Policy decisions that shape an organisation's future are often settled in rooms its chief executive never enters, long before a public consultation opens. Senior leaders who cannot read the political economy, decide which battles to fight and speak credibly to ministers, regulators and funders leave that ground to others. Over five days you work on influence strategy at the top: political economy and power analysis, stakeholder and coalition mapping, theories of change for policy shifts, and positioning against competing interests. Sessions also cover high-level engagement with parliamentary committees, treasury officials, regional bodies such as the African Union and EAC, and development partners.
Partnership leadership gets equal weight, with strategic alliances, consortium governance, memoranda of understanding, public-private dialogue and the reputational risk of shared positions. You rehearse ministerial briefings, board presentations and media moments under pressure. It suits executive directors, country directors, chief executives of business associations, heads of policy and external affairs, board members and senior public servants. You leave able to set an organisational influence agenda, commit resources to it and judge its results. Classroom, online and in-house delivery are available, with a CPD-accredited certificate.
For civil society organisations, business associations, public agencies and development partners across Africa, influence over policy is now a core leadership responsibility rather than a task delegated to a communications officer. Fiscal pressure, shrinking civic space in some countries, shifting donor priorities and crowded policy agendas mean that leaders must choose their issues carefully, build alliances that last beyond a single campaign and be accountable to their boards for what advocacy investment achieves.
The Executive Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course is built around the decisions that sit with senior leaders. It opens with political economy analysis and the setting of an organisational influence agenda, then examines how policy is actually made in cabinets, legislatures, regulators and regional economic communities. Later sessions address executive-level relationship building, coalition and partnership leadership, the governance of joint positions, reputational and political risk, and the measures a board should use to judge whether influence work is paying off.
Delivery is designed for experienced leaders. Short framing inputs are followed by facilitated executive discussion, a simulated ministerial meeting, a partnership negotiation and peer review of each participant's own influence agenda. By the final day every participant has a draft influence strategy, a partnership portfolio review and a board-ready dashboard to take back to their organisation.
On completing the programme, senior participants will be able to:
Each executive returns to their organisation with:
Sessions are run as an executive seminar rather than a classroom course, drawing on:
Day 1: Influence as an Executive Responsibility
Day 2: Political Economy and Power Analysis
Day 3: High-Level Engagement and Executive Communication
Day 4: Leading Coalitions and Strategic Partnerships
Day 5: Risk, Resources and Accountability for Influence
The programme is intended for leaders who carry final responsibility for an organisation's external influence, such as:
A CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy is awarded to each executive who attends the full programme and contributes to the simulations, negotiation exercise and peer review sessions.
The draft influence strategy and partnership review prepared during the week remain with the participant as working documents for their board.
Upcoming cohorts
CPD-Accredited
Official invoice & confirmation letter provided
Team discount for 3+ seats
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Everything you need to know about this course before you register.
By the end of the Executive Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships programme, you'll be able to set an organisational influence agenda that links policy goals to strategy, mandate and available resources, analyse the political economy of a policy issue, including power holders, incentives and windows of opportunity, engage ministers, parliamentarians, regulators and development partners with credible, evidence-based positions, and lead coalitions and strategic partnerships with clear governance, shared positions and exit arrangements. The full breakdown of topics is covered session by session in the Course Outline tab above.
The programme is intended for leaders who carry final responsibility for an organisation's external influence, such as: Executive directors and chief executives of NGOs and foundations, Country and regional directors of international NGOs, Chief executives and policy directors of business associations and chambers of commerce, Heads of policy, government relations and external affairs, Board chairs and trustees overseeing advocacy strategy, Senior public servants leading inter-agency and donor partnerships, Directors of think tanks and policy research institutes, Senior officials of development partner and UN agencies, and Corporate affairs directors in regulated industries.
Executive Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course typically runs as 5 Days. It's available as in-person classroom, live virtual, and in-house corporate training — every course can also be delivered on-site for your team on dates that suit you.
Executive Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course is scheduled in-classroom in Nairobi, Kenya, Mombasa, Kenya, Naivasha, Kenya, and Kisumu, Kenya, and 14 other locations, plus a live interactive virtual classroom you can join from anywhere. Check the schedule panel above for exact upcoming dates and fees in each location.
The next live virtual cohort of Executive Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships starts November 9, 2026, with new classroom cohorts also running on a rolling basis. Pick a date and location in the schedule panel above, then click "Register for the Course" — it takes a few minutes and your seat is confirmed once payment or a signed purchase order is received.
Yes — delegates who meet the attendance requirement receive a Certificate of Completion for Executive Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course from Vision Reach Global Consultancy, issued in the name you register with, so double-check the spelling at checkout.
Executive Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course is pitched at advanced professionals. If you're unsure whether it's the right fit for your current role or background, message our training advisors before you register and they'll help you confirm.
Fees for Executive Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course vary by delivery location and format and are shown in real time in the schedule panel above once you pick a date. Register 3 or more delegates on the same course together and a 5% team discount is applied automatically — larger cohorts can request a custom corporate quote.
Yes — Executive Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course can be delivered on-site at your offices (or virtually for distributed teams), with case studies and examples tailored to your industry and the specific challenges your team is working through. Switch to the "In-House" tab in the schedule panel above to request a proposal.
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