Online Advocacy and Influencing

Overview

Is developing and implementing an advocacy strategy critical to success in your project or programme? Do your staff and partners need support to achieve your advocacy objectives?  In this programme, you will have the opportunity to develop and troubleshoot the implementation of an advocacy strategy as well as build your knowledge and confidence.

This programme will give you the knowledge and skills to influence policy and practice in your own context. You will learn skills to help you plan and deliver an effective advocacy strategy; enhance your ability to lobby decision makers; and gain confidence in the ways in which you relate to different audiences. You will also have the skills to analyse power dynamics and choose your advocacy activities so they have maximum impact.

Objectives of the programme

By the end of the training programme 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 cycle and be better equipped to develop an advocacy strategy
• Be able to analyse the external environment and policy processes
• Be aware of power dynamics and the role they play in advocacy and policy influencing
• Have examined how an integrated advocacy campaign can successfully combine lobbying, media work and popular mobilisation
• Be familiar with a range of  tools and approaches for monitoring, evaluation and learning

Intended audience

This programme is relevant to those who either have little experience but have to implement advocacy work or those with some experience in advocacy which they would like to build on. The programme is suitable to those based both in the UK and overseas.

Core content areas

• Approaches to advocacy
• Planning and delivering advocacy strategies
• Advocacy cycle
• Analysis for Advocacy
• Clarifying the Change
• Message Development
• Advocacy Activities and Planning
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning in relation to advocacy

Participants can choose to complete in depth modules in the following advocacy tools:

• Lobbying
• Media
• Popular Mobilisation
• Social Media
• Networks and Alliances
• Research

Programme format and cost

This programme provides flexibility and enables you to take part in an INTRAC programme with others without travelling. It covers approximately 40 hours of learning over 8 weeks and gives access to:

• Six live webinars led by our highly experienced trainer (16, 23, 30 April, 14, 21 May and 4 June)
• Course materials (readings and video presentations)
• Learning activities (advocacy strategy, workbook on advocacy tools)
• Trainer and peer feedback
• Forum discussions
• One mentoring session with the trainer to help you apply the learning to your work

The timing of the weekly live webinar will be 12.00-1.30pm UK time on Mondays. The webinars are recorded for you to view at a later time, so don’t worry if you are unable to attend a live session.

You will be expected to spend around 5 hours a week of learning.

Cost

The cost of this 8-week programme is £775 and includes: 6 live webinars, course materials and learning activities, trainer and peer feedback, forum discussions and an individual mentoring session with the course trainer.