MODULE II - PLANNING PROGRAMS

INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................40

PART ONE - BEFORE THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT......................................................42

EXERCISE ll-l: Talking And Listening And Observing.....................................................47

EXERCISE II-2: Reading About Fathers Who Are Immigrants And Refugees.................49

PART TWO - NEEDS ASSESSMENT..............................................................................50

EXERCISE II-3: Preparing For Meetings With Key Informants........................................53

EXERCISE II-4: First Steps............................................................................................56

EXERCISE II-5: Announcing Community Forums............................................................58

EXERCISE II-6: Creating A Needs Assessment Interviewing Team................................63

EXERCISE II-7: Revising and Adopting Needs Assessment Interview Questions............64

EXERCISE II-8: Planning Questions for Interviews..........................................................68

EXERCISE II-9: Beginning the Interview.........................................................................69

EXERCISE II-10: Guidelines for Interviews.....................................................................72

EXERCISE II-11: The Focus Group Interview..................................................................80

PART THREE - SETTING PROGRAM GOALS, OBJECTIVES and OUTCOMES.........81

EXERCISE II-12: First Step - Setting Goals....................................................................87

EXERCISE II-13: Be Specific - State Objectives...........................................................89

EXERCISE II-14: So How Will The Lives Of Participants' Change?

Program Outcomes....................................................................................................91

INTRODUCTION

The first module of this training manual was designed to foster reflection on some of the cultural barriers that may be encountered by new Canadian fathers, and on the interface between our own ideas and values regarding fathers and fathering, and our ability to provide effective services. We reviewed some social and economic circumstances facing fathers in Canada, and the unique challenges that may be facing recent immigrants and refugees. The goal of the first module was to provide human service providers with strategies that will help them understand, respect, and mediate between differing beliefs and behaviors, so that they help preserve the dignity and tradition of new Canadian families as they are accommodating to the requirements of their new country.

Module II is designed to assist human service providers in the first stage of project development. How do you move from recognizing that there is a need to provide new services for immigrant fathers, or adapt existing programs to successfully accommodate this population? The extent and depth with which you will be able to carry out the tasks described in this manual will depend to a large extent on the resources available to you. However, we believe that certain principles should be adhered to in the development of programs that serve immigrant and refugee fathers. The over-riding principle that is embedded in each section can be stated simply as: in all phases of project development, ensure consultation with, and inclusion of, members of the community, which the project aims to serve. We have used these principles as a conceptual framework for this module, and hope that it will be helpful.

This module follows the generic program planning process outlined in the book "Management of Human Service Programs" by Lewis, Lewis and Souflee (1991). We have adapted and added to this model based on our experience in developing programs for, and working with, newcomers to Canada. Essentially, the program planning process follows a path outlined in the diagram below:

NEEDS ASSESSMENT

GOAL SETTING

CONSIDERATION OF AGENCY GOALS

REFINEMENT OF PROGRAM GOALS

IDENTIFICATION OF ALTERNATIVE METHODS

IDENTIFICATION OF AGENCY CONSTRAINTS

SELECTION OF ALTERNATIVES

DEVELOPMENT OF DETAIL

PART ONE: BEFORE THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT

GETTING IDEAS - TALKING AND READING, READING AND TALKING SOME MORE

Needs assessments are ways of clearly determining the kinds of programs required within a particular area, city, or even country. Valid needs assessments provide the foundation of successful programs, and it is often on the basis of good needs assessments that funders are willing to provide agencies with program grants.

Needs assessments are done for the following reasons:

• To establish what is the most pressing need, for example, for immigrant and refugee fathers.
• To provide the basis for funding.
• To evaluate existing service arrangements.
• To understand the connections among service providers.
• To understand the strengths of individuals and communities which can be built upon in program development.

Needs assessments must be carried out in a way that gives them credibility and accountability, and there are many methods that can be employed to achieve this. But before you even begin to plan your needs assessment, you must have some indication that there may be a need, and you need to be familiar enough with the issues so that you can reasonably establish the needs assessment process. We do this by talking and reading, observing, and listening, then talking and listening and reading some more.

1. Talking and Listening

Often when you are involved in a program, you talk with the people you work with about what is working, what more you would like to be doing, and what gaps or needs you feel are not fulfilled by the program. These initial conversations are beginning the process of identifying another need.

Example: At the Mosaic Centre, children and their mothers attended many of the activities for children and parents. However, when the staff told stories about incidents that had the most impact on them, the stories seemed to be about the fathers. Also, as mothers at the Mosaic Centre talked about their experiences, on several occasions they expressed their wish that their husbands would be able or willing to be present or to be more involved. At this point, we became more sensitive to the possibility that the existing programs were not meeting the needs of fathers to the extent that we had hoped for. Further conversations with staff, mothers, and fathers, reinforced the hypothesis that there may be barriers that are preventing fathers from participation in programs. We therefore decided to conduct a needs assessment.

2. Reading

The newspapers

Sometimes the local newspaper or community newspaper provides a good overview of what services exist, and where the gaps are. Sometimes the stories in the family, city, or people sections of the newspapers can provide insight into some social issues. Newspapers are not scientific reports, and the articles can be slanted by a need to be sensational, so you need to read them cautiously. So while a newspaper article will not provide sufficient background information on which to develop a program proposal, it can heighten awareness to the existence of an issue or problem that a program might address.

Popular magazines

Popular magazines such as Macleans, Parenting, or Chatelaine regularly print articles about societal issues. While the same cautions as above apply to these articles, they also can provide ideas and background information to add to your conversations.

Professional/academic literature

Using databases such as ERIC, PsychLit, and Social Work Abstracts, it is important to review the topic from the professional/academic perspective. Be careful to use, or at least to include to the extent available, Canadian sources, as the societal, political and economic differences are significant. The literature can provide you with examples of program models, evaluations of different programs, and case studies from various prevention and intervention programs.

