Focus Groups

Wanted to sign up for being a part of focus groups but RCSC has not responded to my questions. The call for participants just said you had to be available all day which is ridiculous--you should be able to sign up for a block of time and one needs to know where they will be held since not all of us have personal transportation....Anyone have any more details?

 

This should help you…signup for your preferred date, sessions are only 45 minutes. ASU will contact you after March 14 and assign your time & location. If you can’t make it, decline, stuff happens! Thanks for choosing to participate.

Your Participation in the "Next Step" is Requested RCSC is excited to announce the next stage of the ASU/RCSC community project, which included the RCSC survey that ended February 6. Several small 45-minute Focus Group sessions will be created and led by Arizona State University personnel at the end of March in which all Sun City AZ residents may participate. The number of participants that respond will determine the number of Focus Groups created. Focus Groups will be asked a set of questions relating to the Sun City AZ community. If interested in participating before 5pm, you will need to be AVAILABLE ALL DAY on one of the dates below and will be assigned a date/time/location to appear: Saturday, March 25 Monday, March 27 Wednesday, March 29 Session times/locations will be assigned after Tuesday, March 14 via email depending on feedback and participant availability. Focus Groups will not exceed 8 participants and will be based on length of residency in Sun City. If you would like to be a Focus Group participant, please send an email to pcorsino@suncityaz.org no later than 4pm on Monday, March 13 with the following information: Name Number of Years in Sun City AZ Phone Number Email Address Date you are available all day (March 25, 27, 29) Mention if you are available only after 6pm Your initial email will be confirmed by RCSC, but you will then be contacted by an ASU representative after March 14 with further instructions. Let’s continue to FOCUS ON THE FUTURE together! (From RCSC Tuesday 03.07.23)

 

Be really nice to know the location, in SC or all the way to ASU.

 

This experience with the $50+k ASU/RCSC survey is very disappointing. Not expecting much confidence in results when presented.

 

So far the sessions are slated for Fairview and Bell but more locations may be added.

 

Yes, Thank you. They want participants yet keep crucial info from them until after they commit. Guess they assume we have huge openings in our schedules. NOT!

 

If I’m “assigned” an inconvenient time and/or location, I’ll just decline…I did request daytime with explanation of concern about lack of security in RCSC parking lots after dark! (Lack of technology to provide!)

 

Based on the survey itself and comments above, my expectations are very low. But I absolutely signed up anyway and encourage everyone to do so. Things get done by those that show up!

 

Right there with you, Jeb…hopeful assignment is manageable. These Focus groups are our two-cents vision casting opportunity!

 

I signed up and have a confirmation letter from RCSC. I agree that the survey was a waste of time, but possibly some posative result will come from these groups. If I can't attend when they schedule me, I'll decline.

 

I signed up too. Told they will be grouping us with people who have been in SC for a similar # of years.

 

Does anyone find it curious as to how we came about using ASU for this survey in the first place? It seems to me that we should have used a company that specialize in surveys, like surveyMonkey, IntelliSurvey, Global Survey, etc. I think most people would be more apt to fill out a survey if it takes them five minutes or less. I am consistently getting surveys from many of the events or businesses that I have recently frequented. It is usually sent within 1 or 2 days after I have used the service. Everything is fresh in my mind and quick and easy to fill out.

Also, why are we paying ASU to do this? I think this should be part of a thesis project or internship that the students decide to do.

I am also curious to hear how many people responded to be on the focus groups. Also, how did they choose who would be selected to be a part of the focus groups and what criteria did they look at when dividing respondents into each group? Did anyone get rejected, and if so, what was there reason?

 

It's hard to know how they determined what groups we are placed in; the only real information that could determine groups was length of time in SC. Hopefully 45 minutes with a group of 8 will gain us something.

 

GD, Not sure you are aware our Long Range Planning Committee tried to push a survey years ago and too many Board members were against it and said we needed a 'professional' survey. No idea why ASU was selected or, like you said, why we are paying them - especially given the questionable 'professionalism' of the survey.
As to length, I'm ok since previous Boards have been ignoring things for so long. Of course, repeating questions made it longer than necessary - lol. I 100% agree going forward they should be pushing shorter surveys more often - maybe once a month or for every major topic (5-10 questions?).
I believe they said everyone who volunteered would be selected - they would create as many time slots as necessary. And as Linda said - groupings will be be length of residency - but not sure why.

