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Focus groups (specially structured small group interviews) have gained widespread popularity among researchers and nongovernmental organisation (NGO) stai concerned with developing contextually grounded assessment tools. Focus groups are easy to design and implement, and are extremely e⁄cient in their capacity to gather useful information quickly and inexpensively. They allow for the rapid identi¢cation of locally salient variables (e.g., sources of stress aiecting displaced families, resources for coping with family violence), as well as speci¢c indicators of psychological and psychosocial constructs (e.g., self-esteem, depression, social capital). AsJayawickreme, Jayawickreme& Goonasekera (2012) thoughtfully describe in their report (this issue) on their research in Sri Lanka, focus groups can be used to assess local understanding of items on questionnaires developed in other cultural contexts, thus helping to ensure the appropriate adaptation of such measures for local use. Perhaps most usefully for the readers of Intervention, focus groups can also play an essential role in needs assessment and programme evaluation, by helping to identify under-served populations, specify local needs and concerns, assess barriers to programme participation, and evaluate the