San Leandro Research Proposal
R e a d y t o L a u n c h R e s e a r c h
April 2023
San Leandro Public Library offers services and programming to the local community. As an area that has undergone significant demographic shifts in the past 30 years, SLPL would like to learn more about how they can better serve the community and have a wider reach.
Considering that San Leandro is one of the most diverse communities in the Bay Area, SLPL would like to refine programming and services so that they are accessed by the greatest number of community members.
The goal of the research is to determine:
▪ In what areas is SLPL excelling? What can be improved? ▪ How can SLPL increase the number of cardholders?
▪ What services and programming is desired for different age groups and demographics?
▪ What are the consumer behaviors around libraries that need to be accounted for when designing programs and services?
▪ How can SLPL become a community hub as is trending in other major cities such as Austin and Charleston?
▪ What are the communication gaps in the community?
▪ Do any building modifications need to be made to better serve the community? R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 02
R E S E A R CH
R E QU E ST
FOCUS GROUPS
We recommend conducting focus groups with community members.
Focus groups will be held on site at SLPL, each will be 2 hours in length.
We will recruit 48 total respondents to participate in 6 focus groups:
▪ Group 1 ages 16-25, SLPL card holders
▪ Group 2 ages 16-25, non-members
▪ Group 3 Parents of children 3-16 SLPL card holders
▪ Group 4 Parents of children 3-16 non-members
▪ Group 5 Seniors 65+ SLPL card holders
▪ Group 6 Seniors 65+ non-members
▪ Group 7 African American Parents of children 3-16 SLPL card holders* ▪ Group 8 African American Parents of children 3-16 non-members ▪ Group 9 African American 65+ SLPL card holders
▪ Group 10 African American 65+ non-members
MULTICULTURAL RESEARCH
In addition to the English language groups, RTL will conduct:
▪ 2 focus groups in Spanish; this will include 1 group of members, 1 group of non-members ▪ 2 focus groups in Mandarin; this will include 1 group of members, 1 group of non-members All study design materials and stimuli will be translated into Spanish and Mandarin. We will engage local recruiters fluent in the relevant languages to ensure that we have good cultural representation of both groups. We will recruit 8 to seat 6 in all groups.
R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 03
R E S E A R CH
R E QU E ST
*Groups 7-10 will be moderated by
an African American moderator to ensure
cultural sensitivity
KEY OPINION LEADER INTERVIEWS
We recommend conducting individual interviews with San Leandro community leaders (KOLs).
We will conduct 5 in total to understand community needs and perspectives on how to grow programs and services:
▪ Individual interviews will be 1 hour in length
▪ Each will be conducted remotely to accommodate the leaders’ schedules. ▪ SLPL can sit in on remote discussions and ask follow up questions ▪ SLPL will aid in the recruiting of these leaders
▪ **RTL will interview up to two additional Spanish speaking KOLs free of charge
LIBRARY VOLUNTEER FOCUS GROUPS
We recommend conducting focus groups with library volunteers to garner feedback on how to better serve the community. This will include teens and senior citizens, including participants in the Friends of the Library program.
▪ Group 1 Teens
▪ Group 2 Teens
▪ Group 3 Seniors
▪ Group 4 Adults/seniors
R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 04
R E S E A R CH
R E QU E ST
SLPL Internal Stakeholder Interviews
Ready to Launch recommends conducting focus groups with staff, leadership, and the commission. The sample of internal stakeholders should include employees from all branches of the SLPL.
Focus groups will be held on Zoom during normal business hours. They will be 90 minutes in length and we will solicit feedback on library improvements, how to better serve the community, and any unmet needs that the employees perceive among members.
For online groups we recommend a max of 6 participants per online session. ▪ Group 1 Library Leadership
▪ Group 2 Library Commission (In person, 9 total respondents) ▪ Group 3 Staff
▪ Group 4 Staff
▪ Group 5 Staff
▪ Group 6 Staff
*The focus group with the Library Commission will be held in person and will have up to 9 participants.
This will be conducted in the evening.
*Up to 3 members of the Library Commission who are unable to attend can opt to be interviewed individually at no additional cost.