3. Observing

Find out what similar programs exist in the community. It is important to go to those programs, observe them, and talk to the staff and the participants. What are the goals of these programs? What needs are they able to meet? What gaps have the staff and participants identified? What more do they wish they could do?

When immigrant and refugee communities are to be included in your programs, it is vital to be connected to those communities. Visiting, observing community events and celebrations, and becoming familiar with the customs is essential before even beginning to consider what type of programs might be needed. Finding people who will be your future community consultants, program committee members, or program staff will be made easier by your familiarity with the community.

4. Talking and Listening Some More

Consultation with members of the community you wish to serve is absolutely crucial from the most initial phases of the project. At this pre-needs assessment phase, it is important to consult with many different people from the community.

You must be very clear about the purpose of the consultation.

1. You are only gathering very preliminary information at this point.
2. There is no guarantee that you will have the ability to develop and implement a program.
3. You are (usually) asking for a consultation on a strictly voluntary basis, as usually there is no budget for pre-needs assessment work.
4. Involvement as a community consultant at this point will not necessarily lead to employment in the project should it be developed.

Most important, however, is the need to communicate your intention vis a vis this community. You are not coming with an established list of needs or program ideas. You have come to listen to what the community might want, and what they might be willing to offer.

Below is a list of some of the potential community consultants. You will likely return to many of these people when you carry out the formal needs assessment:

• Religious leaders
• Community leaders (elders, heads of organization)
• Program staff
• Program participants
• Professionals working with the community (nurses, teachers, social workers)

Talk with these people, listen to their responses, and check your perceptions with them. Request permission to return for further conversations or for inclusion in the formal needs assessment. Thank your consultants in a manner that is culturally congruent - a card, a follow up telephone call or in some cases, a small gift. Reflect on these conversations, and you will have an important foundation upon which to build your needs assessment plan.

Multicultural work requires sensitivity to appropriate dress, demeanor and gender issues when meeting with and establishing relationships with members of various communities. Sensitivity to some of these considerations needs to be heightened.

5. Reading Some More

Consultations with community members may highlight some issues that were not explored in your previous reading. It may be necessary for you to spend some more time in the library. If translation is available, ethnic community newspapers may be an important further source of information.

EXERCISE II-1: TALKING AND LISTENING AND OBSERVING

Note: This exercise would be most suitable for beginners, or students, who have little experience in the community.

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this exercise is to encourage participants to visit programs, meet with staff and participants, and enhance their understanding of the issue of fathering from a cross cultural perspective.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Divide the participants into two groups.
2. Ask the participants in the first group to go through a list of social agencies and determine which agencies might provide services to immigrant families with young children.
3. Ask the second group to identify ethno-specific cultural and social agencies, which represent the populations, that you are considering for your fathering project.
4. Ask the participants to fill in the attached preparation questionnaires, and share them with each other.
5. Ask each member of the group to conduct one visit, and to share their learnings with the group during the following session.

HANDOUT II-1: APPROACHING AGENCIES

Participants are asked to fill in the blanks below, and then role play this in dyads. The agency/group I want to visit is:

What I currently know about this agency/group is: Further knowledge that I require before I visit is:

I will explain the purpose of my visit as: What I learned from this visit was:

EXERCISE II-2: READING ABOUT FATHERS WHO ARE IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this exercise is to help participants enhance their understanding of the issues facing immigrant and refugee fathers through reading and critically assessing the information they receive.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Divide the participants into four groups. (There may only be one or two participants per group). Each group will take responsibility for finding a book, popular magazine and academic or professional journal article that is related to immigrant and refugee families in general, and fathers in particular. Have each group report back their findings to the group.
2. Discuss with the group different contribution of each source of information. (E.g., one presented a more scientific approach with facts, figures and statistics, whereas one father's story in a popular magazine really helped me see the challenges that many immigrants may be facing).
3. If the article is not a local one, discuss the application of this to your local setting.
4. Discuss how this information would or would not be helpful to the Needs Assessment Process that you are about to establish.

PART TWO: NEEDS ASSESSMENT

A needs assessment is a purposeful, planned and systematic strategy for acquiring information that is a pre-requisite to program development.

Needs can be determined by:

• What experts say people need.
• What people ask for.
• What people say they want.
• What people say they want in relation to existing services.

A needs assessment should incorporate, to the extent possible, all of the above. Before conducting any form of needs assessment, whether formal or informal, or to determine the most appropriate form of needs assessment, several issues need to be taken into account.

• Formal needs assessments require adequate human and financial resources. It is useful to consult with people who have appropriate training and experience to ensure that the study is conducted in a reliable manner.
• Make sure not to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes enough information already exists to guide the development of a project. Rather than jumping into an expensive formal needs assessment, first attempt to collect and review information from other sources.
• While the standard literature review reveals much about typical experiences and needs of populations, each community experiences unique needs. Be sure to also access the community itself and those who work within the community to assess the specific needs of your target population.
• The needs assessment should be an ongoing process. The needs of populations change as they become more acculturated to Canada. New or different populations that begin to access the program's services bring with them unique needs, strengths, and interests. Part of the cyclical process of program development involves continually reassessing the needs, interests, and abilities of participating families so that programs remain current and relevant.

At all stages of the cyclical process, everyone involved in the program, from staff, volunteers, agency administration, and participating families, needs to be consulted and involved in ongoing assessment, development, and refinement of programs.

When a needs assessment is being conducted with New Canadians who are immigrants and refugees, it is essential to consider the following:

• First language may be required. Among certain immigrant and refugee populations, the ability to communicate effectively in English may be limited. It will be necessary to work with someone who can communicate in first language and translate into English. If you do not include the people who cannot speak English in your needs assessment, you may well be omitting the people most in need of programs.
• A preliminary understanding of the culture of the community is vital before engaging in a needs assessment. This understanding will guide whom you speak to, where you speak to them, what questions you may or may not ask, and appropriate dress and demeanor.
• A preliminary understanding of the structure and nature of the community is essential. This understanding will help you effectively identify key stakeholders and participants.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT APPROACHES

Adapted from: Lewis, Lewis & Souflee(1991).

