Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Focus Groups topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Work group schedules focus groups to inform bias-reporting effort; sign-up deadline removed
Summary
The Bias and Hate Incident Reporting Work Group scheduled two community focus groups to gather input for a town reporting system; the Jan. 13 session has 20 slots (six registered) and the advertised Jan. 2 deadline was removed to encourage late sign-ups.
The Bias and Hate Incident Reporting Work Group said it will hold community focus groups to solicit input for a future townwide bias-reporting system.
Debbie Dorfman, who is organizing the sessions, said Focus Group 1 is set for Jan. 13 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the Harvey Wheeler building. The session has 20 total slots and six people already signed up. Organizers plan a second session in late January or early February, pending library room availability and additional advertising. Ms. Dorfman told the group that late sign-ups are being accepted rather than enforcing the advertised Jan. 2 deadline.
The group agreed to remove the Jan. 2 deadline to avoid discouraging participation and assigned Ms. Begley to update the focus-group description posted on the town website. Daniel Hart and other members stressed the importance of outreach to ensure the sample is representative of Concord residents; Sandeep Pisharody said he promoted the focus group at a recent School Committee meeting and planned to mention it again on Jan. 7.
The focus groups are intended to inform the design of a reporting system by gathering real-world experiences and community priorities. Organizers said they will analyze the feedback at the next meeting on Jan. 15 and use it to shape recommendations for how the town collects and follows up on bias- and hate-related reports.
The work group approved routine minutes at the start of the meeting; no other formal votes were taken on the focus-group plans.