R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 05
R E S E A R CH
R E QU E ST
R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 06
P R OJ E CT F E E S
2 4 F O C U S G R O U P S +
5 I D I s
Schedule of Fees TOTALS
Cost Per Recruit / English To recruit English speaking community members from San Leandro. 6 focus groups with 8 to seat 6= 48 total recruits @$250 each $12,000.00 Cost Per Recruit / African American To recruit African Americans from the San Leandro community. 4 focus groups with 8 to seat 6= 32 total recruits @$250 each $8,000.00 Cost Per Recruit / Spanish To recruit Spanish speaking community members from San Leandro. 2 focus groups with 8 to seat 6= 16 total recruits @$300 each $4,800.00 Cost Per Recruit / Chinese To recruit Mandarin speaking community members from San Leandro. 2 focus groups with 8 to seat 6= 16 total recruits @$350 each $5,600.00 Scheduling Fees/ Volunteers 4 groups of 8 participants, 32 total respondents @ $75 each for scheduling. SLPL to provide contact info $2,400.00 Incentives / Honoraria for participating in focus groups, $150 each for community members, KOLS, and volunteers, 149 total respondents $22,350.00 Incentive Distribution / $5 per person for incentive distribution. 149 across all groups $745.00 KOLs Recruiting San Leandro team to recruit 5 KOLs on behalf of the study, fee for scheduling, confirming, and up to one reschedule per; $75 per person $375.00 Moderation/ Volunteers 4 focus groups, 2 hours each on site, $1200 per group $4,800.00 Moderation / Focus Groups English 6 focus groups, 2 hours each on site, $1200 per group for community members $7,200.00 Moderation / Focus Groups African
American 4 focus groups, 2 hours each on site, $1500 per group $6,000.00 Moderation / Focus Groups Spanish 2 focus groups, 2 hours each on site, $1500 per group $3,000.00 Moderation / Focus Groups Chinese 2 focus groups, 2 hours each on site, $1800 per group $3,600.00 Moderation / Internal Groups (6) 90 minute online groups with library staff, commission and leadership; max 6 people per group @$900 each $5,400.00 Moderation / KOLs Expert interviews to be conducted via Zoom; client to receive recordings and sit in on discussions if desired; $400 each $2,000.00 Debriefing time To discuss all aspects of research, including frequent check in calls re: design and recruiting; assume 8 hours $2,000.00 Reporting For a comprehensive report on findings and strategic recommendations ($1000 per group + $200 per KOL) $25,000.00 Reporting Debrief For download of Mandarin groups $1,200.00 Recordings Recordings of all sessions online and in person $0.00 Refreshments for focus groups 10 on site groups, $150 per for snacks and drinks $1,500.00 Research Design To design recruiting instrument and qualitative discussion guides for community, KOLs, internal $4,000.00 Translation Of discussion guide and screener into Mandarin and Spanish $1,000.00 Subtitling Of Library news story into Spanish and Mandarin $1,000.00 Strategic Plan To compose strategic plan for SLPL $10,000.00 Project Management To ensure project runs on time and in scope $16,000.00 Total $149,970.00
Deposit Required $74,985.00
R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 07
PROJECT TIMELINE
We recommend the following timeline for SLPL Research
WEEK# ACTIVITY
Week 1-2
Project confirmation and kickoff; research screener written and approved; research design approved
Week 3-6
Recruiting conducted for community members, KOLs and SLPL card holders; Internal Stakeholder focus groups online, KOL Interviews online Week 7-8
Research conducted online for Library Commission, volunteers, and community groups in person (10 days in field)
Week 9-12 Data analysis and reporting
Week 13 Final Presentation
Week 17 Strategic Plan Submitted
R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 08
Ready to Launch Team
President and Founder
Jenny Karubian Moderator and
Qualitative Specialist
Kate Hartzell
Moderator
Anisa Alamia
Director of Qualitative
Research
Ellyn Charap
Moderator and
Qualitative Specialist
Jen Cox
Moderator & Quantitative
Specialist
Andy Hessabi
Ready to Launch Research is a team of market researchers well versed in digital qualitative methods.
Previous Educational Clients:
• University of Michigan
• Ross University of Veterinary Medicine
• Chamberlain University
• American University of the Caribbean
School of Medicine
• Walden University
• Ross University Medical School
• La Salle College Preparatory
• San Diego School of Continuing Education
• Pearson Education Inc.
R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 09
Baylee DeCastro, MPP is a strategy, community engagement, and evaluation research consultant with over 20 years of experience partnering with nonprofit and government organizations to achieve community health outcomes and lasting social change. In her consulting practice, Baylee’s clients include academic health centers, foundations, community leaders, government agencies and departments, and grassroots organizations. She provides strategic planning, healthcare philanthropy, policy advocacy, civic engagement, communications and evaluation research services. She has generated over $30 million for her clients to meet their mission and make an impact. Baylee has a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies from UCLA.
She is the founding Director of Strategy and Community Partnerships for the UCSF Center for Child and Community Health based at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland. In this role, she leads organizational strategy, community partnership, and sustainability efforts.
Baylee manages a portfolio of programs designed to promote child health equity across the Center’s three strategic initiatives: Social Determinants of Health; Resilience; and Ready to Learn Early Success Initiative.
Baylee serves on the Board of Directors for the National Latina Institute of Reproductive Justice. In 2021, she was appointed by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to serve on the Steering Committee for All-In Alameda County, a regional anti-poverty initiative based in the Social Services Agency. Baylee was a founding member of the National Advisory Board of the UCSF Lesbian Health & Research Center and alumnae of the Women’s Foundation of California’s Women’s Policy Institute. She has both lead and participated in an array of diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism and belonging efforts including unconscious bias training and DEIB champion certification. Baylee is a proud queer bi-cultural Latina from San Francisco’s Mission District. She lives in Oakland with her partner and their two dogs, Hamish and Cypress.
R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 10
Case Study: La Salle College Preparatory
A private college preparatory school in southern California approved RTL Research with a request to understand declining enrollment with the intention of boosting it for the following academic year. RTL conducted 4 surveys and 6 focus groups with parents and teens to gain comprehensive knowledge of why parents and students choose schools, their decision-making processes, and the competitive set of schools in the local area.
Using data learned in the study, La Salle College Preparatory has seen an 20% boost in application numbers for the upcoming school year. They have reshaped their recruitment activities, honed their social media presence, and gained a greater understanding of student/parent needs.
Below is a review that the client published for RTL on Clutch.co a business directory. ▪ P R O J E C T K I C K O F F
• 50% of the total project costs must be received to kick off work • Prices and dates are not guaranteed until final SOW is delivered and executed by both parties • RTL Research will design, manage, moderate and report findings; client will approve project collateral (discussion guide, screener)
• RTL Research has budgeted 2 weeks for reporting, which includes time for refinement, 1 round of revisions and client builds.
• KOL and Staff research will be conducted via an online platform; clients can log in and view the community and ask backroom questions to the moderator.
• SLPL will assist in recruiting KOLs and volunteers
• This is based upon using the San Leandro Public Library facilities for live research. Facility costs not included
• Completion sample size may vary based on participation attrition • Recruitment is on a “best efforts” basis
▪ R E S E A R C H
▪ R E C R U I T I N G
T HE F I NE
P R I NT
R E A D Y T O L A U N C H R E S E A R C H 11