A number of strategies can be used for a needs assessment. Each strategy has advantages and disadvantages, and it is usually best to combine strategies to obtain a more holistic picture.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT STRATEGY I: Key Informant or Expert Approach

This approach consists of obtaining information from those working in a community who, it is assumed, are in a good position to know the issues faced by the community, and what services the people want, ask for, or use. The key informants, or experts, should also be able to tell you about the strengths of the community, amd about informal and formal support networks that new programs should build on.

The Data Collection Process with key informants and experts can involve interviews, questionnaires, and consultations through meetings.

The advantages of this approach are:

• You can receive a lot of information from a relatively small number of people, which makes it an inexpensive and relatively easy to conduct needs assessment process.
• You receive input from several different people, from different perspectives (e.g. the community health nurse would have a great deal of information on mothers and babies in the community, the teacher or basketball coach would be able to tell you about the socialization patterns of elementary school age immigrant children, and the basketball coach at the YMCA may be able to tell you about the enthusiasm of this particular group of fathers).
• Some key informants or experts may be more objective, and able to raise issues that are difficult for members of the community to talk about

The disadvantages of the key informant/expert approach are:

• Informants may not be representative of the community's population.
• In the worst case, professionals may perceive the issues from an ethnocentric perspective.
• Key informants may define the human service needs of a community in terms of the perspectives of their own organizations that may be self-serving and/or biased.

It is important to remember that key informants/experts are usually very busy. You can avoid wasting your time and theirs by being well prepared.

EXERCISE II-3: PREPARING FOR MEETINGS WITH KEY INFORMANTS

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this exercise is to help participants prepare for meetings with key informants. Appearing knowledgeable will likely result in a much more informative session.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Ask participants to summarize their knowledge of the community under the headings outlined in the following handout. They may also be asked to add additional categories that reflect their knowledge base.
2. Request that participants work in dyads or triads to help each other articulate further areas that should be explored before meetings with key informants.

HANDOUT II-3: PREPARING FOR MEETINGS WITH KEY INFORMANTS

Before meeting with the key informants, it is useful to summarize what you already have learned about the community from your pre-needs assessment talking, reading, and more talking.

Please fill in the sheet below with the information you have gleaned from reading, talking, listening, and observing.

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

• Size of the community
• Housing
• Employment trends
• Key services utilized
• First languages
• Other

PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW:

Think about dress, demeanor, and language.

Key informants, whether from the community you are studying or not, will respond to your dress, language and demeanor in a manner that will enhance or inhibit the communication that will occur. Below are some points to consider.

1. The location of the meeting

Very busy professionals will often prefer that you come to their office for a brief meeting. However, being invited to a lunch meeting at a restaurant or at your agency, may also be appropriate. Keep in mind the child care problems of working parents - where early morning or late afternoon meetings may be problematic. Often there is an unwritten status message about the location of meetings - you come to my office if I am more important than you are! Be aware, and be sensitive, in deciding on the location of the meetings.

2. Dress

Your appearance must indicate respect for the person you are interviewing. If you are, for example, wanting information from a religious leader, women may be expected to wear dresses, and be very modestly attired. Check with your consultant from the community if you are unsure.

EXERCISE II-4: FIRST STEPS

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this exercise is to provide participants with practice in setting the stage for interviews with key informants.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. The outline below serves as a basis for a role-play, which can be done in dyads.
2. An alternative method for role-play which provides participants with the opportunity to receive more elaborate feedback can be done as follows:

Participants arrange chairs in an inner and outer circle. Dyads are formed from the inner and outer circle that are facing one another. The inner circle member role plays the scenario below, and her partner from the outer circle listens, then jots down comments. The outer circle members then move to be the listeners to another inner circle participant. This process continues until all those in the outer circle have listened to the inner circle participants. Then, inner and outer circle participants switch places, so that the listeners are now the role players, and the process repeats itself.

Debrief this exercise by asking each group member to provide constructive criticism and suggestions to each other.

OUTLINE FOR ROLE PLAY

Hello, my name is______________and I'm from___________

I am conducting a needs assessment for___________________

which is related to___________________________________.

I am hoping to learn more about________________________~

NEEDS ASSESSMENT STRATEGY II: Community Forums

The advantages of community forums are:

• This is a fairly simple strategy.
• It is usually fairly inexpensive, assuming that facilities are available.
• It can promotes community support for the project.
• It has the potential for identification of community priorities and what people want.
• It may be used to highlight needs and issues that have already been identified.

The disadvantages of community forums can be:

• Community forums sometimes focus on one perspective of an issue and do not give "the whole picture".
• The information provided may reflect what certain stakeholders want and omit other needs of the community.
• There is no guarantee that the participants at the meeting are truly representative of the community (for example, in some communities women would not attend a community forum).
• A community forum may be much too public an event for participants to discuss family issues, or the need for support. This may be particularly true in an area regarding fathers and father roles.
• The information gathered may represent certain interest groups with vested interests.
• There is a risk of raising the expectations of community members regarding the development of a program, which may not be realized.

Clarifying the goals and purposes of the community forum may assist in obtaining helpful information. The following exercise can be used to help clarify and articulate goals for a community forum.

