATA REPORTED FOR CLARIFICATION]. Do these numbers look right to you?
What are some of the reasons for this discrepancy?
Why are the projections the same for each senior category, but the recorded numbers vary?
22. How do you understand the difference between services/activities and outcomes?
Both categories seem to have a projected and recorded option. Can you explain how you view the difference between these two areas?
Why do the numbers vary between these two areas of reporting, for both the projected and recorded values?
[INTERVIEWER READS] Finally, we have a few questions we would like to ask related to our Outcome Evaluation
How successful do you think your program is?
What indicates success to you?
What do you think contributes most to program success?
Capacity of SET
Capabilities of service coordinators
Characteristics of program participants
Availability of services/partners
Additional factors
What are the biggest challenges to the program’s success?
Costs
Staffing
Resident participation rates
Case loads
Service/Partner availability
Reporting metrics – appropriate way to measure outcomes?
Etc.
[INTERVIEWER SHOULD TAKE THIS TIME TO NOTE IN WRITING ANY RELEVANT INFORMAL OBSERVATIONS]
What types of services does your organization provide?
What are your organization’s strengths?
What do you think contributes most to program success for your clients/participants?
What indicates success to you?
How long have you been working with [GRANTEE]?
Do you know that [GRANTEE] is receiving a ROSS Service Coordinator grant?
What do you know about the ROSS-SC program?
How long have you been working specifically with the ROSS Service Coordinator program run by [GRANTEE]?
What governs your partnership with them?
A Formal partnership, such as a subcontract, or a Memorandum of Understanding?
An Informal relationship or referrals?
A Local Partnership Council?
How do you serve clients referred to you from [GRANTEE]?
What kinds of supports do you provide those clients?
Do you have regular communication with the Service Coordinators (include names of SC’s, if known)? General communication or about specific clients?
How do you track and report on participant progress?
To whom do you report?
How do you keep participants engaged?
What are the major obstacles?
What are your biggest challenges to meeting their need for services?
Funding
Need
Coordination
What could improve your ability to serve clients?
Is there anything that might strengthen the partnership between [GRANTEE] and you/your organization?
[INTERVIEWER SHOULD TAKE THIS TIME TO NOTE IN WRITING ANY RELEVANT INFORMAL OBSERVATIONS]
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Myhre, Marina L |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-21 |