Conducting focused interviews and workshops

Focused interviews (FIs) are a key way of eliciting open and honest views and valuable data, in this instance, about current service provision for young people. A mix of individual and group FIs is advised. The data from individual FIs tends to be deeper than that from group sessions, while group FIs are more time-efficient and enable more people to be interviewed and so ensure a wider cross-section of views.

The collection of evidence about the 'truth about today' is the priority, so the content of FIs must closely follow the scope of the targeted youth support project (TYS) project and contribute directly to the Decision Point 2 presentation. The format of the FI questionnaire should be consistent between the individual and group versions so that the data can be analysed collectively.

The pathfinder children's trusts typically interviewed between 30 and 70 people, individually and in groups. Around a third of the people interviewed were senior and two-thirds front-line. It is vital that a representative sample of stakeholders is interviewed.

FIs were also conducted with young people. When conducting FIs with young people, it is helpful if interviews are conducted by trusted individuals already known to the young people, particularly in a group situation.

People conducting FIs should practice first with colleagues so they are familiar with their format and style when they conduct them for real. Group FIs need more than one facilitator to ensure questions are clearly understood and answered by all delegates.

Click for additional resources to support the Discover phase of the targeted youth support change process, or for an overview of the Discover phase.