EXERCISE II-5: ANNOUNCING COMMUNITY FORUMS

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this exercise is to help participants clarify and articulate the goals and purposes of a community forum.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Divide participants into small groups. Ask one group to design a newspaper announcement, another a brochure or flyer, and the other to prepare a "script" for telephone dissemination regarding a community forum designed to learn more about the needs of fathers in communities of immigrant and refugees.
2. Have the group critique these asking the following questions:
   1. Is the purpose of the forum clear?
   2. Is there any information that could be construed as a promise that may not materialize?
   3. Is the information in a fashion that would promote attendance?
   4. Have any cultural considerations omitted?
   5. Is any important information missing, (time, place, duration, purpose, etc.)?

NEEDS ASSESSMENT STRATEGY III:

Utilizing Data from Existing Services and Programs

Much useful information can be gained from data gathered by service organizations about their clients. (E.g. how many new Canadian fathers participate in parenting programs, or receive support from family service agencies. It is important to understand that low numbers can mean many different things. One interpretation could be that the low numbers indicate a lack of need for services. Another interpretation could be that there are too many barriers to services facing New Canadian Fathers. The information gathered from existing services could be best interpreted in light of knowledge from other sources.

The advantages of this approach are:

• This information is often obtainable at low cost and is easily accessible.
• This approach tends to increase the communication between various human service agencies.

The disadvantages of this approach are:

• The information tells little or nothing about those who may benefit from services but do not attend.
• Records in some agencies may be incomplete.
• There may be some reservations about sharing information based on confidentiality, territoriality, or other concerns.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT STRATEGY IV: Social Indicators

This strategy involves the collection of relevant statistical facts from public reports and documents. For example, in considering a program for new Canadian fathers, we might want to have facts about employment, housing, childcare arrangements, educational background, family structure, incidents of abuse, etc. This information is useful as background.

The advantages of this approach are:

• Much of this information may have been gathered before the needs assessment formally began.
• It is usually not costly to obtain this information.
• People with limited amounts of research training or technical expertise can assist in obtaining this information.
• These indicators are usually obtained from large data banks, which already exist, such as Statistics Canada. Immigrant Serving agencies may have ready access to a number of statistical information regarding new Canadian families.

The disadvantages of this approach are:

• Statistical information is usually only a very vague measure of the need. For example, in a given community there may be only three reported incidents of violence towards children. This does not mean that fathers in this community are not in need of support, childrearing information, or opportunities for socialization with other fathers.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT STRATEGY V: File Review

One of the most productive strategies that we have found in terms of needs assessment strategies for new Canadian families is the File Review.

The majority of human service agencies maintain client files that ideally should be a record of service. The essential function of this tool is to document the basis, substance, and consequences of professional decisions and actions taken in the course of providing services to the client (Kagle, 1991, p. 18). The review of client files should be an important source of data for the broad needs assessment strategy utilizing data from existing services and programs. The following types of information should be recorded in a client's file:

• Client Characteristics
• Means and Reasons for Initiating Service
• Descriptions of the Client Situation (Current and Past)
• Resources and B arriers
• Assessment
• Decisions Affecting Service Provision
• Purpose of the Service
• Plan of Service
• Service Characteristics (i.e., information and referral, advocacy, family counselling)
• Means and Reasons for Ending Service

In conducting a file review, the individual is, in essence, examining the file or client record for the presence of the types of information listed above. The availability of this data may be extremely useful for decision makers interested in developing, maintaining, and expanding programs and services for immigrant and refugee fathers.

Confidentiality and Anonymity

In completing a file review, it is extremely important that any information that could identify a particular client is kept confidential and anonymous. Use of numerical codes is one method of ensuring confidentiality. It is also important to keep the list of codes locked away in a safe place. The only individual(s) who should have access to the codes are those persons conducting the needs assessment.

The advantage of this approach is:

• It may be a valuable source of information.

The disadvantages of this approach are:

• The information available is extremely dependent on the recording skills of individual staff members.
• It may be a time-consuming process dependent upon the number of files to be reviewed.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT STRATEGY VI: Interviews with Potential Participants

Particularly when attempting to determine needs that may be thought related to private family matters, there is no substitute for interviewing the people who will be served by the program that is to be developed. Interviews sometimes should be conducted in first language, and it is important to find interviewees that will be able to build trust and communicate effectively with participants. This will be the most Yirst hand" information, and if conducted properly, will provide many insights into the kinds of program that is needed or would be effective.

The advantages of this approach:

• Interviews, if conducted correctly, will provide the opportunity to hear the direct voice of the future participants in programs.
• Interviews can be used in the first stage of project development.
• Interviews can complement information collected through other methods (i.e., observation, document review).

The disadvantages of interviews:

• They are time consuming.
• They are costly.
• They may require translation to and from first language.
• They require professional approach that requires knowledgeable interviewers who maintain a high level of ethics and confidentiality.

The following exercises are designed to assist in the training and preparation of the people who will interview in first language.

EXERCISE II-6: CREATING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT INTERVIEWING TEAM

RATIONALE:

Note: It may be vital to conduct interviews in languages other than English. In this case, you may need to recruit and train first language interviewers.

The purpose of this exercise is to assist in explaining the nature of the Interview Strategy for Needs Assessment to the first language interviewers. As they may come from different educational and professional backgrounds, it is important that they leave this session with an understanding of the aims of the needs assessment study, as well as of the basic interviewing techniques that will be used.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Begin with an explanation of the goals and purposes of the Needs Assessment Study. For example:

We may be granted an opportunity to develop programs to support immigrant and refugee fathers. We are in the process of conducting a needs assessment to determine what kind of program would best meet the needs of immigrant and refugee fathers from several different communities.

2. Follow this with an explanation of the purpose of the interviews in first language. For example:

We have asked you to participate in the needs assessment process by conducting interviews with fathers from the selected communities. We believe that interviews can provide us with very helpful insights into the experiences of fathers, how they perceive and interpret these experiences, their strengths, and the areas in which they could benefit from support.

