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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 4, 2003 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Memorandum of Agreement with Orange County Dispute Settlement Center for <br />Animal Shelter Focus Groups <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Memorandum of Agreement <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Gwen Harvey, ext 2300 <br />Rosemary Summers, ext 2411 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider approving a memorandum of agreement with the Orange County <br />Dispute Settlement Center for planning and conducting focus groups for soliciting input on the <br />operation of the Orange County Animal Shelter. <br />BACKGROUND: The BOCC approved a proposal for an external assessment of the Orange <br />County Animal Shelter at a November 2002 meeting. This assessment consisted of two parts, <br />a comprehensive assessment conducted by the Humane Society of the United States, Inc. <br />(HSUS) and a focus group process to enhance the public input provided to the HSUS. The <br />Dispute Settlement Center was contacted and agreed to consider planning and conducting the <br />focus groups for this enhanced public input process. Since that meeting, staff has met with <br />Andy Sachs from the Dispute Settlement Center to further discuss the process and outcomes <br />desired from the enhanced public input process. The attached memorandum of agreement <br />outlines the work that the Board agreed to in principle at the November meeting. <br />Mr. Sachs has developed a process that includes both interviews of key informants to guide the <br />development of the focus group questions as well as to solicit input on focus group participants. <br />He is proposing planning and conducting five focus groups of approximately 8 people in each <br />group. Each session would last approximately 90 minutes and all would be organized around <br />the same discussion questions. Discussion questions will address customer expectations and <br />their experiences in dealing with the shelter on adoptions, volunteering, and overall public <br />interaction. A written report will be prepared and submitted to the HSUS for its inclusion in the <br />comprehensive assessment. Copies of the written report submitted to the HSUS will also be <br />made available to the County upon submission to HSUS. Mr. Sachs will also coordinate up- <br />front with the HSUS assessment team to ensure that this process will support and augment the <br />overall assessment. The time frame for the entire focus group process would begin