Good causes lose to better-organised ones every day in budget rooms, parliamentary committees and donor meetings. Advocacy that works starts with a clear change goal, a realistic theory of how decisions are made, and partners who share the load. Over five days you move from problem analysis to a costed, monitored advocacy plan that your organisation can start delivering the following week.
Topics include power and stakeholder mapping, policy cycle analysis, evidence gathering and policy briefs, message development, media and social media engagement, lobbying meetings, public campaigns and coalition building. Partnership sessions cover memoranda of understanding, joint workplans, shared accountability and managing disagreements between allies. You also practise tracking progress with outcome harvesting and advocacy indicators, so that influence can be reported honestly to boards and funders. The programme suits programme managers, policy and advocacy officers, communications staff, NGO and civil society leaders, community organisers and government liaison officers. Delegates join classroom sessions in major African cities, online groups or an in-house cohort, and earn a CPD-accredited certificate. Afterwards you can lead a campaign from first analysis through to review, and negotiate partnerships with clear roles.
Policy is shaped by people with access, evidence and persistence, and organisations that treat advocacy as an occasional press release rarely move a decision. Funders, boards and communities now expect advocacy to be planned like any other programme, with a defined change goal, identified decision-makers, a budget and a way of showing what shifted. Partnerships matter just as much, because no single organisation holds all the evidence, voices and relationships a campaign needs.
This programme walks participants through the whole cycle of an advocacy effort. It starts with problem and root-cause analysis and the policy environment, then moves to stakeholder and power mapping, objective setting and the theory of change behind the campaign. Participants build the evidence base, write a persuasive policy brief, shape messages for different audiences and select channels from private lobbying to public mobilisation. A dedicated block deals with partnerships: choosing allies, forming coalitions, agreeing roles and handling conflict, risk and reputation.
Learning is practical. Each participant works on a live issue from their own organisation, and by the final session leaves with an advocacy plan, a stakeholder map, a draft brief and a partnership framework that can be taken straight to a manager or board.
At the end of the programme, participants will be able to:
Participants complete the programme with practical tools they can use immediately:
Sessions favour doing over listening, using the participant's own advocacy issue as the working case. Delivery includes:
Day 1: Advocacy Foundations and Problem Analysis
Day 2: Stakeholders, Power and Evidence
Day 3: Messaging, Channels and Tactics
Day 4: Partnerships, Coalitions and Networks
Day 5: Delivery, Monitoring and Action Planning
The programme is intended for people who plan, lead or support efforts to influence public and institutional decisions, such as:
Delegates who attend the sessions and complete the practical exercises are awarded a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion by Vision Reach Global Consultancy, a record of professional development that can be shared with employers and funders.
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 Planning and Implementation of Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships programme, you'll be able to analyse a policy problem and define a specific, achievable advocacy goal, map decision-makers, influencers and opponents using power and stakeholder analysis, develop evidence-based policy briefs and key messages for different audiences, and select and sequence advocacy tactics, from lobbying to media and public campaigns. The full breakdown of topics is covered session by session in the Course Outline tab above.
The programme is intended for people who plan, lead or support efforts to influence public and institutional decisions, such as: Advocacy and policy officers in NGOs and civil society organisations, Programme managers in international and national non-governmental organisations, Communications and campaigns managers, Community organisers and network coordinators, Government liaison and public affairs officers, Staff of development partners and foundations managing grantee advocacy, Trade association and professional body representatives, and Researchers and think tank staff who want their findings to reach decision-makers.
Planning and Implementation of 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.
Planning and Implementation of 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 Planning and Implementation of Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships starts November 2, 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 Planning and Implementation of 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.
Planning and Implementation of Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course is pitched at intermediate 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 Planning and Implementation of 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 — Planning and Implementation of 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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