3. Explain the sampling method. For example:

We are using a strategy called "purposeful sampling" for this needs assessment. This means, essentially, that we will be asking you to suggest, from your community, a number of fathers who you feel would have different perspectives to offer. For example, a father who has arrived very recently and who has limited English; a father who has been here for longer; a father who is the primary caregiver of the young children; a father who works during the day and spends limited time with his children. Can you think of other differences that we should take into account in our sampling? Can you think of a number of fathers from your community who would be willing to participate in our Needs Assessment Study?

EXERCISE II-7: REVISING AND ADAPTING NEEDS ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

RATIONALE:

Note: Translating interview questions involves much more than a linguistic exercise.

The purpose of this exercise is to provide the first language interviewers with an opportunity to adapt the interview questions in a manner that is appropriate both linguistically and culturally.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Ask the first language interviewers to review the interview questions from the following perspectives:
   • How does this question translate to first language?
   • How would people in this cultural group respond to being asked these questions?
   • How might I adapt this question so that it translates well and is culturally appropriate?
   • Are there questions that I would omit entirely?
2. Use the attached handout as a basis for interview questions, or substitute your own.

HANDOUT II-7: REVISING AND ADAPTING NEEDS ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Please review the following questions, and fill in the answers to the following questions.

1. Can you tell me about your experience as a father in Canada?
   1. Does this question translate well to first language?
   2. Is this an appropriate question to ask men in your culture? Please explain.
   3. Is the meaning of the question clear now? Will it be in first language? Please explain.
   4. How would you adapt this question, or would you omit it? Please explain.
2. Can you tell me a bit about your wife's pregnancy?
   1. Does this question translate well to first language?
   2. Is this an appropriate question to ask men in your culture?
   3. Is the meaning of the question clear now? Will it be in first language?
   4. How would you adapt this question, or would you omit it, or leave it as is? Please explain.
3. What has helped you most in your role as father?
   1. Does this question translate well to first language?
   2. Is this an appropriate question to ask men in your culture? Please explain
   3. Is the meaning of the question clear now? Will it be in first language?
   4. How would you adapt this question, or would you omit it, or leave it as is? Please explain.

EXERCISE II-8: PLANNING QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEWS

RATIONALE:

The following exercise provides topics for consideration before the first language interviewers begin to interview participants in the Needs Assessment Study. The goal would be to ensure that there is enough consistency in the approach to ensure the validity of the study, while at the same time cultural differences be respected.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Depending on the size of the group, the questions below may be reviewed in dyads or triads and then shared with the larger group, or may be discussed by the group as a whole. It is very important to share the responses, as there will likely be interesting cultural differences.
   1. What do I know about the interviewee prior to the interview? What should I know?
   2. How will I introduce myself to the interviewee?
   3. In how much detail shall I describe the needs assessment process when making an initial contact to set up an interview?
   4. How shall I make that first contact? (Letter, phone, in person?)
   5. Where should the interview be held? (Home, office, coffee shop?)
   6. How will I ensure privacy?
   7. How much time should I ask for?
   8. How will I record the interview (notes, tape recorder, etc)?
   9. What shall I tell the interviewee about how he/she was selected?
   10. What arrangements shall I make for a follow-up interview?

EXERCISE II-9: BEGINNING THE INTERVIEW

RATIONALE:

Successful interviews require thought and planning. This is particularly true when interviewing in a cross cultural context. Remember that many of the interviewing strategies and techniques were devised in western, mainstream culture. Therefore, careful attention should be paid to relaying information to the interviewee at the beginning of the interview.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Divide the first language interviewers into dyads. Ask them to discuss how they would present the topics below to the interviewee at the beginning of the interview. Then ask them to role-play and provide each other with feedback.

• The motives for the interview and the intention of the needs assessment
• The protection of the interviewees' privacy
• Who has final say over how the material from this interview will be reported
• Payment (if any)
• The logistics of time/place, and the number of interviews to be scheduled.

(Adapted from Erlandson et al, 1993)

HANDOUT II-9: ROLE-PLAYING THE BEGINNING OF THE INTERVIEW

Record your responses to the following question on the lines provided, then role-play these scenarios with a partner. Reverse roles and provide feedback to each other.

1. Introduce yourself and "break the ice."
2. How would you explain the intent of the needs assessment and the purpose of the interview?
3. How you will ensure the protection of the interviewees' privacy?
4. Who has final say over how this material will be reported, and what steps you will take to ensure that the interviewees' opinions are reflected as accurately as possible?
5. Does the interviewee receive payment or other compensation for his/her time?
6. Are there any logistics regarding further interviews or meetings, and their time and place?

Beginning the interview is often the most difficult part of the process. Do not hesitate to role-play this several times.

EXERCISE II-10: GUIDELINES FOR INTERVIEWS

RATIONALE:

The purpose of this exercise is to provide practical guidelines for interviewers to assist them in developing rapport and obtaining information in a respectful manner.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Use the following handouts as a guide for review and discussion.
2. Ask participants in the training session to make the necessary cultural adaptations and share these with the group.
3. Allow many opportunities for role-playing.

The handouts will cover the following aspects of interviewing for a needs assessment:

• Icebreakers, pleasantries, and "warm up"
• Asking interview questions - from broad to specific
• Using probes appropriately and effectively
• Ending the interview

HANDOUT II-10A: ICEBREAKERS AND WARM UP

At the beginning of the interview, it is important to spend a few moments in general conversation that will put the interviewee at ease and begin to develop rapport. Asking broad questions that are not personal in nature is a common strategy for beginning the interview process. What are some ways you would begin this kind of conversation? Does this apply to the group you will be interviewing? Some topics would be appropriate in some cultures and inappropriate in others. What are some questions you would avoid with members of the community you will be interviewing? Why?

EXERCISE:

1. Topics for "icebreaker" conversations:
2. I would avoid the following topics as "ice-breakers":
3. I would avoid these topics because:
4. It is important to try to be natural - "be yourself while being respectful to the people you are interviewing. Describe the "self that you will be presenting.

