Public Affairs, Training
Homes for Scotland
Parliamentary committee training
Orbit Communications was tasked by our client Homes for Scotland to provide a comprehensive training session for David Raines, HfS Policy Manager, ahead of appearing at the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee to provide evidence on behalf of their members about the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan.
Orbit’s role focused on providing background intelligence, anticipated lines of questioning, and a complete overview of the policy landscape to inform the session, allowing the client to maximise their contributions on the day.
Approach
Orbit focused its approach on preparation and method.
Two account directors were assigned to deliver the training session, which was broken up into preliminary research, training, and pre-committee support.
Preliminary research examined the committee’s assessment of the Climate Plan to date and their recent output and commentary on it. This informed anticipated lines of questioning for the session, and specifically what would be asked of Homes for Scotland. An effort was also made to liaise with the committee clerk to finesse a half-day committee session.
The training session focused on the practicalities of the day, with elements of the committee’s contextual positioning explaining why the session was taking place.
As such, research was presented on the politics and personalities of Members of the Scottish Parliament taking part, their interaction, as well as their anticipated approach.
Effort was then centred on practical interrogations and ‘role play’ simulating a committee session.
These sessions were recorded, shared, and dissected in real time to assess individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as command of the brief, presentation, voice, style, and delivery.
Pre-committee efforts focused on key refresher points from the training session, discussions about the round table format and additional organisations giving evidence, and final preparatory notes and rehearsals ahead of the day.
Outputs and Outcomes
Testimonial
“Homes for Scotland has worked with Orbit Communications on many occasions as we prepare members of our executive team for evidence-sharing at the Scottish Parliament.
“On this occasion, two senior account directors, Alastair Stewart and Andy Williams, were briefed to prepare me for a particularly robust committee session of the Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee.
“The training session was extremely well-tailored, focusing on anticipating difficult lines of inquiry regarding the Climate Change Plan. Particular attention was given not only to potential questions but also to the background and interests of parliamentarians and how best to provide them with accurate concise answers, taking in the broader policy and media landscape.
“In doing so, Orbit supported me to best represent the interests of HFS’ members, while ensuring that MSPs gained critical knowledge and insights from the sector, and the impact regulation has had on their businesses.
“The training itself leaned into the practical elements of the day, covering presentation, style, manner of speech and much less focus on the academic principles of communication, which was much more meaningful.
“Their presentation and the session were thorough, with Alastair and Andy providing on-tap support right up to the Committee day, really showcasing their understanding of the brief and their commitment to the HFS team.
“I would thoroughly recommend the Orbit team as an integral part of committee preparation.”