Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Mar 18, 2021
Open Peer Review Period: Mar 22, 2021 - May 22, 2021
Date Accepted: Apr 20, 2022
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Digital transformation of face-to-face focus group methodology: engaging a globally dispersed audience in management of institutional change at the World Health Organization
ABSTRACT
Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) are widely used to obtain qualitative data from purposely selected groups of people. This article describes how the Learning and Capacity Development Unit (LCD) of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) digitalized FGDs to engage with WHO staff from around the world, to listen, share, and collect their feedback, in the development of a WHO learning framework. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of local lockdowns and travel restrictions resulted in the wide use of digital platforms, such as Zoom, for employee communications and collaboration capable of reaching employees wherever they are working. The LCD/WHE team drew upon the experience of WHO colleagues from human resources, country, and regional offices to set up and hold FGDs in six languages with participants from all WHO regions. Building on the findings of a 2019 WHO staff survey which was part of a comprehensive, organization-wide career development initiative, the digitalised FGDs allowed for the exchange of substantive feedback, novel ideas, and alignment, connecting across different geographies, disciplines, and levels of seniority. As a result, FGDs can be conducted successfully online, but it is essential to remove barriers to participation by adopting a multilingual and flexible approach in multinational and international organizations such as WHO.
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