HANDOUT II-10B: ASKING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Open-ended questions generally precipitate more and richer information than closed questions. For example, asking "Is the role of father enjoyable?" will likely elicit a simple yes or no answer. Asking, "Can you tell me what you enjoy about being a father?" will likely encourage a more informative response.

Try to re-word the questions below to make them open-ended.

eg. Closed: Do you participate in decisions relating to the children?

Open: Can you tell me which kind of decisions relating to the children you participate in? or, Can you tell me how you and your wife make decisions about the children?

EXERCISE:

Closed: Do you spend much time with your children? Open: ____________________________________

Closed:

Open:

Is being a father in Canada different than being a father in your home country?

Closed: Would you be interested in participating in a support program for new Canadian fathers?

Open: ___________________________________________________

Closed: Has there been any organization that has been helpful to you? Open:_________________________________________________

Now try role-playing the open questions you have devised.

HANDOUT II-10C: ASKING PROBING QUESTIONS

Probes are useful because they communicate to the interviewee that you are interested in hearing more about what they have to say.

Appropriate probing questions achieve the following:

• They help specify the level of depth the interviewer wants.
• They ask the interviewee to finish up the particular answer currently being given.
• They indicate interviewer interest and attention.

Below is a list of some commonly used probing phrases:

• "Would you tell me more about that?
• "That's helpful (interesting, important). I'd appreciate it if you'd give me more detail."
• "I'm very interested in what you are saying, but I'm not sure I fully understand."
• "Can you give me an example that would help me under stand?"

EXERCISE:

Can you list other probing questions that would translate appropriately to your language and culture?

HANDOUT II-10D: USING PROBES EFFECTIVELY

Below is a list of interview questions relating to fathering. After ensuring that the questions are suitable and have been translated into first language, role-play the use of probes.

In dyads, have one person role play the interviewer, the other respond briefly to the question. The interviewer then can practice using probes effectively.

e.g. Interviewer: "What does fathering mean to you?" Interviewee: "It depends what day it is!"

Probe: It sounds like fathering means lots of different things to you. Can you give me some examples of what it means on different days?

EXERCISE:

Interviewer: What values or beliefs guide your behaviour as a father?

Interviewee: Probe:

Interviewer: What are your expectations for your children now? Interviewee:

Probe:

Interviewer: What are your expectations for your children as adults? Interviewee:

Probe:

Interviewer: Since coming to Canada, what factors, if any, have influenced your behavior as a father?

Interviewee:

Probe:

Continue role playing and practice probing, using the following questions:

• Can you tell me about the role you played during your wife's pregnancy?
• What role do you play in raising your children?
• When in the day do you spend time with children?
• Please describe how or in what ways you interact with your children?
• What help would you like to receive to be the father you would like to be?
• Are you involved in any parenting programs?

HANDOUT II-10E: BRINGING THE INTERVIEW TO A CLOSE

At the closure of an interview the interviewer should:

• Review or summarize what she/he understands to be the important part of the interview.
• £ive the respondent ample opportunity to clarify or delete aspects of the interview.
• Thank the respondent for his or her cooperation.
• Engage in social discussion.
• Follow-up with appropriate thank you (a note, card is often used).

EXERCISE:

Write a script for your closure, and then role-play this with a partner. Ask for feedback relating to the points above.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT STRATEGY VII: The Focus Group

A focus group is a group interview with a trained moderator, a specific set of questions, and a disciplined approach to studying ideas in a group context. The data from the focus group is the typed transcript of the group interaction. Focus groups are useful for (a) getting data about complex behavior (i.e., immigrant and refugee families experiences in adapting to life in Canada) and (b) exposing professionals to the language and culture of a target group (i.e., immigrant and refugee fathers).

The advantages of this approach are:

• The use of the group interaction to produce data that would not be as easily accessible without the group interaction.
• One can observe a great deal of interaction in a given limited time period on a particular topic.
• Participants' interaction among themselves leads to a greater understanding of the participants' points of view.

The disadvantages of this approach are:

• Focus groups depend on a skilled moderator, not always available when needed.
• Transcripts from focus groups are limited to verbal behavior.

EXERCISE II-11: THE FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW

RATIONALE:

To provide the opportunity for participants to gain experience in conducting a focus group interview.

INSTRUCTIONS:

You will need to organize a group of 5-8 immigrant and refugee men to participate in the interview. Clearly explain the purpose as well as the process associated with focus group interviews. Once the introductory remarks have been completed, the moderator then begins with the first question posed to the group.

Topic

Immigrant and Refugee Men and Fathering in Canadian Society

Purpose

To find out about the experiences of immigrant and refugee men as fathers in Canadian society.

Sample /Moderator Questions

1. How do you see the role of fathers in Canada?
2. How is the role of fathers different or similar than the role of fathers in your home country?
3. Since coming to Canada what factors, if any, have influenced your behavior as a father?
4. What has helped you to be father in Canada?
5. What are the things that have made it difficult for you to be the type of father you want to be since coming to Canada?
6. What would help you to be the father that you aspire to be?
7. Is there anything else that you would like to share with me about your experiences of being a father in Canada?

Recording

The information provided by the respondents can be written down by the moderator or recorded by audio tape. It is extremely important to ask the participants if you can record information by audio or video tape.

Programs which effectively serve the community are guided by a set of goals and guiding principles. The actual program emerges from these while Keeping closely in touch with the needs, interests, and expectations of the people and communities who will be participating as well as the expectations of the host agency and the funders. Thus, the program will likely evolve through a collaborative cyclical process of development, implementation, evaluation, and refining existing aspects of the program and creating new ones.

