Overview
Roundtables are structured as expert panel presentations assembled for a Michigan House or Senate Committee informational hearing. Here is a summary of testimony from a recent informational haring on racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and infant health and the full audio from that committee meeting. Given their official positions, these presenters have more time and slightly different goals than your goals, but I hope it is helpful.
Here is a nice summary of some research on trends in expert hearings by US House committees:
We have six topics on which various committees would like more information and policy analysis to make informed decisions about potential legislation that may end up in front of them. As members of the committee, they have the ability to mark up and shape legislation and then vote to send it out of committee to the full chamber for debate and votes. On some of these issues, they may be considering proposed legislation on some of these topics for many years to come, so they are not only interested in current draft legislation but also a general understanding of the problem and the pros and cons of different policy solutions that might be advanced.
Reflection and peer critique
For every roundtable in which you will not be presenting, you will be assigned a person to critique (5 total). Each should be three paragraphs (about half a page, no more than one page) addressing (1) strengths, (2) opportunities for improvement, and (3) connections to things we studied in this class, especially the Bardach, Blackhawk, Carpenter, Dwidar, Leech, Seifter, Stone, Woodly, Weimer and Vining, and Weaver readings and the Mettler and Nickels podcasts.
Submit each critique as a seperate file to Canvas by the next class session WITHOUT YOUR NAME. Do not put your name on the critique.
Your critique will be graded according to the thoroughness and helpfulness of the critique. (Don’t be mean, but don’t hesitate to be critical. Be clear about what the presenter did well and how they might improve in the future.)
After three days of presentations, we will have one final day of structured peer critique. I will ask each of you to comment on something from the presentations or answers to questions that you found particularly effective, so please pay close attention to the other presentations and make multiple notes so that we don’t get duplicate feedback.
Structure
Opening statements: 3 minutes per person
(possibly an additional minute for a clarifying question)
Please coordinate with members of your panel to provide opening statements that do not overlap too much and, instead, add value based on the unique expertise each of you has developed.
Questions: 20 minutes
I will likely ask one question from your talking points memo as a softball to make you look good. I expect a concise response.
The class, playing the part of the Committee members, will ask additional questions. Again, responses should be concise.
Ideas for anticipating questions:
- Give your presentation to (or just talk about your proposal with) others and write down the questions they ask you
- Gather questions from feedback on your memos and ask yourself if any of them are likely to be asked in response to your presentation
Tips
Structure your opening statement. You only have three minutes to communicate a lot of complex information and ideas that you’ve been processing all semester! This requires careful organization. Write up an outline. Make your main points crystal clear. Emphasize those main points during your opening statement. Remember, you’re pitching a policy idea. You first need to tell your audience why your general approach makes sense (why focus on X stage of the process, for example—this is your issue analysis), and then explain why your specific solution makes sense (this is your recommendation).
Practice makes perfect. Write out a script for your opening statement (or bullet points for it) and practice in front of a roommate, a friend, or the mirror. You can even record a video of yourself and watch it to see if you like the delivery. Practicing will help you sound and feel more confident during your roundtable!
Time yourself when you’re practicing, to make sure you’re right around the 3:00 mark. You won’t lose points if you’re a few seconds away from 3 minutes (in either direction), but you will lose points if you’re a full minute off.
Speak slowly and clearly. Don’t be afraid to include pauses for emphasis or to give your audience time to process what you’ve just said. A pause will feel way longer to you than it will feel to your audience. Remember this is likely the first time that your audience (except Devin and me) have heard anything about what you’re talking about! They are completely new to the topic. So don’t rush it.
Dress the part. Wearing nicer clothes will help you feel more confident and will help you be taken more seriously.
Take a deep breath. Public speaking is the most common fear in the United States, because it’s a hard thing to do! But remember this is all about learning! Showing up is the first step, and giving it your best is all that you can do after that. You’re going to be great! And then you’ll be even greater the next time you have to make a presentation! Everyone in the room will be rooting for your success, and we’re excited to hear you share your knowledge. We are all here learning from each other.