Oversight testimony 101

Have you ever wanted to tell your elected officials what you think about an issue, but not been sure how to go about it?

Public hearings are more valuable when they’re accessible, so that officials get input from a true representation of their constituents. But the testimony rotas are often tilted towards residents with knowledge of the system and a bit of time on their hands, which skews the population that officials hear from in these formalized settings.

To support folks who are keen to dip their toes into the world of public testimony, GGWash held a public testimony workshop on Thursday, February 3, led by Alex Baca, our DC Policy Director.

The point is not to hold up GGWash-specific priorities, but to open the door to those who have something to say but aren’t sure how or where to say it effectively (Twitter only gets you so far). If you missed the workshop but this sounds like you, check out the full recording below, which went through the purpose of public hearings and basic logistics of testifying; what to expect; and how to go about writing testimony. And a bonus - “choose your fighter” - an opportunity to figure out the testimony style that best fits you.

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DC’s right in the middle of the hearing session (you can find the schedule here). Oversight hearings - a review of agency performance in the year gone by - are going on now (Department of Transportation is scheduled for February 18; GGWash and DCST also testified at the Department of Public Works hearing on February 8 and GGWash submitted testimony for the Department of Housing and Community Development hearing on January 20). Budget hearings — figuring out how to slice the budget for the next fiscal year — are scheduled mainly in March.

Though testifying doesn’t have to be terrifying, it can require a little patience and occasionally tolerance for local spectacle. Don’t let that put you off. Informed policymaking is better policymaking, whether it’s curb extensions at your local ANC meeting or council hearings on bills with broad implications for transit across the District.

If you’re inclined to share your views on important public developments, in all likelihood, there’s a public hearing for that.

Editor’s note: GGWash maintains a firewall between its advocacy and editorial activities, and editorial staff are not involved in advocacy. To learn more, see our editorial policy.