Community Engagement through Focus Group Discussions

Self-Study Certificate Course

Focus groups connect development initiatives directly with community priorities. When we listen actively and respond to local insights, projects become more effective and sustainable. Yet when focus groups are poorly planned or facilitated, organizations face:

• Interventions that miss the mark because they're based on assumptions rather than community realities
• Wasted resources on solutions that don't address local priorities or cultural contexts
• Loss of community trust
• Sustainability challenges when projects lack community ownership from the start
• Missed opportunities to leverage local knowledge and innovative solutions

This practical training transforms how you engage communities through focus group discussions.

Through effective focus group facilitation, you can:

• Design interventions that fully reflect community needs and aspirations
• Build trust and ownership for sustainability
• Generate rich qualitative data that complements quantitative findings
• Create spaces where marginalized voices are heard
• Transform community insights into concrete project improvements

Who This Is For

This training is for people working in relief, development, or humanitarian contexts aiming to strengthen their community engagement capabilities. It's ideal for:

• Field staff conducting needs assessments or gathering community feedback
• Project managers and officers seeking to incorporate community voices into program design
• M&E teams aiming to enrich their data with qualitative insights
• Community engagement specialists wanting systematic facilitation approaches
• Development practitioners transitioning to more participatory methodologies

No prior experience needed—the course delivers clear, practical guidance for newcomers while providing strategic insights and advanced applications for seasoned practitioners.

How You'll Learn

This course offers a self-paced, practical learning experience, combining study materials, reflections, exercises, and end-of-module assessments. Designed around the real-world challenges faced by humanitarian and development professionals, the course encourages you to pause, reflect, and actively develop skills you can confidently apply to your own context as you learn.

Flexible self-study
Access practical downloadable video presentations, transcripts, handouts, exercises, templates and tasks, allowing you to learn and apply skills at your own pace.

Knowledge checks
Assessments at the end of each module test your understanding, reinforce learning, and help you reflect on key concepts.

Course Discussion Forum
Share questions, insights, and challenges with peers. Instructor Neil Kendrick monitors and responds regularly to support your progress.

Certificate of completion
Successfully complete all modules and assessments to receive your certificate.

Impact Stories

Includes:

• Lifetime access to comprehensive modules with downloadable videos, handouts, and transcripts
• Practical templates and planning tools for immediate application
• End-of-module assessments and certificate of completion
• Course discussion forum to share insights and questions with peers

Course developed and presented by Neil Kendrick, founder of ELD Impact, with 25+ years of experience training humanitarian professionals across 20+ countries.