Good evidence and strong programmes do not change laws, budgets or regulations on their own. Policy shifts when organisations identify the real decision-makers, time their asks to the policy cycle, frame messages for each audience and work through alliances that carry more weight than any single voice. Over five days you develop an influencing strategy step by step: problem and solution trees, an advocacy theory of change, power and stakeholder mapping, and the ODI RAPID Outcome Mapping Approach. You then practise turning research into policy briefs, position papers and talking points, preparing for meetings with legislators and officials, and engaging through public participation and budget processes.
Partnership sessions cover coalition governance, memoranda of understanding, brokering roles and managing conflict between allies, while the closing day addresses risk, legitimacy and tracking influence with outcome harvesting. Advocacy officers, policy analysts, NGO and civil society leaders, communications managers, government relations staff in companies and programme managers at development partners will find it relevant. Expect to leave with a costed campaign plan and the skills to lead it. Classroom, online and in-house formats are offered, each leading to a CPD-accredited certificate.
Civil society organisations, professional associations, businesses and development partners all seek to shape public policy, whether the goal is a fairer tax measure, a better-funded health service or a regulation that works for small enterprises. Influence of this kind is rarely won through a single report or event. It depends on a clear strategy, credible evidence, a careful reading of political interests and partnerships that can sustain pressure over several budget and legislative cycles.
The Strategic Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course guides participants through that whole process. It begins with defining the policy problem and the change sought, then analyses how decisions are actually made, who holds formal and informal power and where the windows of opportunity lie. Participants learn to package evidence for policymakers, craft messages for different audiences and choose between insider and outsider tactics. The second half of the week focuses on building and governing coalitions and multi-stakeholder partnerships, managing reputational and political risk, and monitoring influence so that strategies can be adjusted as circumstances change.
Teaching combines short expert inputs with simulations and practical drafting. Participants work on an issue from their own organisation, and by the end have a campaign plan, a policy brief outline and a partnership framework they can take straight back to their teams.
After the five days, participants will be equipped to:
Every participant goes home with:
Participants learn by planning real influencing work, supported by:
Day 1: Foundations of Advocacy Strategy
Day 2: Power, Stakeholders and the Policy Process
Day 3: Evidence, Messaging and Influencing Tactics
Day 4: Coalitions and Strategic Partnerships
Day 5: Risk, Learning and Campaign Planning
Participants typically come from NGOs, civil society, business and government, in roles such as:
Attendance at all sessions, together with submission of the campaign plan exercise, earns a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.
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 Strategic Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships programme, you'll be able to define an advocacy goal, objectives and policy asks grounded in a clear problem analysis, map formal and informal power, allies, opponents and decision-making processes, construct an advocacy theory of change linking activities to policy outcomes, and package research and programme evidence into briefs that policymakers will read. The full breakdown of topics is covered session by session in the Course Outline tab above.
Participants typically come from NGOs, civil society, business and government, in roles such as: Advocacy, campaigns and policy officers, Executive directors and senior managers of NGOs and community-based organisations, Policy analysts and researchers in think tanks and universities, Government relations and public affairs managers in companies, Communications and media relations staff supporting policy work, Partnership and resource mobilisation managers, Programme managers at development partners and UN agencies, and Officials of business membership organisations and professional associations.
Strategic 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.
Strategic 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 Strategic 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 Strategic 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.
Strategic 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 Strategic 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 — Strategic 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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