 

Welcome Green Dragon, great to have you join us. Lots of good points as this process has been flawed from near on the start. I saw the survey prepared by the long range planning committee and it was clear and to the point. The problem was, they asked about green space (golf courses) and that terrified some on the board and i suspect management as well. It was before the pandemic and before golf's resurgence when it was the only game in town (and when management found they could sell a boatload of half-price tee times to outsiders).

Someone correct me if i am wrong or mistaken in what i recall hearing last year. I thought when this 56k survey was being shoved through, the GM argued they went with ASU because they had done a similar survey in Sun City West and had the expertise. I'll have to go on the RCSCW website and see if i can find any data relative to it. I can't envision it was done as poorly as ours was.

Interestingly enough i am reading through the Sun City Home Owners Association from the mid-90's. OMG, it's like a bible and filled with data. Still early on but the title is "Study For The Future" and was done by a professional survey firm out of Oxford Mississippi. I'm reading the results from a 1000 resident phone surveys that included 85 questions. This was just one of 10 methods they used to reach both residents and businesses.

John Meeker used surveys constantly as DEVCO wanted to know what residents thought as they tried to shape the community to their liking. What a novel idea, using the members to determine future needs and wants rather than letting one person decide what was best for them.

I am really hopeful these focus groups are more personal and on point than the scatter-gunned questionnaire. We'll see eh?

 

I attended the second Focus group of the day, Saturday, March 25, 2023, 11 am-11:45am at Lakeview.

It was comprised of eight Sun City residents who have lived here 10 - 19 years. Sixteen were scheduled. Group One had those living here 20+ years, 10 were scheduled, five attended.

Wendy Hultsman, ASU Emeritus Professor, School of Community Resources & Development (CRD) Assoc Professor Emeritus, Emeritus College guided the discussion. Two students assisted.

The purpose was to brainstorm, fine tuning a couple of things. Two questions were presented separately with attendees offering their opinions.

Wendy wrote each suggestion on white sheets of paper taped to the wall. No white board in Social Hall #3. I’m not sharing what our group responded. I don’t want to influence your potential answers.

QUESTIONS

1. Provide information to help with marketing and branding Sun City, specifically the Recreation Centers.
WHY WOULD RESIDENTS CHOOSE OUR RECREATION CENTERS? (current & prospective)

2. WHAT DOES THE BOARD NEED TO WORK ON?

After lively participation, the sheet with nine answers to question number two was placed flat on the participant table.

Wendy gave each person a row of nine blue sticky dots to vote for which answers they felt were most important.

You could put all nine on one answer or distribute however you wanted.

Then, our group left as our 45 minutes was up and another group would be coming.

I think it was a productive and revealing session. Looking forward to the accumulated findings when reported.

If you received a date and time to participate, PLEASE GO!

 

My group meets Monday

 

I responded and requested today, Monday. Never heard back. Guess I’m the wrong demographic.

 

I think those requests to be assigned to a focus group needed to be in by a set date a week or two back SM. I have heard positive comments about the moderator running them. She apparently comes with a wealth of expertise and a background in long range planning. We've been sorely lacking in any real strategic plan so perhaps this is the first step in a very long journey. We'll see.

 

Hi Bill, My reply with date preference was sent back to Polly on March 10, three days after receiving the focus group invitation. I emailed her last night about this and she promptly replied with an apology and is looking into how this might have been missed.

I had a thought on the current planning energy this morning. Appears this newest effort and results are to be sheaved alongside or into the Long Range Planning Committee. I have no issue with the LRPC and their work to date however, what I see facing RCSC is an immediate need for a course correction in its strategic planning scope and execution. Not sure if LRPC is the the appropriate venue for this.

In brief, we’ve fallen about 10-15 years behind in almost all areas and need effective, short term solutions/corrections to halt the slide.

I’ve expressed interest to Polly in the “action plan” working group but unclear how that selection process will work and/or if my work travel schedule can be accommodated.

We’ll see.