Capacity Building Through Focus Group Training in Community-Based Participatory Research
Education for Health Dec 2011
RHCP and the Hawthorne Education Center (HEC) in Rochester, Minnesota, collaborated to build community research capacity through focus group training within a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework. The initiative aimed to empower community members - primarily immigrants and refugees - with qualitative research skills to explore health concerns, particularly tuberculosis. Twenty-seven participants, including both community and academic members, underwent a structured training program that included workshops, practice sessions, and real-world application through ten focus groups. These sessions were designed and led by the trainees, who took on roles such as moderators, note-takers, and analysts. The training emphasized cultural sensitivity, active listening, and participant engagement, resulting in improved trust, stronger partnerships, and enhanced community ownership of the research process.
The program evaluation showed that community members gained proficiency in focus group facilitation, with noticeable improvements in data quality over time. The initiative also fostered institutional change at HEC, where focus groups became a standard tool for informing policy and programming. Despite challenges such as participant attrition and the time-intensive nature of training, the project demonstrated the feasibility and value of equipping community members with research skills. The model has since been replicated, and trained individuals have applied their skills in other community contexts, contributing to broader health equity efforts. This approach highlights the potential of CBPR to not only generate meaningful data but also build sustainable research infrastructure within underserved communities.