Advocacy Strategy and Influencing Skills

Overview

This course introduces participants to the core skills needed to influence powerful stakeholders and policy processes in a range of contexts. It also gives participants a thorough understanding of how to develop and monitor effective advocacy strategies. You will explore tools for analysing where power lies on your issue and who has a stake in it. You will learn how to develop a theory of change and how to tailor your advocacy to the interests of those you seek to influence. You will also learn skills in communicating an advocacy message, face-to-face influencing techniques, using the media, public campaigning, and research for advocacy purposes.

What you will learn

By the end of the training participants will:

• Be familiar with the stages of the advocacy planning cycle and be better equipped to develop 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 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.

What you require

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.

The cost of this course is £1215 non-residential (includes training materials, lunch and refreshments) or £1615 residential (includes training materials, and accommodation for duration of course). Individual coaching is offered to course participants at a discounted rate of £50 per 50-minute session.

Please apply before Friday 16th August 2019.  We reserve the right to close the enrolment before the deadline in case the course is oversubscribed. Apply early to avoid disappointment!