NoVES is planning to get feedback from our members as a means for helping to set Society priorities and to improve our effectiveness. Rather than using a written survey of the sort we have conducted in the recent past, we have decided to use focus group discussions.  These focus group discussions will be similar in some respects to the group discussions in member homes that NoVES used to get member input as to what we wanted in a new leader after Susan Bagot announced her retirement,.  

The Board based its decision to use focus groups rather than a written questionnaire in part on advice we received from the Alban Institute, which advises on congregational development.  It also reflects our belief that we function best as a community when we listen to each other and develop our positions through a group process.  We also hope that by making this a pleasant social experience, more members will contribute than if we ask people to fill out a questionnaire.  

All Society members will be invited to participate in small group discussions, each involving about eight members plus two facilitators.  We expect one of the facilitators for each group to be a volunteer from another Ethical Society to help ensure an objective view with respect to NoVES issues.  The second facilitator would be a NoVES member, who would be better able than an outsider to understand comments about NoVES.  We will instruct facilitators to refrain from offering their own opinions while conducting the meeting.  NoVES facilitators will be able to give their own views as a non-facilitating member at another focus group.  Each focus group will deal with a common set of questions.  Depending on the amount of discussion, some less loquacious groups may deal with a few more questions. We anticipate completion of group discussions in three hours, including about half an hour of socializing.  We will also invite group members, if they wish, to submit additional feedback in writing to the facilitators.  We want to provide an opportunity for members to convey additional ideas and to supplement what they were able to say during the meeting. 

We are arranging to have a training session given by an Alban Institute staff member for facilitators that will require a commitment of one or two hours.  Computer training methods will permit facilitators to participate in the training in their homes. The training may be helpful for future events requiring group facilitation. Facilitators will produce a joint report of their group’s discussions.  

We will ask groups whether they are willing to have their discussions recorded to assist in resolving any questions about what participants said.  Such tapes will only be available to participants in the group and they will be destroyed afterwards. We will not record if any group member objects.  We intend to conduct these focus group discussions in the second half of March.  We expect that there will be five to eight groups.  We aim to have a variety of times and locations for the convenience of as many members as possible. Childcare will be provided for at least some groups. We anticipate analyzing survey findings in April and present a summary of results in May.  We will provide more information as our plans develop. We look forward to your participation in helping develop NoVES’ future.