THE ROLE OF FOCUS GROUPS IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF USER NEEDS AND DATAAVAILABILITY

Federal agencies with survey responsibilities often face competing dem ands. On the one hand, data users frequently require additional inform ation or more detailed information in order to address current issues. On the other hand, data providers, citing increased respondent burden and, possibly, a lack of specific data, often resist changes to exist ing survey forms. This article describes how the EIA simplified the de velopment of an expanded version of the Manufacturing Energy Consumpti on Survey (MECS) through the use of focus groups. These focus groups d efined user needs and examined the feasibility of collecting these dat a.