Partnership for Public Service PPCE Focus Group Template - Example Focus Group Agenda

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Blaney

A ready-to-edit focus group agenda template for Public Participation and Community Engagement (PPCE). It provides date, time, location, and session objectives, then structures the program into welcome and expectations, introductions, three topic blocks with quantitative question options, and a closing segment. Guidance includes using chat and raise-hand features, setting a safe discussion space, recording confidentiality practices, and collecting actionable feedback to help the agency understand and support the defined outcome.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Objectives

Agenda

Welcome and Outline

Introductions

Topic 1

Topic 2

Topic 3

Closing Remarks

Example Focus Group Agenda The following is an example template for constructing a Public Participation and Community Engagement Focus Group. The agenda is divided into different sections based on different outcomes or goals for the activity. The questions are designed to be edited to meet your specific agency needspick and choose the sections that are relevant and use these sections as a guide for how to craft any additional sections you may need. We also provide examples for how to include quantitative questions. Date: Day, Month, Year; start-end time plus time zone Time: X minutes long Location: e.g. MS Teams, Zoom, in person (address of location), etc. OBJECTIVES Thank you for participating in X. We appreciate you taking the time to participate in this focus group, which will help the Agency better understand X so that we can X. We are excited to host an informative discussion which will: • Allow participants to share feedback on X. • Focus on things like X. • Help the Agency to X. AGENDA | TIME | TOPIC | | --- | --- | | Start-End time | Welcome and Outline.
• Quickly review the shared expectations/tips slide:
o Use raise hand feature to help avoid speaking over others.
o Keep yourself on mute when not speaking.
o Feel free to use the chat to share responses to the group.
o What, if any, expectations do we need to set to ensure we maintain a safe space to reach our objectives today? (Show slide with the following: be present (limit multitasking), take break when you need it, allow space for all voices, ground statements in evidence, respect confidentiality of all participants, share openly and candidly) .
• Describe the plan for the day.
• If you will be recording, mention that and mention how their information will be kept confidential by not using identifying information, unless they indicate they want to be directly quoted.
• Answer any questions before beginning. | | Start-End time | Introductions
Facilitator introduces themselves. Then asks the group to do quick introductions.
• Name and X other information if applicable. | | --- | --- | | Start-End time | Topic 1:
• Quantitative question option: Ask participants to raise their hand in response to a closed-ended question-e.g. raise your hand if you agree with X. Note the number of people that raised their hands. Can also be asked in a Zoom or MS Forms or similar platform, polling software.
o Ask follow-up questions to better understand their answers. | | Start-End time | Topic 2:
• Quantitative question option: Ask participants to rate on a scale of 0, not at all likely, to 10, extremely likely, how likely they are to X?
o Ask participants to please share thoughts on their rating.
• Quantitative question option: Ask participants on a scale of 0-10, 0 being not very helpful and 10 being very helpful, how much has the information shared on X had X impact?
o Follow-up with a question asking more details on specifically, what information was helpful and what information would they want less/more of to better serve theirneeds?
• Ask additional questions to better understand participant experience with Topic 2.
o Some examples could include: participant barriers, participant knowledge, participant trust, participant interest.
▪ Here is an example question on barriers: What, if any, barriers have you experienced with X?
• How, if at all, might the Agency help remove/address barriers? | | Start-End time | Topic 3:
• Ask a variety of questions focused on topic 3, including current state, future state, level of interest, etc.
o Example general question on support: Thinking about X, how can the Agency best support X?
o Example question on future state: Any other suggestions for how the Agency can best support X in the future?
• Example question on level of interest: Approximately how much time can you commit to X?
o What benefits, if any, do you feel you and your community woul

FAQs

How should the focus group agenda be structured in this template?

The agenda is organized into objectives, then a sequence of sections: welcome and outline, introductions, Topic 1, Topic 2, Topic 3, and closing remarks. Each topic section is designed to guide discussion toward specific outcomes.

What options are provided for quantitative questions in the template?

Topic 1 includes a closed-ended question with a raise-hand response option and follow-up questions. Topic 2 provides rating scales (e.g., 0–10 or likelihood ranges) and follow-up prompts to understand what information helped and what is needed.

How does the template address confidentiality when recording is used?

If recording will occur, it instructs the facilitator to state that recording is taking place and explain how information will be kept confidential by avoiding identifying information, unless participants ask to be directly quoted.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Blaney