Chamber and committees

You may assume a committee will want to hear from a senior member of staff or someone who regularly gives evidence. However, this is not always the case.

Committees benefit from hearing a broader range of views from a diverse range of people. You may wish to consider whether there is someone within your organisation, or the stakeholders you engage with, who might have equal or more appropriate skills, knowledge or experience to provide information to the committee.

Your organisation has been invited to give evidence on the impact of a benefits scheme. Who would you consider selecting as a witness?

• your chief executive or senior member of staff? They would have a good general knowledge of the area. They could give an overview and talk about the financial impact of the new scheme. They may also feel more confident talking to a committee.
• a policy practitioner? They may be able to explain some of the complex policy issues to the committee in more detail. 
• a frontline worker or person with lived experience? They would be able to speak with authority about the impact and effect of the new benefits scheme on the public.  

What has more weight in this instance? Has the committee given you enough information to decide? Are there any practical difficulties in sending one of them to attend?

Don’t hesitate to ask the committee clerks for more information or to accommodate any additional practical or support needs your witness may have so you can make a more informed decision.

What to consider before selecting a committee witness

Information requested

• what type of information has been requested?
• is the committee looking for information on how your organisation is run, data or research you may have or your staff and service users’ experience of an issue?
• do you have enough background information to inform your choice of an appropriate witness? 

Most appropriate witness

• who is the most appropriate witness for the evidence session? For example, is it a senior member of staff, a policy expert, a practitioner, a frontline worker directly in contact with people affected by an issue, someone with lived experience your organisation supports?
• if there are multiple people within the organisation who have the appropriate knowledge or experience, could you select someone who is part of an underrepresented group? You may want to talk to the clerks about a particular underrepresented voice in the committee you are attending.
• do you have concern about selecting a witness with no experience of attending evidence sessions? What could you do to support and equip them to sit before a committee and feel confident to represent your organisation? For example, you could invite them to consult the Guide for witnesses or watch previous evidence sessions on Scottish Parliament TV.

Practicalities

• are there any practical difficulties preventing a potential witness from giving evidence before a committee? Are there issues around how far from the Parliament they live and work, timings due to shift work, caring responsibilities, accessibility, concerns around sharing sensitive and personal experiences?
• with the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased focus on participating remotely to ensure that people can still have their voices heard despite any practical issues. If preferred, this can be easily arranged by discussing with the committee clerks.