Live Online Planning and Implementation of Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course
Live online, instructor-led · next cohort Nov 2, 2026 · from USD 800
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.
At a Glance
How Live Online Training Works
Live online training, led by a trainer in real time, for participants anywhere.
More about live online training →- Format
- Live online, instructor-led
- Duration
- Mon - Fri (5 Days)
- Fee
- USD 800 (KES 80,000)
- Next start dates
- Nov 2, 2026, Nov 30, 2026, Dec 28, 2026
- Certificate
- Certificate of Completion
- What you need
- A computer with a reliable internet connection, a webcam and a headset
About this course
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.
Training Objectives
At the end of the programme, participants will 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.
- Select and sequence advocacy tactics, from lobbying to media and public campaigns.
- Build and manage coalitions and partnerships with clear roles and shared accountability.
- Prepare an advocacy budget, workplan and risk register.
- Monitor advocacy outcomes and report influence credibly to boards and funders.
- Apply ethical and safeguarding principles when engaging communities and public figures.
What you'll learn
Key Takeaways
Participants complete the programme with practical tools they can use immediately:
- A written advocacy plan with goal, targets, tactics, timeline and budget for a live issue.
- A stakeholder and power map that shows where to focus effort.
- A draft policy brief and a message framework tested with peers.
- A partnership or coalition agreement template with roles and decision rules.
- An advocacy monitoring grid with outcome indicators.
- A personal pitch for a short lobbying meeting.
Training Methodology
Sessions favour doing over listening, using the participant's own advocacy issue as the working case. Delivery includes:
- Short facilitator inputs on each stage of the advocacy cycle
- Individual and group work on a live policy issue brought by each delegate
- Role plays of lobbying meetings, media interviews and coalition negotiations
- Review of real advocacy campaigns that succeeded and failed in East Africa and beyond
- Peer feedback on drafts of the plan, brief and partnership framework
Day 1: Advocacy Foundations and Problem Analysis
- Advocacy, lobbying, campaigning and policy influence: definitions and boundaries
- Problem tree and root-cause analysis for a policy issue
- Understanding the policy cycle and where influence is possible
- Rights-based and evidence-led approaches to advocacy
- Setting a clear change goal and SMART advocacy objectives
- Building a theory of change for the campaign
Day 2: Stakeholders, Power and Evidence
- Power analysis and stakeholder mapping of decision-makers and influencers
- Identifying allies, opponents and undecided actors
- Gathering and validating evidence from research, data and community voices
- Writing a concise policy brief with a clear ask
- Using case stories responsibly alongside data
- Exercise: mapping stakeholders for a participant's own issue
Day 3: Messaging, Channels and Tactics
- Developing core messages and tailoring them to each audience
- Preparing for lobbying meetings and written submissions
- Working with traditional media, radio and social media
- Public mobilisation, petitions and community-led campaigns
- Engaging parliamentary committees and county or local government
- Role play: a ten-minute meeting with a decision-maker
Day 4: Partnerships, Coalitions and Networks
- Types of partnership: coalitions, networks, consortia and informal alliances
- Choosing partners and testing shared values and capacity
- Memoranda of understanding, joint workplans and decision rules
- Managing power imbalances between international and local partners
- Resolving disagreements and protecting the coalition's reputation
- Working with the private sector and government as partners
Day 5: Delivery, Monitoring and Action Planning
- Advocacy workplans, budgets and responsibilities
- Risk, security and safeguarding in advocacy work
- Monitoring influence with outcome harvesting and advocacy indicators
- Learning reviews and adapting tactics mid-campaign
- Reporting advocacy results to boards and funders
- Presentation of each participant's advocacy plan and peer feedback
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
- Researchers and think tank staff who want their findings to reach decision-makers
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.
Choose Where You Want to Learn
Planning and Implementation of Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course Venues
KenyaNairobiNext Nov 9· 13 dates$1,500- KenyaMombasaNext Oct 26· 13 dates$1,600
- KenyaNaivashaNext Nov 2· 13 dates$1,500
- KenyaKisumuNext Oct 26· 13 dates$1,500
- KenyaMachakosNext Nov 2· 13 dates$1,600
UgandaKampalaNext Nov 2· 13 dates$1,900
RwandaKigaliNext Oct 26· 13 dates$1,900
TanzaniaArushaNext Nov 9· 13 dates$1,900- TanzaniaDodomaNext Oct 26· 13 dates$1,800
- TanzaniaDar es SalaamNext Oct 26· 13 dates$2,000
- TanzaniaZanzibarNext Nov 16· 13 dates$2,600
NigeriaLagosNext Nov 16· 13 dates$2,800- NigeriaAbujaNext Nov 9· 13 dates$2,800
South AfricaPretoriaNext Nov 2· 13 dates$3,200- South AfricaJohannesburgNext Nov 2· 13 dates$3,400
- South AfricaCape TownNext Oct 26· 13 dates$3,800
UAEDubaiNext Oct 26· 13 dates$3,800
GhanaAccraNext Nov 16· 13 dates$4,500
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Frequently Asked Questions About Live Online Planning and Implementation of Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course
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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