18 - Integrating Restorative Practices and Focus Groups: The story of how an evaluation team prioritized healing and community over data collection to the benefit of all

Abstract Information: Sometimes, evaluations occur because of a tragedy, leaving participants exhausted, guarded, unresponsive, or unwilling to participate. This session will recount specific strategies and examples of integrating restorative practices into focus groups, from collaboration with the Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition. CCNY used these practices to understand a historically traumatized community’s unmet needs following racially motivated murders. The underlying premise of restorative practices rests with the belief that people will make positive changes when those in positions of authority do things with them rather than to them or for them (Wachtel & Costello, 2009). Restorative practices enhance focus group methodology by shifting power dynamics and prioritizing participants’ needs over collecting data. Restorative practices share similar principles of being trauma-informed, aiming to establish safety, choice, collaboration, trust, and empowerment. Incorporating these practices and principles creates an environment in which participants can provide honest and robust feedback to focus groups. The benefits, processes, and challenges of implementing restorative practices into focus groups to empower participants to tell their stories, while still gathering information, will be explored.

Relevance Statement: The underlying premise of restorative practices rests with the belief that people will make positive changes when those in positions of authority do things with them rather than to them or for them (Wachtel & Costello, 2009). Integrating restorative practices into focus groups allows healing space for participants alongside data collection. The field of evaluation stands to benefit from considering the utilization of restorative practices within certain qualitative data collection opportunities because it further enhances participants’ abilities to be active listeners, allows for self-expression, fosters stronger relationships with one another, and establishes high control and high support in participants, leaving them empowered to respond to focus group questions openly. Particularly for evaluations that occur in the aftermath of tragedy, recognizing the importance of prioritizing healing and community is the only way forward. When working with communities that have experienced trauma, basic needs around safety and trust must be met for evaluation participants to engage in evaluation activities and provide meaningful information (Maslow, 1943). Furthermore, the integration of restorative practices into focus groups within communities that have not experienced trauma is also beneficial in that the environment fostered increases rapport, trust, and comfort, resulting in more honest and robust feedback.

References: Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370–396.; Wachtel & Costello (2009), The Restorative Practices Handbook, International Institute for Restorative Practices