This document provides guidance on facilitating effective focus group discussions (FGDs) for nutrition programs. It outlines the components and role of FGDs, including creating a safe environment, guiding discussion, and ensuring participants' needs are met. An effective FGD leader clearly communicates, encourages participation and sharing of ideas/experiences, and helps participants connect while maintaining a supportive and professional approach. The discussion should include introductions, sharing/connecting on feelings and experiences, summarizing key points, and identifying actions participants will take. Preparation and establishing group goals, trust and active involvement are characteristic of productive FGDs.

1. Participant Centered facilitate group
discussion (FGD):
Talk, Listen, and Connect (TLC)
Sinki Ho
WIC Head Nutritionist
Wyckoff Heights Medical Center

2. Your thoughts on FGD
• What does an effective group mean to you?
• What are your concern and challenge?

3. From traditional to new approach in WIC
• Provide fact-based information vs. emotion-
based
• Remain professional like a teacher vs. group
discussions to connect participants
• Distribute handouts to use images to connect

4. Characteristics of Effective Groups
• Clear and consistent group goal
• Active participation
• Clear communication
• Listen to others
• Share ideas
• Safety and trust
• Good leadership

5. Purpose of FGD
• Provide an opportunity for participants to
learn in a pleasant, informal atmosphere
• Encourage participants to educate each other
by discussing their knowledge of a topic and
sharing real-life experience
• Built self-esteem
• Enable participants to give and receive
support about their concern and make desired
behavior change

6. Role of the Facilitator
• Make others what they need to do easily
Create a safe and comfortable environment
As a person to initiate and moderate the
group
Guides the discussion
Mindful participants needs and interests
Clear with the compents of FGD
Well-prepared

7. Components of FGD/TLC
Take about 15-20 minutes long
4-8 participants but can be 2-10
• Open
• Share and Connect
• Summarize and Act
• Emphasis on feelings and experiences

8. Opening the session
• Introduction: greeting, introduce yourself and
the group
• Conversation Starters: ask Open-Ended
Questions
– Can not be answered with a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ or a
specific question
– Sample starters: What…When…How…Where…Tell
me about…

9. Share and Connect
Affirmation: validate speaker’s effort, experience,
and strength -> encourage sharing
- ‘Thank you for sharing. Good job! Keep it up!’
Generalizing: normalize speaker’s experience,
feeling and perception -> help challenging
questions or statements, encourage sharing
- ‘A lot of participants…’
Paraphrasing: use your own words to restate
message -> check understanding, validate the
participant
- ‘Do you mean…? What I heard from you…?’

10. Summarizing
• Bring ideas together
• Facilitator can highlight ideas and points made
in the group
• Repeat relevant information
• Get back on focus

11. Act
• Ask participants for something they are taking
away from the group
– What may you try this week/month?
– What is one new thing you heard or learnt today?

12. Group behaviors
• Emotion triggers behavior change
• We want them to change their challenging
behaviors but not the person
• We encourage a positive experience for
participants

13. Preparation
• Topic
• Introduction
• Conversation starter
• Statement of ACT

14. Any Question?

15. Thank You for your listening and
participation!