Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course

Most advocacy campaigns that stall do so for procedural rather than moral reasons. The evidence was sound and the cause was popular, but the ask reached the wrong institution, missed the statutory window for comment, or exposed the organisation to questions about its registration status, funding sources or political neutrality. As governments tighten oversight of civil society while opening new channels for consultation, advocates need a working command of the frameworks that shape both what they can change and how they are permitted to try.

The Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Advocacy, Policy Influence & Partnerships Training Course begins with how public policy is formed and the theories that explain why some issues rise onto the agenda. It then follows the legislative and regulatory process step by step, including drafting, impact analysis, consultation, committee scrutiny, subsidiary legislation and implementation. Later sessions examine the rules governing non-profit organisations and lobbying, the use of regional and international human rights mechanisms, and the legal and governance architecture of coalitions, consortia and public-private partnerships. The final day pulls these strands into an advocacy plan that is both influential and defensible.

Teaching relies on annotated bills, consultation papers, regulatory notices and partnership agreements drawn from realistic contexts. Participants analyse them in small groups, rehearse oral evidence before a mock committee, and test their plans against a compliance checklist they build during the week.

On completing the programme, participants will be able to:

• Explain the stages of the policy cycle and the actors who control each one.
• Apply the multiple streams and advocacy coalition frameworks to identify windows for influence.
• Analyse bills, regulations and regulatory impact assessments to locate points for intervention.
• Prepare written and oral submissions for public participation and parliamentary committee processes.
• Assess organisational exposure under rules on non-profit registration, lobbying disclosure and foreign funding.
• Use regional and international mechanisms, including treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, to reinforce domestic advocacy.
• Structure coalition charters and memoranda of understanding with clear governance, liability and exit terms.
• Design an advocacy plan that pairs each policy target with a compliance and risk review.

It is aimed at people who shape or defend their organisation's position in public policy debates, such as:

• Advocacy, policy and campaigns officers in NGOs and community-based organisations
• Government relations and public affairs managers in trade associations and private companies
• Legal officers and company secretaries advising civil society organisations
• Programme managers whose projects depend on policy or regulatory change
• Partnership and coalition coordinators in development agencies and foundations
• Policy researchers and analysts in think tanks and universities
• Staff of professional bodies and chambers of commerce who prepare policy submissions
• Public officers who manage stakeholder consultation and public participation
• Board members and executive directors of advocacy-led organisations

By the final session, each participant holds:

• A policy process map for one live issue, showing decision points, actors and timelines.
• A drafted written submission on a bill or regulation, structured for committee use.
• A regulatory compliance checklist covering registration, lobbying disclosure and funding rules.
• A power and interest matrix of decision makers, allies and opponents.
• A coalition charter template with governance, decision-making and exit clauses.
• A shortlist of regional and international mechanisms suited to their issue.
• A peer-reviewed advocacy plan linking policy targets to risks and safeguards.

Learning is anchored in the documents advocates actually work with. The week uses:

• Annotated bills, gazette notices, regulatory impact assessments and consultation papers
• Small-group drafting of submissions, followed by facilitator critique
• A mock parliamentary committee hearing where teams present and defend their positions
• Compliance case clinics built on anonymised campaign and funding scenarios
• Coalition negotiation role-plays over charter and branding terms
• Individual coaching on each participant's advocacy plan

A CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy is awarded to participants who attend the full programme and complete the drafting exercises, mock hearing and final advocacy plan.

The submission, compliance checklist and plan produced during the week form a practical portfolio that participants can share with their managers and use in their own policy work.