Advocacy and Policy Influencing

Overview

This course gives participants a thorough understanding of how to influence the policy making process in their own context to achieve policy change. You will learn skills to help you plan and deliver effective advocacy strategies; enhance your ability to influence decision makers; and gain confidence in the ways in which you relate to different audiences. You will also have a more thorough understanding of power dynamics in an advocacy context.

Objectives of the course

By the end of the training participants will:

• Be able to identify different approaches to advocacy and the values and strategies that underlie them
• Be familiar with the stages of the advocacy planning cycle and be better equipped to build an advocacy strategy
• Be able to analyse the external environment and policy processes and identify appropriate ‘levers of influence’
• Develop a simple theory of change for achieving the policy change being sought
• Be aware of power dynamics and the role it plays in achieving advocacy success
• Have explored and practised core advocacy skills regarding: lobbying, using the media, public campaigning, networking, and applied research for advocacy
• Have reviewed appropriate tools and methods for monitoring and evaluating advocacy initiatives.

Intended audience

This course is particularly relevant to those with some experience in advocacy which they would like to build on. Participants do not need to have had formal work experience in this area or to have worked in an advocacy/policy role.

Core content areas

• Approaches to advocacy
• Planning and delivering advocacy strategies
• Advocacy planning cycle
• Identifying the issue and analysing the problem
• Analysing the external environment
• Power and stakeholder analysis
• Identifying chains and levers of influence
• Analysing policy processes
• Developing a theory of change
• Lobbying decision makers
• Communicating with different audiences
• M&E of advocacy

Depending on level of interest we may also include sessions on:

• Using the media
• Public campaigning
• Policy research for advocacy purposes
• Doing advocacy in networks and coalitions

Course format

This course has two parts: a 5 day face to face course which will take place in Oxford, UK; and a 50 minute one-to-one coaching session after the course (via Skype) with the course trainer, focusing specifically on your needs.

This individual, tailored coaching will support the individual to apply the learning from the course to their work, and offer the opportunity to work through current challenges, difficulties and opportunities with a highly experienced practitioner. The available dates and times for coaching will be provided by the trainers in advance of the course. Coaching terms and conditions will be provided upon application.

Cost

The cost of this course is GBP £1165 non-residential (includes training materials, 50-minute individual coaching session, lunch and refreshments) or GBP £1445 residential (includes training materials, 50-minute individual coaching session, meals and accommodation for duration of course).