Program models provide the "road map" or a conceptual framework which guides the development of the program. The program model will be influenced by the mandate of the funders of the program, the host agency and collaborating agencies, and the human and fiscal resources available to the program. A program model consists of a goal or mission statement, program objectives, measurable outcomes, an outline of the program(s) to be offered, and an evaluation component.

Ecological Model of Human Development

Bronfenbrenner (1979) has developed an ecological model of human development that helps to explain the influence of culture on children and families. He suggests that human development occurs as a result of interactions and transactions within the environment. His model provides a framework within which it possible to explore the potential opportunities and risks for children and families provided by the environment.

Following Bronfenbrenner (1979) and Peters and Kontos' (1984) adaptation, we suggest the building of an ecological model or map to use when developing a program. The model consists of a series of concentric circles which illustrate the environmental factors influencing the potential participants. In the inner circle are the people for whom the program is designed - in this case immigrant and refugee fathers. These fathers may be immigrants or refugees from a single country of origin or from a range of countries. They may have limited English or have English as one of several languages in which they are competent. The fathers may be fully employed, underemployed, or unemployed. Issues which the fathers are facing directly such as primary trauma, dislocation, and health may be found in this circle.

The next concentric circle includes the family members and the people who interact directly and on a regular basis with the fathers. For example, the fathers may be single fathers, teen fathers, or fathers who are heads of large extended families. Family systems, rules, roles, and norms are found in this circle. As well, issues of family separation or breakdown, uprootedness, health, and life skills will be found here.

The third circle includes the community. This could involve members of a cultural community, the workplace for all members of the family, educational institutions attended, religious organizations, sports clubs, child care centres attended by children, health care, or social services. Both formal (such as immigrant serving agencies, government services, as well as health, education, and recreation institutions) and informal support networks (such as extended families, religious frameworks, ethnic/ cultural organizations) are identified here.

The fourth circle contains the larger societal influences. These might include economic, societal, and political situations in Canada; policies related to immigration, employment and education; laws in the areas of child welfare, social services, and child support; and Canadian cultural expectations and mores regarding child rearing, family structures, and roles of fathers.

These are only some examples of what may be included in the ecological model relating to the fathers you wish to include in your program. You need to be very familiar with the environmental factors influencing the fathers you hope to be working with in order to define and clarify the program goals and objectives. This is where the information you have gathered in the needs assessment (described in the previous section of this module) will become vital. Creating an ecological map will also help to identify areas where you may not yet have enough information or may, indeed, help you to determine what types programming may be most effective or useful. It will also help you decide where the emphasis of your program should be.

Sample Ecological Model "Fathers in Canada"

Establishing Program Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes

Goals, objectives, and outcomes, while often developed for the purpose of a funding proposal, need to be directly related to the needs assessment, the structure of the host agency, and the abilities of staff and volunteers. As well, objectives must be measurable in some form; it must be possible to evaluate them.

Goals are global statements, which of themselves are quite vague and difficult to measure. However, if someone were to ask what the purpose of your fathering program is, the goal statement would be the statement to quote.

Objectives, on the other hand, break down the goal into manageable chunks explaining what will be happening in the program. Objectives help describe to staff and volunteers what they will be doing at the centre and help fathers and their families become aware of the types of services and programs that they will be able to access.

Outcomes are the observable, measurable benefits to the participants in the program. Outcomes may relate to behaviour, skills, knowledge, attitudes, or conditions (Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach, p. 2). The purpose of establishing outcomes is to see if your programs are really making a difference. It is not enough to keep track of the numbers of fathers and family members who attend each of the programs. You want to know if the programs are actually making a difference in the lives of the fathers and their families. Outcomes not only allow you to provide accountability to funders, host agencies and others, they also allow you to improve your services. When you know how well the specific programs are doing and where some of the strengths and weaknesses are, it is much easier to refine, adapt, and develop new aspects of programming.

Goals, objectives, and outcomes need to be related specifically to the findings of your needs assessment.

MOSAIC CENTRE

The Mosaic Centre is a family resource centre for immigrant and refugee families with children aged 0 to 6.

The goal of the Mosaic Centre is to promote the health and social development of new Canadian and high risk families through prenatal, post-partum, and early childhood phases.

Some of the objectives of the Mosaic Centre are:

1. To foster the emotional, social, cognitive, and language development of children (0 - 6).
2. To foster supportive social relationships for families with young children in a transcultural setting.
3. To address and encourage parental well-being (psychological, emotional, and physiological).

Some outcomes for one of the programs of the Mosaic Centre, the Pre-School Program are:

1. Children have opportunities to socialize with others in a safe group environment.
2. Children increase skills in English in the areas of understanding, speaking, and vocabulary.
3. Parents increase involvement in child's school environment and education.
4. Parents learn skills to support children in school.

In review, the goal of a program is a global statement which helps explain the program briefly to others. Goals often answer the question, "What do you do at your fathering program, anyway?"

Objectives help to define what it is that staff and volunteers will be expected to do in the program and what fathers and families will expect to be involved in.

Outcomes are the measurable benefits that participants should experience as a result of being in the program. These outcomes help show that a program has truly made a difference in the lives of those who participated.

Ecological Map - Fathers

EXERCISE II-12: FIRST STEP - SETTING GOALS

RATIONALE:

This exercise will begin to guide participants through the process of creating a program goal.

INSTRUCTIONS:

You may choose to do this exercise either with a partner or in a small group. A group that is too large will offer too many divergent opinions and likely slow the process down.

1. Think about the program you are hoping to develop for fathers using all the information and knowledge you have gathered so far. Someone asks you what you think this program will be like or what it will do for the participants.
2. Begin by brainstorming descriptive words that might fit the program you are hoping to develop. Accept any words that are offered.
3. Categorize or group the brainstormed words using any categorization that seems appropriate - activities, benefits, knowledge, skills, and so on. For those of you familiar with mind mapping, this may prove useful at this point.
4. Using the words and the categories or a mind map, try to write one sentence that illustrates your vision. The statement could be something like: This is a program that will encourage immigrant and refugee fathers to be involved in the daily lives of their preschool children. Or the statement could look like: This program will encourage meaningful engagement among immigrant and refugee fathers and their preschool children. Or again, it could be something like: This program will provide opportunities for fathers and their preschool children to play and learn together in a safe, culturally appropriate setting.

