AiG Month: guidance for presenters

1. Secure your preferred date and time and reserve your space to present using our online booking calendar
2. Complete our short EOI form on SmartSurvey to give us some high level details about your event
3. Respond to any further questions or clarification about your session, before places are officially confirmed and listed

We will be holding two events for presenters where you can ask us anything, hear more about AiG Month, and test out any technical requirements

We want to make sure as many people get to attend your session as possible and we find it really helps when event presenters help promote their sessions within their communities.  To help you  promote your event (and AiG Month as a whole) within your community, we have produced a downloadable “Campaign in a Box” (PPTX), which includes all manner of useful info, lines to take, and graphics including event logos and exclusive Teams backgrounds.

All events for AiG Month should support the aims and theme of the event.  This year’s theme is “impact”

AiG Month aims to create opportunities for government analysts (and the wider civil service) to learn something and develop their analysis skills. Whether you’re re-purposing a successful event you’ve already held before or designing one from scratch, you should consider what attendees will learn from your session.

We ask our audience for feedback at the end of every AiG Month session and measure success using the following criteria:

1. 1. The session increased my sense of being part of the Analysis Function community: You can help achieve this aim by using our slides and other resources in your session, and by using our “intro and outro” script (see below)
   2. I found the session interesting and engaging: That’s up to you, but remember whilst AiG Month is open to everyone, it is aimed at government analysts and those interested in developing their analytical skills.  Remember, this year’s theme is “impact”.
   3. I felt able to participate during the session: Everyone likes a session to be interactive, so why not consider using Teams polls, encourage interaction in the chat bar, and more?
   4. The session was beneficial in providing new skills or knowledge that I will be able to use in my work: AiG Month is primarily a learning event, so think about how your session could share best practice, demonstrate tools or skills, or share experiences that government analysts could learn from.  We’ll publish ‘learning outcomes’ from every AiG Month session throughout the month, which are useful links to tools, websites, reports, or other resources you might mention in your session
   5. The presenters were clear and concise: Our suggested session length is 1 hour, as we’ve found this give sufficient time to present and have interactions with the audience
   6. There was enough time for questions and answers: Q&A makes up part of the interactive element and is a minimum for any session at AiG Month

1. Demo: Show and share your skills by demonstrating how to use a specific tool or technique. Make sure that your online tool is set up and ready to go before your session. Use a clear and concise script to guide your demo, and provide a step-by-step walkthrough of the tool’s features.
2. In conversation with / Question & Answer (Q&A) session: A one-on-one interview or question and answer session between a knowledgeable support and expert guest.
3. Panel Sessions: Ensure that your panellists are well-prepared and that they have a good understanding of the topics being discussed. Encourage them to interact with each other and respond to questions from the audience.
4. Skill sharing webinar: Tangible learning on a particular subject to help colleagues continuously improve.
5. ‘Traditional’ presentation: Keep your presentation short and to the point. Use visuals to illustrate your points and avoid text-heavy slides. Speak clearly and at a moderate pace, and remember to engage with your audience throughout

Roles and responsibilities

To ensure your event runs smoothly, you will need:

1. An event organiser – this is the person who is responsible for your AiG Month session
2. A presenter, or presenters – this refers to the person or people who will be presenting your session. This may or may not be the same person as the event organiser.  Presenters will:
   • make the session relevant and engaging to our Analysis Function audience
   • inform the AF Central Team who will need ‘presenter access’ during your session – this will allow us to assign everybody the correct settings to present
   • introduce the session and speakers using our ‘intro text’
   • run a question and answer session, if applicable
   • close the event using our ‘outro text’
3. Tech Support – this person will be responsible for making sure the meeting settings are correct and opening and closing the meeting. Your event support must work in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to ensure effective operation of your session. If you don’t work in ONS we will assign you a named contact to do this on your behalf. The event support will:
   • share an Analysis Function branded slide at the start of the session
   • ensure all presenters are given ‘presenter’ status in Teams at the start of the meeting
   • ensure the event runs on time
   • end the meeting

Once you are ready to begin your session, the presenter should begin the event by introducing the session. Please use our introductory text, which is as follows:

“Welcome to this [NAME OF EVENT] which is taking place as part of Analysis in Government Month 2025, the UK’s largest learning and development event for government analysts.

This is just one of many activities happening throughout May across government. To find out more about the month and connect with your community visit the Analysis Function website, follow the Analysis Function on Eventbrite to find out about all the other events as they are listed, and follow the AF on X @gov_analysis and LinkedIn @GovAnalysisFunction for more information”

Using standard wording to open and close an event better informs the audience about the context of the event, the wider activities of AiG Month, and lends from podcast and traditional broadcast media to add a touch of professionalism.

• If you are using slides for your presentation, you should do this using the PowerPoint Live in Teams function. This gives both the presenter and audience an inclusive and engaging experience, combining the best parts of presenting in PowerPoint with the connection and collaboration of a Microsoft Teams meeting.
• When you’re the presenter, using PowerPoint Live gives you a unique view that lets you control your presentation while staying engaged with your audience, seeing people’s video, raised hands, reactions, and chat as needed.
• You can use this mode if you’re already in a Teams meeting by selecting ‘Share’ and choosing your PowerPoint file under the PowerPoint Live section. If you don’t see the file in the list, select ‘Browse OneDrive’ or ‘Browse my computer’ to find it.
• Learn more about Sharing slides in Microsoft Teams meetings with PowerPoint Live
• If you do not feel comfortable sharing slides using PowerPoint Live, or have limited bandwidth, you can of course share your slides using the Share content option

• You may use Teams polls during your event.  We don’t use Slido
• If you are not based in ONS, we will have to set up your polls before the day, so please send us the details at least a week before your event
• We’ve also found the Teams chat bar to be a useful way to take comments and questions from the audience
• The event presenter may check the Teams chat bar themselves or ask a member of their team to alert them to any incoming questions or comments.

• You can choose whether you would prefer to take questions from the chat bar / on camera / both.
• Audience cameras and microphones will be turned off as the default to allow for the smooth running of the session.
• If or when you want to allow audience members to appear on camera to interact or ask questions, you will have to make them a Presenter so that they may turn on their camera and microphone.
• If you have any queries about giving presenter access, contact us at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.
• Your Tech Support will be able to help with any issues on the day.
• The presenter should bring the session to a close using our ‘Outro text’:

“Thank you to everyone for attending this AiG Month event.

Remember to get involved in all the other activities taking part during AiG Month throughout May.  Keep up to date by visiting the AiG Month Hub on the Analysis Function website.

You can also follow us on X @gov_analysis, connect with us on LinkedIn, subscribe to our  YouTube channel, and be the first to find out about our events by following us on Eventbrite.  For  anything else, please email us at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.

Thank you and goodbye.”

1. Your Tech Support person must work in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and must be on hand to support your technical requirements, such as slide sharing and Q&A during the event.
2. If your team is not based in ONS, we will assign your Tech Support person.
3. It’s good to have a test of what you need to do to start up the meeting with your Tech Support, either in a separate meeting or by joining the meeting early​.
4. You may want to set up a separate, private Teams chat with your Tech Support person, so you have a separate way to keep-in-touch outside of work systems that won’t be visible to attendees when you’re sharing your screen.
5. Download your AiG Month 2025 slide template(PPTX)
6. We also have lots of resources, including logos and Teams backgrounds, in our AiG Month Campaign in a Box
7. Check that your presentation is as accessible as possible so as many colleagues as possible may enjoy it.  You may find the following resources useful to help you make accessible presentations: GOV.UK blog ‘Advice for making events and presentations accessible’ and Analysis Function guidance on accessibility
8. Encourage attendees to participate actively throughout your event and provide breaks if it’s a long session. Be respectful of everyone’s time and start and end the session on time. Finally, have fun and enjoy the experience!

Skill sharing webinars should impart some tangible learning on a particular subject to help colleagues continuously improve. Attendees should leave the session feeling excited by the new skill they’ve learned and eager to try it out for themselves. When planning a skill sharing webinar, it’s essential to choose a topic that will interest your audience.

1. Choose a topic that is relevant and interesting to your target audience. Make sure it is something they will find useful and informative. Do some research to identify what the hot topics are in your field.
2. Identify your speakers. Choose speakers who are knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. Look for people who are well-respected in your department or profession and who have a track record of giving high-quality presentations.
3. Engage your audience. Encourage audience participation by asking questions, conducting polls, and using other interactive tools. This will help keep your audience engaged and interested in the presentation.
4. Try to avoid ‘too much tell’. You have very little time to capture the audience’s attention and can only reasonably expect to maintain it for up to 20 minutes before they will need require some kind of energiser or change of pace
5. Minimise the number of slides in your presentation
6. Avoid cluttering your slides with too much text or information. You want the audience to be listening to you present rather than just ‘reading ahead’.  Don’t use your slides as your presenter notes
7. If you must have text on slides, use bullet points and images to convey your most important messages in a clear and concise manner.

Read more about capturing and keeping audiences’ attention.

1. Have a mix of grades among panel members to offer different perspectives.
2. Ensure that panellists are well-prepared and have a good understanding of the topics being discussed.
3. Brief all panel members before the session and send a written version of your brief to them all.
4. Ensure panellists are aware of the Analysis Function and what it is. In the past people have referred to the ‘Analytical Function’ or other variant, which implies a lack of understanding. Also ensure panellists know each other’s names and roles!
5. Assign someone from the organising team to monitor and mediate questions to panellists.
6. Create a separate Teams chat for you and your panellists to communicate privately, away from the audience. This is useful to tell them that time is running short, ask them to turn their camera on or off, and to give other ‘backstage’ direction.
7. Have a backup chairperson ready to step in if necessary.
8. Consider offering an option for attendees to submit questions or topics before the event.
9. Have someone ready to add in questions if it’s too quiet, or to ‘upvote’ certain questions to ‘get them to the top’.
10. Check, double check, and triple check all the links before the event – for example for Slido polls.
11. Encourage panellists to interact with each other and respond to questions from the audience.
12. Mix up the order in which panellists answer questions to keep the conversation interesting.