A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) is a small group discussion facilitated by a trained moderator. It gathers people with similar backgrounds or experiences to discuss a specific topic of interest. FGDs can be organised with different groups and, depending on the project aims and context, may be divided by age or based on another dimension. The facilitator introduces topics for discussion and helps group members to participate.
FGDs provide a platform for people to talk with each other. They can be conducted with children.
When conducted with children, FGDs are usually paired with participatory and creative activities. For example, during FGDs conducted by Save the Children in Kabul, Afghanistan, while facilitators gathered children’s views on their daily lives and experiences, ‘body mapping’ (See Tool 9) was integrated as well. See ‘The Children of Kabul: Discussions with Afghan families’ (2003).