Organisations that work on health, education, governance, climate or human rights know that service delivery alone cannot fix a problem that is rooted in law, budget or regulation. Advocacy is how they change those rules, yet many campaigns stall because the policy ask is vague, the evidence is not persuasive, or partners pull in different directions.

The Advanced Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course moves experienced practitioners beyond basic awareness raising. It begins with political economy analysis and stakeholder mapping, then turns to building a credible evidence base and a policy brief that busy officials will actually read. Later sessions address campaign design, coalition governance, negotiation with government and private-sector actors, and the structuring of partnerships that survive changes in leadership and funding. Participants also learn to monitor influence when results are indirect and slow.

Teaching is workshop-based. Participants bring a live advocacy issue from their own organisation and develop it through each stage, so that by the final session they hold a tested strategy, a draft policy brief, a coalition plan and a set of indicators for tracking progress.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Analyse the political economy around a policy issue and identify the real decision makers and influencers.
• Formulate a precise, achievable policy ask supported by credible evidence.
• Design an advocacy strategy with a theory of change, milestones and risk plan.
• Write concise policy briefs and position papers for different official audiences.
• Build and govern coalitions and partnerships with clear roles and shared accountability.
• Apply negotiation and engagement techniques with legislators, regulators and donors.
• Use outcome harvesting and advocacy indicators to track and report influence.

The programme suits professionals who lead or support influencing work, including:

• Advocacy, policy and campaigns managers in NGOs and civil society networks
• Programme directors and country directors of international organisations
• Coalition and network coordinators
• Government relations and public affairs officers
• Researchers and think tank analysts who communicate with policy makers
• Donor and development agency programme officers
• Parliamentary staff and county government liaison officers
• Communications officers supporting policy campaigns

Participants leave with:

• A complete advocacy strategy for a real issue, from policy ask to exit plan.
• A stakeholder and power map they can update as the political context shifts.
• A draft policy brief tailored to a named decision maker.
• A coalition charter outline covering roles, decisions and communications.
• A monitoring framework with indicators suited to slow, indirect policy change.
• Practical negotiation and meeting preparation tools for high-stakes engagements.

The course treats each participant as a practitioner with a live issue. Learning methods include:

• Facilitated workshops built around a real advocacy challenge brought by each delegate
• Case files of successful and failed policy campaigns in Africa
• Peer review of policy briefs and campaign plans
• Role plays of ministry meetings, committee hearings and coalition negotiations
• Templates and toolkits for stakeholder mapping, briefs and monitoring

Delegates who attend the sessions and complete the workshop exercises are awarded a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy, recognising their advanced advocacy and partnership skills.