[nfbmi-talk] : mcr Wants Consumer Input??

Joe Sontag suncat0 at gmail.com
Mon Mar 16 19:44:24 UTC 2015


Why don't we take them up on it and see where the thing goes.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Terry D. Eagle via nfbmi-talk" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 18:38
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] : mcr Wants Consumer Input??


: What? Why?  Is this for real, or an early April Fools joke?
: 
: Why would a state consumer council in Michigan decide to seek consumer input
: all of a sudden?
: 
: 
: 
:  
: 
: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE - METHODOLOGIES FOR GAINING INPUT
: 
: 
: 
: Purpose for Discussion: 
: 
: In the Fall of 2014, the MRS State Director informed the MCRS Chair and
: Executive Director (ED) that she would like the Council to host customer
: focus groups around the state.  Since that time the three primary MCRS work
: teams have had discussion about this opportunity and determined that the
: Council should create a plan for implementation.  The Executive Team
: directed staff to place the above discussion topic on today's agenda, so
: that initial input could be gathered and used for the focus group
: operational plan.  The Chair will designate a short term Ad Hoc Work Team to
: consider input and membership direction gained from today's discussion along
: with other materials regarding the implementation of customer focus groups.
: The charge for this short term team will be to make recommendations to the
: Executive Team (ET) based on their findings. 
: 
: 
: 
: The above purpose for the discussion was presented by the ED and the
: document of questions included in the meeting folder was reviewed. 
: 
: 
: 
: What is the value of direct customer input?
: 
: *        Good opportunity to sit down with someone in management to talk
: about customer experience and get honest feedback
: 
: 
: 
: What are we missing?  What kind of information do you want to gather? What
: questions will be asked? How will they be asked?
: 
: *        Opportunities for customers to be able to exchange information,
: help keep them in the loop, to feel empowered.
: 
: *        Forum for getting information out to customers to tell them 'why
: MRS is doing what it's doing'.
: 
: 
: 
: Who is the target audience?  Customers only?  MRS only? BSBP? Both? The
: larger disability community?
: 
: 
: 
: The ED reported that historically, when facilitating employment focus
: groups, the Council would connect with district offices to reach out to
: customers who had plans signed and/or cases closed successfully/not
: successfully.  About seven years ago, the State Director asked the Council
: to host Focus Groups in the Detroit area to gain input about the service
: system.  The groups were held three times and were a great success, with
: excellent attendance and findings were embraced by MRS to strengthen their
: system for customers. 
: 
: 
: 
: *        It was suggested to ask CILSs to do outreach to their customer
: population, there could be more than one population to connect with in a
: community.  
: 
: 
: 
: *        Start with overview of what VR services are intended to do for
: customers, remind them of what system is supposed to do for them.  Successes
: shared, challenges raised.
: 
: 
: 
: *        We should have the ability to conduct multiple focus groups, may be
: distinctions between MRS, BSBP, other customers, along with different points
: in the process, the beginning, middle, end of VR and/or post-employment
: groups?
: 
: 
: 
: *        There may be local/regional/macro differences to consider -
: 2-pronged approach.
: 
: 
: 
: *        What emphasis should be considered for services to transition youth
: with the anticipated changes with the implementation of WIOA?  What are the
: expectations of everyone involved, the students, VR, and Education?
: 
: 
: 
: *        Collaboration is important with VR/schools/universities to work
: together with customers in so many different places in the VR process.
: 
: 
: 
: *        Widen the scope and ask questions, if they were going to do a focus
: group, what kind of information would you want to ask for?  The ED reported
: that they have done this in the past - interesting responses, some of the
: best ideas came from customers. MRS Orientation process tends to become
: rote, feedback from audience was to "back up" and provide more definitions
: with face to face interactions.
: 
: 
: 
: *        For customers, they want to know what their rights are.
: Frustrations with counselors.
: 
: 
: 
: *        It was suggested to contact the Comprehensive Statewide Needs
: Assessment committee to do determine if this kind of information could be
: added to the next three information gathering process. 
: 
: 
: 
: *        Issue discussed about how not all customers may be aware of
: services provided by CAP.  
: 
: 
: 
: *        What is the customer experience?  What are the themes?  What
: impacts affect services to customers?
: 
: 
: 
: Is this something the Council wants to pursue?  
: 
: *        Consensus was reached to move this project forward. Members
: expressed lots of interest in member participation, helping to do the work,
: participate in the process.
: 
: 
: 
: *        From experience as a Council member, have learned that services
: differ so across the state, based on match differences/local agreements,
: transitions services.  Different areas/groups could take on a different way
: to facilitate the focus groups.
: 
: 
: 
: The Chair will designate a short-term ad hoc work team to discuss the
: logistics and a timeline for the process.
: 
: 
: 
: In the past, the Council has provided a meal for customer attendees of focus
: groups and also a travel stipend to cover transportation costs.
: 
: 
: 
: What do members think about the need for geographic diversity?
: 
: 
: 
: *       Consensus on having them all over the state. Look at what has been
: completed by other organization's final reports (Community Rehabilitation
: Organizations (CROs, the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC),
: the Centers for Independent Living (CILs) etc.).  CROs and CILs will help
: get people to attend the focus groups.
: 
: 
: 
: What is the value of the information/input from customers?  What do we do
: with the information after we have received it?  If the members determine
: themes from comments made at a focus group, how do you know it's credible?
: 
: 
: 
: *       Info gathered would be good info for Council to put into the State
