RESEA Behavioral Study - Participant Interview Protocol

OMB No.: 1290-0NEW
Expiration: TBD

RESEA Behavioral Study Program Staff Interview Protocol

Introductory statement to respondents: We work for the research firm, [INSERT NAME] . The U.S. Department of Labor has hired us to conduct a impact evaluation of process improvement initiatives for RESEA, which [INSERT NAME OF STATE] is participating in. We are examining the impact of the [describe the intervention] that was implemented at your site.

This site visit is part of the evaluation and is designed to understand how RESEA works in [INSERT NAME OF STATE], with a focus on how the [describe the intervention] is implemented.

Study Background

Over the next few months, we will be visiting [YY] [insert local name of AJCs—e.g. career source centers ] where RESEA program services are delivered. These visits are designed to help us learn about how the RESEA program and the [describe the intervention] operate. We will explore topics such as, RESEA program flow, approaches to service delivery, customers’ experiences in the program.

If the interviewees ask about the study, feel free to share any of the following information:

• We plan to visit [YY] [insert local name of AJCs—e.g. career source centers ] where RESEA services are offered.
  
  
  

• At each site, we try to speak with (i) staff who deliver RESEA services, (ii) Career Center leadership, and RESEA participants. In addition to conducting interviews, we will also observe RESEA service delivery.

Interview Logistics

Today we’d like to ask about your activities, experiences, and perspectives as participants in the RESEA program. The interview will take about 30 minutes to complete.

Before we begin, I want to assure you that all your responses will be used only for this research study. Your name will not appear in any written reports we produce. We will try to describe any responses you give in a way that will make it impossible to identify you. The interview itself is voluntary and you may choose not to answer any specific question or to opt out of the interview at any time. Not participating in this interview or skipping questions will have no impact on your unemployment benefits or RESEA services. After the interview, you will receive a $25 incentive as a thank you for your participation.

Are you okay continuing with this interview?

Do you have any questions before we get started? If you have questions or concerns about today’s interview, specifically your rights as participant in this research, you can call the Abt Global Institutional Review Board (toll-free 877-520-6835).

We would like to record our conversation so we can have a back up to our notes. The recording will remain private. We will de-identify your information if we cite quotes from this discussion in our reports by removing references to any personal identifying information. We will erase the recording before the end of the project. Is it okay for us to record?

[If yes, thank the respondent and wait to record until you have confirmed the participant’s name. After the recording is started, please add an introduction to the recording like: “This is an interview recorded on [date] by interviewer [name].”]

Questions

• Introductory questions

  • Can you tell me a little bit about yourself —your employment history , where you live, your current employment status, etc.?

  • What initially motivated you to participate in the RESEA program?

  • Can you describe some of the activities or sessions you've been involved in during your time with RESEA?

• Participant program impressions

  • What aspects of the program have you found most beneficial or impactful? And Why?

  • What were your initial thoughts about the program and the intervention?

  • How clear and understandable was the information?

  • How valuable did you find the [customize to state intervention] in helping you with your job search, where 10 is the most valuable and 1 is not valuable at all: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

  • And why did you provide that rating?

    • Probe: What characteristics made it valuable?

• Barriers to engagement

  • What challenges or barriers did you face, if any, when engaging with the intervention?

  • Are there any personal, logistical, or systemic factors that hindered participation? Please explain

• Program training and support

  • How has the intervention affected your job search efforts, attendance at RESEA meetings, and overall engagement with the RESEA program?

  • Have you noticed any changes in your behavior, motivation, or job search outcomes as a result of the intervention?

• Feedback on intervention components

  • How satisfied are you with the intervention on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is extremely satisfied and 1 is extremely dissatisfied? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10? Why?

  • What aspects of the intervention did you find most and least helpful?

  • How could the intervention be improved to better meet your needs?

Public reporting burden for this data collection instrument is estimated to average 30 minutes per response. The burden estimate includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing the interview. This collection of information is voluntary. You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. Please send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information to the U.S. Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office, 200 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20210, or ChiefEvaluationOffice@dol.gov and reference OMB control number 1290-0NEW.