As you write the statement, think about what is most important to you in the program. Try to think big; do not confine yourself to separate aspects of the program.

HANDOUT II-12: FIRST STEP - SETTING A GOAL

1. Brainstorm words that describe the program you hope to develop.
2. Categorize the words under headings such as: Activities Benefits Knowledge Skills Your own
3. Draw a mind map of the ideas for the program (if this is something you are familiar and comfortable with).
4. Now think big! Use the words, categories, and mind map to write a single statement. Your statement may begin something like: This fathering program will provide opportunities for fathers and their preschool children to..
5. Check your goal by asking yourself these questions.
   1. Someone asks you, "What is this fathering project you work with?" Would stating this goal satisfy them initially?
   2. Have you defined individual aspects of the program or have you stayed with a global description?
   3. Is the goal true to what you had initially intended to do with the program?

EXERCISE II-13: BE SPECIFIC - STATE OBJECTIVES

Next, tackle some objectives. Imagine you have hired a staff member to begin to implement the program. What specific aspects of the program will this staff member be responsible for? Write objectives that would explain to this staff member what his or her responsibilities will be and what fathers might expect to experience when they come to the program.

• How are your objectives different from the goal statement?
• Do they more clearly define program aspects?
• Do they specifically identify program components?
• Would they help you understand what it is that you would need to plan and prepare if you were the staff member?
• Would they help you decide whether or not you might like to attend the program if you were a father?

HANDOUT II-13: BE SPECIFIC - STATE OBJECTIVES

OBJECTIVES:

1. In your mind, begin to break down some of the specific aspects of the program as you now see it. List at least three objectives.
   1. __________________________________________________________
   2. __________________________________________________________
   3. __________________________________________________________
   4. __________________________________________________________
2. Ask yourself the following questions about your objectives.
   1. Are the objectives directly related to the goal?
   2. Do the objectives articulate individual aspects of the program?
   3. As a staff member, would the objectives help to clarify some of the activities you may be involved in while working at the centre?
   4. As a possible participant, would you have an understanding of what the program might offer you?
   5. How could the obj ectives be written more clearly to better address the questions above?

EXERCISE II-14: SO HOW WILL THE LIVES OF PARTICIPANTS' CHANGE? PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Finally, think of what you hope the participants would gain from being involved in the program. In what ways will their fathering skills have improved? How might they be better integrated into the community? What information might they now have to use in different fathering situations? How might their family relationships be strengthened? Write some outcomes for the program.

It might help you to think in terms of short, intermediate, and long term goals. For example, short term goals might include benefits that would be obvious when the fathers return home to their children tonight. Intermediate benefits might be observable over the period of a few weeks or months. Long term benefits will be ones that will be measurable among families as the preschool children move through school age into adolescence. Can you categorize the outcomes you have written into these three categories? Can you honestly hope for long term outcomes from what you envision your program to be or is it more realistic to focus on short and intermediate term outcomes? (You can hope for them, but will you be able to measure them?)

Compare your goals, objectives, and outcomes with other group members. How congruent are they? Do you have similar ideas of what this program might be and how it might benefit participants? If the goals, objectives, and outcomes are significantly different, what does that tell you? Is there room for compromise? Is it perhaps necessary to clarify how people are thinking about the program? Or is it that there are a wide range of program possibilities which need to be explored?

One final check of goals, objectives, and outcomes - compare your list of program goals objectives, and outcomes with those of the host agency and with those of the funders. Just as fathers nestle within an ecological map of family, community, and society, programs nestle within their host agencies and funders. The environmental factors presented by host agencies and funders will have a major impact on the program you will be offering.

Remember that these goals, objectives, and outcomes will undergo revision on a regular basis as the program development process moves along. The idea is to continually revisit these and see how closely your program is remaining true to the ideals on which it was founded.

HANDOUT II-14: SO HOW WILL THE LIVES OF PARTICIPANTS' CHANGE? PROGRAM OUTCOMES

OUTCOMES:

Outcomes are the specific benefits resulting from participating in the program. Try writing some outcomes by responding to the following questions. These benefits may be to the primary target group of the program (in this case, fathers) or a secondary group (spouses, children, or the family as a whole).

1. What new behaviours will the fathers demonstrate after involvement in the program?
2. What new knowledge (perhaps about child rearing, child development, guidance, learning through play) will the fathers acquire and be able to use in their daily lives with their children and families?
3. What skills (perhaps playing with, or talking and listening to their children) will be enhanced when the fathers interact with their children?
4. How might the attitudes (perhaps towards the role of father, caring for children, the importance of the early years) of the fathers in the program be influenced as a result of participating in the program?
5. Are there any other outcomes or benefits that you foresee for the fathers involved in the program? List these.
6. Are there other measurable outcomes that relate to the family, or family members, besides the father?
7. How are the outcomes that you have listed differ from objectives?
8. Do each of your outcomes refer specifically to benefits that fathers will receive? (Be sure that you have not listed outputs such as the number of programs attended.)

You might find it useful to look at whether your outcomes are:

• 4 Short Term (benefits fathers will be able to use when returning home from the program or within the next day or so);
• 4 Intermediate (benefits used over a period of a couple of weeks or months);
• OR 4 Long Term (benefits that will still be evident as the child moves from preschool into adolescence).

Try categorizing your outcomes in this way. Short Term Outcomes (benefits):

Intermediate Term Outcomes:

Long Term Outcomes: