Hybrid Preparation

The best way to use this guide is in tandem with crisis and traditional training materials, since hybrids contain both. This section will highlight some additional considerations that come with hybrid committees, on top of the other, already discussed preparations.

The initial steps listed are meant to give you a better understanding of your committee as a whole. Afterward, you will dive into character or country-specific preparations.

First, read through the entire background guide carefully. Try to answer these questions:
1. What problem is my committee trying to solve?
2. What are some historical factors that contributed to the current state of the problem in my committee?
3. Which characters are involved in the committee?
Being able to answer these questions will ensure you have a good sense of what your committee seeks to do.

Second, answer these questions to make sure you understand why your committee is a hybrid.
1. What problems/questions will be dealt with in the traditional portion of debate?
2. What will the end product of the traditional sessions be?
3. What problems/questions will be dealt with in the crisis portion of debate?
4. To the best of your knowledge, why is this committee a hybrid and not only a traditional, or only a crisis?

Third, delve into your character to understand your assigned role in the committee. Using your character bio in the background guide, additional research (if your character was real!), and your imagination, use the following questions to kickstart your character preparations.
1. What is your character’s job?
2. What powers/connections are already available to your character?
3. What powers/connections can be developed in committee?
4. What does your character want?
5. What is your character’s opinion about garden gnomes? (not super important, but thinking about silly questions like this can help better flesh out your character!)
These are not the only questions you should ask about your character; rather, they are a place to start thinking about your character!

Note: If your committee does not have characters, but rather has countries, do not fret! You should adjust the above starting questions to be broader. What does your country want? What resources and allies are available to them? Answering questions like this will help to build a better understanding of your country’s needs and powers.

Fourth, take a moment to consider the specific hybrid wishes of your character.
(If your committee begins with traditional sessions) What does your character want out of the traditional sessions?
- Ex: if your character has royal ties and is helping to form a new government, perhaps they want the monarch to still have some power
(If your committee begins with crisis sessions) What resources and events will best set up your character to achieve something in traditional sessions?
- Ex: if your character wants to see a new socialist government appear during the traditional sessions, then maybe they will orchestrate failures among corporations to sow distrust of capitalist institutions during the crises
(If your committee follows some other format) What will best suit your character for each committee session? What do you want to accomplish during each session?

From here, your preparation is up to you and your imagination! A good place to continue is the crisis training tools to help brainstorm arc possibilities, as well as the traditional training materials to help prepare for navigating hybrid traditional sessions.