Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Unaccompanied Children Bureau Policy Evaluation Focus Groups

OMB Control Number 0970-0531

Expiration Date: 09/30/2025

POLICY EVALUATION FOCUS GROUP

Part 1: Focus Group Leader Instructions and Script

General Instructions for Lead and Notetaker

To ensure effective facilitation, it's recommended to assign a lead and a note taker to each focus group session. The lead facilitator should initiate the session with a concise introduction, outline the ground rules, and communicate the expected behavioral norms. Following this, the lead facilitator should carefully review the relevant policy and/or procedure that the discussion questions are based on. It's important to allow a comfortable period of silence for attendees to contemplate their responses before speaking. In the event of prolonged silence, it is acceptable to reiterate the question or provide additional time for consideration. For virtual sessions, consider displaying the questions on a screen, and for in-person meetings, provide handouts containing the questions and the written policy and/or procedure for reference. To maintain the privacy of participants, refrain from attributing individual comments in the notes. Lastly, adherence to the exact wording of the questions is imperative.

Script for Lead Facilitator

Thank you for joining today’s focus group. The focus group is being conducted by the Division of UC Policy’s Policy Evaluation Workgroup to collect your feedback about [insert Policy and/or Procedures Title here]. This focus group will last no longer than one hour, and your participation is voluntary. A Federal agency may not conduct or promote, and a person is not required to respond to, the collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paper Reduction Act of 1995 unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB # is 0970-0531 and the expiration date is 9/30/2025.

I will be facilitating the focus group that will end promptly on time and will only be asking pre-determined open-ended questions and will not be able to elaborate or offer any opinions during the focus group. [Name of Notetaker] will be taking notes during this focus group and will be compiling all feedback obtained through the series of focus groups that are being held. The summary of your feedback, along with others, will be used as qualitative data to assist the Policy Evaluation Workgroup in formulating an evaluation and recommendations about [insert Policy and/or Procedures Title here].

Your name will not be taken in the notes and no quotes will be identified to any individual. You are not required to answer. All answers you provide are valid and important. While you may agree or disagree with the answer of another individual, please refrain from voicing your agreement or disagreement as it may influence others and impact the process of collecting a diverse range of opinions from the group. Please do not take notes as there is no guidance nor information relayed from this group that needs to be shared with anyone else.

The Policy Evaluation Workgroup is interested in hearing your answers to the questions about [Read the Policy and/or Procedure and have it on the virtual screen or in print for participants to also read and have it for reference.] All questions asked are directly related to this policy and/or procedure. If you would like a question repeated, please ask. Let’s begin with the first question.

Part 2: Participant Instructions for Focus Group

• The following questions are meant to elicit open-ended answers and not simply a “yes” or “no” response. Policy Evaluation Focus Group Questions:

1. In your position, have you observed any changes to overall child morale or well-being of children in care since the policy and/or procedure went into effect?

2. For children who are experiencing an exceptional circumstance, such as a family emergency or mental health crisis, while in care, would you characterize the effect of the policy and/or procedure on those children to be positive, neutral/no change, or negative?

3. What assistance was necessary to implement this policy and/or procedure?

4. Do you believe the policy and/or procedure effectively fulfilled an intended purpose that provided benefit to the child/child’s family/child’s sponsor/ and/or staff?

5. From your professional viewpoint, are there other considerations or recommendations about this policy and/or procedure you would like to share with ORR?

6. (ADMINISTRATOR’S ONLY) What are operational challenges you have experienced or are experiencing with policy and/or procedure implementation and how did you address those challenges?

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT (PRA) OF 1995 (Public Law 104-13) STATEMENT OF PUBLIC BURDEN: Through this information collection, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is gathering information to obtain qualitative data to evaluate the Divisions of Unaccompanied Children’s policies and implement care provider related training and technical support. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.25 hours per respondent, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. This is a voluntary collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the PRA of 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB # is 0970-0531 and the expiration date is 09/30/2025. If you have any comments on this collection of information, please contact UCPolicy@acf.hhs.gov.