Custom Training Information

8:30  Welcome and Introduction
8:35 Committee Action and the Hearing Environment

• The role of committees and the hearing process in Congress

• Types and membership of committees; types of committee hearings (informational, legislative, investigative, oversight, public relations)

• Committee markup of legislation and committee reports

• The role of the committee chairmen and staff in deciding the hearing subject matter, selecting witnesses and preparing questions

9:35 Break
9:45 Testimony Preparation

• Testimony preparation, including research

• The process of persuasion and the nature of argument

• Interactive group exercises demonstrate sound arguments .

11:00 Break
11:10 Testimony Delivery

• Review a "testimony worksheet"

• Review of effective delivery techniques

• Discuss witness/member dynamics and the "art" of responding to questions.        

12:10 Lunch
1:10 Testifying Before Congress:  Communications Dynamics

• How to prepare engaging and dynamic testimony

• The use of the audience

• How to handle questions

2:10  Break
2:20 What Makes Effective Testimony:  The Staff Perspective

• The work, procedures and organization of the relevant congressional committees

• How these committees prepare for hearings

• What staff and members expect from witnesses

• Differences between authorization and appropriation hearings

• The nature of the relationship between the committees and executive agencies

• What staff and members of Congress believe makes effective testimony

• Suggestions for preparing for congressional hearings

3:20  Instructions for Preparing for Simulated Hearing Exercise
3:30  Day One concludes

Day Two: Simulated Congressional Hearing

8:30 Introduction and Hand-in Prepared Testimony
8:35 Commence Simulated Hearing Exercise
(Breaks will be taken as needed)       
12:30 Lunch      
1:30 Review and Feedback Session       
3:30  Complete Program Evaluation and Day Two and Program Concludes

All custom training is tailored for each organization and audience. Topics from this program can be combined with topics from our other programs and with topics from your existing training programs.

Sample agendas of different versions of this program tailored for previous custom clients are available in  Adobe pdf format:

• Generic 1-day program

• 2-hour program for busy executives called to testify before Congress - Delivering Effective Testimony Before Congress

• 1-day for federal agency with media training - Media and Testimony Skills

• 1-day for national association - Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony

• 2-day program for federal agency - Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony  

See our Sample Agendas page for more.
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All staff who are or will be responsible for preparing or presenting testimony before Congress will benefit from this training. Past attendees include military officers, SES, managers, scientists, budget analysts, and others.
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This program is most effective for between 5 and 30 attendees.

Don't have enough people for a custom, on-site program? You can still train your staff at our public course.

Variations of this program have been presented for federal agencies.

Our selected client list includes clients who have purchased custom training, sent staff to our public programs and who have purchased our publications.

Taught by faculty who have a minimum of 10 years' experience working with and helping agency and corporate staff prepare for testifying before congressional committees.
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"Would encourage people to do this earlier in their career when they start writing testimony.  All sessions very useful! Great course!" 

"The course is good for people who do lots of presentations as well as Congressional testimony. Well done!"

"This will be extremely helpful in prepping and calming first-time witnesses and in drafting oral testimony.  I especially appreciated the research tips." Policy Analyst, federal agency

"This is one of the best public communication seminars I've ever attended."

"Good, practical advice and insights on how to prepare and deliver testimony to Congress.  Practical and worthwhile"

"Although I live on the Hill and know many staffers, this seminar really helped me to understand what they do and how hearings work."

• See more testimonials about this program.

• See what some of the attendees at our custom programs say about our custom training.

Materials included.
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Usually requires 2 days.  A 1-day program is available with little or no attendee videotaping and feedback.  

This program is usually held in Washington, DC.  It can be presented anywhere in the world. 

To help you publicize and market a custom program to your organization's audience, we can provide printed materials and language for your own internal promotion and publicity.

The fee for this program depends on the location, number of attendees, length, and training materials.  Call us for details, or complete our custom program information request for more information.  

If you don't have enough people for a custom, on-site program, you can still train your staff at our public course.
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TheCapitol.Net tailors each program to meet your training and educational objectives. Before we issue a cost proposal, we will work with you to tailor a program to meet your training objectives.  We provide all course materials and faculty chosen for your topic and your audience at the time and location you choose.  

Our custom program clients provide the classroom/meeting space, all audio visual equipment, any food and beverages, all registration functions, and travel arrangements for attendees. When the program is held outside the Washington, DC metro area, travel arrangements for faculty can be made by the client or by us. 

We can also provide meeting space, audio visual equipment, food and beverage, registration, and travel arrangements, though this affects cost.

See FAQs About Our Custom On-Site Training.
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TheCapitol.Net accepts all forms of payment for its custom training, including credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), government procurement cards, checks, EFT, and purchase orders.

TheCapitol.Net, Inc., is a non-partisan small business, and a Virginia corporation.  We are registered with CCR. See our About Us page for more details.

FEIN: 54-1917701     DUNS: 04-273-5071      CAGE: 1K5S4

• Congressional Deskbook

• Congressional Directory

• Congressional Leadership and Committees (listing)

• Congress - Published Schedules

• Essential Hill and Political Washington Web Sites

• Lobbying and Advocacy links

• Politics and Political News

• Quick DC Links - Washington Essentials

• Selected Media Web Sites - from the Congressional Deskbook

• Critical Thinking and Writing

• Grassroots Advocacy on the New Capitol Hill

• How to Work with the Media

• Preparing for Congressional Oversight and Investigation

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• Phone: 703-739-3790

• Email: custom -at- TheCapitol.Net

• Complete our online custom program information request.

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