Navigating program evaluation amid health crises: Evaluator's experiences on conducting virtual focus group discussions

IF 1.5 4区社会学 Q2 SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-26 DOI:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102568

Lesedi Senamele Matlala

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Virtual Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) have become vital tools in program evaluations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they provide an adaptable alternative to traditional face-to-face methods. These virtual platforms, such as Google Meet, allow evaluators to engage diverse stakeholders and collect valuable insights despite geographical limitations. However, despite their increasing use, there remains a significant gap in understanding how evaluators in South Africa perceive and implement virtual methodologies in the context of program evaluations. This study aims to address this gap by reflecting on evaluators’ experiences with virtual FGDs, focusing particularly on Google Meet as the chosen platform. This research uses a reflective methodology to explore various aspects of virtual FGDs, such as participant engagement, technological proficiency, and data privacy challenges encountered during sessions. The findings reveal that while virtual FGDs provide enhanced accessibility and flexibility, they also present challenges related to participants’ digital literacy, technological infrastructure issues, and data privacy concerns. The study emphasizes the need for strategies to mitigate these challenges, including the provision of pre-session training for participants, enhancing digital infrastructure, and reinforcing data protection measures. Additionally, it recommends the implementation of hybrid models that combine virtual and in-person approaches to bridge the technological divide. This study contributes valuable insights into the experiences of evaluators conducting virtual FGDs in South Africa, offering practical recommendations for improving the effectiveness and inclusivity of virtual evaluations. Ultimately, virtual FGDs hold significant potential to enhance program evaluations in South Africa, but addressing the identified challenges is essential to maximizing their impact on the evaluation process.

查看原文本刊更多论文

在健康危机中导航项目评估：评估员在进行虚拟焦点小组讨论方面的经验

虚拟焦点小组讨论（fgd）已成为项目评估的重要工具，特别是在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间，它们为传统面对面方法提供了一种适应性强的替代方案。这些虚拟平台，如谷歌Meet，允许评估人员接触不同的利益相关者，并收集有价值的见解，尽管地理限制。然而，尽管越来越多地使用虚拟方法，但在了解南非的评估人员如何在项目评估的背景下感知和实施虚拟方法方面仍然存在重大差距。本研究旨在通过反思评估者使用虚拟fgd的经验来解决这一差距，特别关注谷歌Meet作为选择的平台。本研究采用反思性方法探索虚拟fgd的各个方面，如参与者参与度、技术熟练程度和会议期间遇到的数据隐私挑战。研究结果显示，虽然虚拟fgd提供了更高的可访问性和灵活性，但它们也带来了与参与者的数字素养、技术基础设施问题和数据隐私问题相关的挑战。该研究强调需要制定缓解这些挑战的战略，包括为参与者提供会前培训、加强数字基础设施和加强数据保护措施。此外，它还建议实施混合模型，将虚拟和面对面的方法结合起来，以弥合技术鸿沟。本研究为评估人员在南非开展虚拟fgd的经验提供了宝贵的见解，为提高虚拟评估的有效性和包容性提供了切实可行的建议。最终，虚拟fgd在加强南非的项目评估方面具有巨大的潜力，但是解决已确定的挑战对于最大限度地发挥其对评估过程的影响至关重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Evaluation and Program Planning SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY-

CiteScore

3.10

自引率

6.20%

发文量

112

期刊介绍： Evaluation and Program Planning is based on the principle that the techniques and methods of evaluation and planning transcend the boundaries of specific fields and that relevant contributions to these areas come from people representing many different positions, intellectual traditions, and interests. In order to further the development of evaluation and planning, we publish articles from the private and public sectors in a wide range of areas: organizational development and behavior, training, planning, human resource development, health and mental, social services, mental retardation, corrections, substance abuse, and education.