: Plan.  Beforehand, what do you want to ask customers?  What do you want to
: know from them?
: 
: 
: 
: *       CROs and CILs could host focus groups, both would want to have input
: to the questions before they were asked, with a lot of variation needed
: around the state.
: 
: 
: 
: Will data be anecdotal?  Qualitative?  Quantitative?
: 
: *        The focus group provides face to face conversations, which are the
: value of the information you receive.
: 
: *        Would want to look for trends - positive or negative.
: 
: *        Would the State Plan be a driving force for designing the survey
: questions/tool?
: 
: 
: 
: Should DSU staff be able to attend the focus groups?  
: 
: *        If counselors are present, it could skew the data.  One member
: thought that maybe not if counselors that were present worked in other
: regions of the state.  Members seemed to be in agreement that this would not
: be an option.   
: 
: 
: 
: Check with other SRCs to see what they have done to both gain customer input
: and then what did they do with the collected customer data?
: 
: 
: 
: The Council needs to determine how they want to proceed, the creation of an
: implementation plan and how the findings will be utilized.  
: 
: 
: 
: *        An example was shared of an Assistive Technology Grant application
: that needed direct needs information from people around the state. Focus
: Groups were created and implemented, utilized RICCS (from the MDDC) to get
: people to attend.  It was amazing how much information was obtained and
: different in each community.  They did receive the grant following this
: process.  Question asked:  what kind of AT do you dream of?  Generally
: people wanted ease for activities of daily living.
: 
: *        Need to determine what the State Director wants to get from these
: focus groups.
: 
: 
: 
: NEXT STEPS:  move forward, get more information, involve partners, and ask
: partners the questions discussed by Council today.  Establish the internal
: MCRS Ad Hoc Short Term Work Team. 
: 
: 
: 
: *        What does a representative sample need to be to be able to effect
: change?  Or do we still want to learn the information regardless of the
: presence of representative samples?
: 
: 
: 
: *        In the past, even with small groups of customers, still resulted in
: big changes in policy, system services, etc.
: 
: 
: 
: *        Training centers/schools would seem to be a good representative of
: customers statewide to the VR programs.  With request for focus groups
: coming directly from state director, it is anticipated that all input will
: be welcome.
: 
: 
: 
: Washington State General SRC example was shared that they received mailing
: lists of customers to invite them to public comment, with follow-up phone
: calls to remind them of opportunity.  How does that happen with the need for
: customer confidentiality? Would need customer releases signed by customers,
: or VR staff would have to call customers.  Due to confidentiality, Council
: members/staff would not be able to call customers. The ED will talk with the
: Washington SRC Staff to find out more about their process for phone calls to
: customers.
: 
: 
: 
: Accessibility of invitations/preferred formats would need to be considered.
: 
: 
: 
: What about a Pilot opportunity?  Create a plan and see how the process goes?
: Tweak as needed to improve for next focus groups.
: 
: 
: 
: The ED asked Sue Howell, what is it that you want to gain from the MCRS
: Focus Groups?
: 
: Her response: We need to learn what customers think about the VR system,
: where is it weak/not serving them? Get input on new initiatives - proactive,
: not reactive.  Incorporate businesses in the process in the future to get
: business involved.  Need to refine both sides of VR - services to customers
: and also to businesses.  Looking to create better efficiencies, improve
: processes.  With businesses, need to listen to what their needs are and how
: can VR do better.
: 
: 
: 
: *        It is important to remember that any data collected needs to be
: taken verbatim the way it was received.  If we change their story, it then
: becomes distorted and no longer contextually sound. 
: 
: 
: 
: S. Howell expressed concern about the separateness of all of the systems,
: the need to work together more, find the common ground. Questions should be
: designed so that gaps, disconnects between program and business services are
: revealed. 
: 
: *        MRS hasn't always served business customer in the same way that
: customers have been served.  Governor's initiatives, etc. trying to
: demonstrate a more comprehensive approach to VR - business and VR customers
: are both customers.  Good to hear.
: 
: 
: 
: S. Howell reported that MRS has had a reduction in new customers and
: referrals for services. They are looking for ways to be more assertive.
: Businesses need to gain a better understanding for all that MRS has to
: offer.  New initiatives (Governor's Summit and others) are helping to show
: businesses what MRS can do for them and their employees. Conversations about
: 'culture' are having an impact as well.  There should be a 360 degree
: provision of VR services thru BSBP and MRS. The MRS focus for this year is
: implementation and alignment of systems they connect with.  
: 
: 
: 
: Veterans Administration (VA) perspective shared.  The VA has also been
: adopting the 'dual' customer approach.  In-depth, comprehensive engagement
: at all levels for all cultural perspectives/distinctions, they have found it
: is a much more effective way to educate and inform both customers. 
: 
: 
: 
: *        Should focus groups be held for businesses as well?  This could
: take place in the future, though a need to be separate from applicants. 
: 
: 
: 
: S. Howell stated that she sees focus groups as becoming a VR report card, do
: them frequently enough for VR to be able to tweak/change systems to improve
: services to customers, including businesses.  
: 
: 
: 
: The ED stated that there continues to be consensus to move the focus group
: project forward.  The members who are interested in joining the short term
: work team include: Trina, Caryn, Sharon, Mike, Zach, Brian, Carol. Adam
: indicated his interest when planning for the business arena.  The DSU
: Liaisons will be:  MRS:  Jim Bunton and BSBP: Lisa Kisiel.  The ED will
: contact SILC for a representative, along with Todd Culver at MARO.
: 
:


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