Course Overview:
The course is a results-oriented program designed for professionals engaged in social change, policy reform, or nonprofit advocacy. Drawing on real-world frameworks, this course equips participants with practical methods to assess and enhance advocacy efforts. Participants will explore foundational and advanced concepts, such as advocacy logic models, theory of change in advocacy, contribution analysis for policy, and systems thinking in advocacy. They will also develop skills in outcome mapping, advocacy, qualitative methods in policy evaluation, and strategic communications evaluation. Designed for immediate application, this course fosters evaluation capacity building and advocacy, monitoring and learning, enabling organisations to track policy influence measurement and improve advocacy strategy development.
Target Audience:
- Advocacy Managers
- Public Policy Officers
- M&E Specialists and Advisors
- NGO and INGO Program Managers
- Research Fellows in Governance and Social Impact
- Strategic Communications Leads
- Government Relations Executives
Targeted Organizational Departments:
- Policy and Advocacy Departments
- Monitoring & Evaluation Units
- Institutional Learning and Strategy Divisions
- Government Affairs and Public Relations Teams
- Research and Analysis Departments
Targeted Industries:
- International NGOs and Local NGOs
- Government Ministries and Legislative Bodies
- Think Tanks and Public Policy Institutes
- Academic and Research Organizations
- Multilateral Organizations (UN, World Bank, etc.)
- Foundations and Grantmaking Bodies
Course Offerings:
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Design advocacy logic models and apply the theory of change in real campaigns
- Implement qualitative and quantitative methods in policy change evaluation
- Apply outcome mapping to assess interim progress in advocacy
- Conduct contribution analysis for policy influence assessments
- Evaluate the effectiveness of strategic communications in advocacy
- Facilitate advocacy monitoring and learning cycles within organizations
- Utilize systems thinking in advocacy to understand and navigate complex change
Training Methodology:
The course uses interactive and applied learning strategies to ensure participants not only understand key concepts but also practice them. Through hands-on case studies, small group exercises, live facilitation, and scenario simulations, participants will evaluate advocacy strategies and build real-time logic models. Participatory evaluation approaches will be encouraged, supported by peer learning and guided reflection. Frameworks such as contribution analysis and outcome mapping will be contextualized using group-led policy simulations. Evaluation capacity building is integrated across sessions, ensuring each participant leaves with a ready-to-apply method kit tailored to their institutional goals.
Course Toolbox:
- Sample Advocacy Logic Models
- Theory of Change Planning Templates
- Outcome Mapping Blueprints
- Contribution Analysis Framework Guides
- Policy Influence Measurement Dashboards
- Evaluation Design Checklists
- KoboToolbox
- Google Forms Templates for Stakeholder Feedback
- Most Significant Change (MSC) Storytelling Guide
- Better Evaluation Method Navigator
- Gender-Focused Advocacy Case Study Library
Course Agenda:
Day 1: Foundations of Strategic Advocacy & Evaluation
- Topic 1: Understanding Advocacy in Diverse Contexts
- Topic 2: Policy Change Theories and Models (Stage Models, Agenda-Setting)
- Topic 3: Framing Advocacy Goals and Objectives Effectively
- Topic 4: Stakeholder Mapping and Power Analysis
- Topic 5: Theory of Change in Advocacy Campaigns
- Topic 6: Introduction to Evaluation Approaches for Advocacy and Policy Change
- Reflection & Review: Recap of foundational concepts and participant insights
Day 2: Advocacy Evaluation Design & Frameworks
- Topic 1: Choosing the Right Evaluation Purpose and Strategy
- Topic 2: Clarifying Outcomes: From Short-Term Wins to Long-Term Impact
- Topic 3: Evaluation Frameworks: IDR, ODI, GEAR, and others
- Topic 4: Defining Indicators for Advocacy Success
- Topic 5: Building Advocacy Logic Models
- Topic 6: Contribution Analysis for Policy Influence
- Reflection & Review: Compare different frameworks and how they apply
Day 3: Data Collection, Tools & Methods
- Topic 1: Introduction to Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
- Topic 2: Outcome Mapping: Purpose, Process, and Practice
- Topic 3: Using KoboToolbox and Google Forms for Advocacy Data
- Topic 4: Measuring Communication and Media Advocacy Outcomes
- Topic 5: Participatory Storytelling with the MSC Technique
- Topic 6: Navigating BetterEvaluation’s Method Selection Framework
- Reflection & Review: Exploring real-world applications of free tools and matching them to evaluation needs
Day 4: Gender-Sensitive Advocacy & Inclusive Policy Reform
- Topic 1: Stakeholder Mapping and Inclusive Participation
- Topic 2: Evaluating Policy Influence Through a Gender Lens
- Topic 3: Feminist Evaluation Approaches and Frameworks
- Topic 4: Case Study: “She Decides” – Global Reproductive Rights Movement
- Topic 5: Case Study: Gender Budgeting and Policy Change in Rwanda
- Topic 6: Case Study: Girls Not Brides – Ending Child Marriage through Multi-level Advocacy
- Reflection & Review: Discuss lessons learned from gender-focused advocacy strategies and how to integrate them into evaluation design
Day 5: Strategy Integration & Evaluation Utilization
- Topic 1: Strategic Planning with Evaluation Findings
- Topic 2: Building Organizational Evaluation Capacity
- Topic 3: Reporting and Communicating Advocacy Impact
- Topic 4: methods for Adaptive Strategy and Learning Feedback Loops
- Topic 5: Common Challenges and Mitigation Strategies in Advocacy Evaluation
- Topic 6: Final Project Presentations or Strategy Simulations
- Reflection & Review: Integration of key learnings and action plans
FAQ:
What specific qualifications or prerequisites are needed for participants before enrolling in the course?
No prior qualifications are required. However, experience in advocacy, M&E, or public policy will help participants gain more from the course.
How long is each day's session, and is there a total number of hours required for the entire course?
Each day includes 4 to 5 hours of instruction, totaling approximately 25 hours over 5 days, including group activities, case studies, and expert facilitation.
Why is contribution analysis more suitable than traditional evaluation methods in advocacy?
Advocacy initiatives operate in dynamic contexts with multiple actors and unpredictable outcomes. Contribution analysis allows organizations to show plausible links between actions and results without requiring direct causality, which is often impossible in complex policy environments.
How This Course is Different from Other Strategic Advocacy Courses:
What sets the Strategic Advocacy & Policy Impact Evaluation Training Course apart is its exclusive foundation in practical evaluation science and real-world policy influence models. Unlike theory-heavy courses, this training emphasises applied methods and tools such as outcome mapping, contribution analysis, and participatory evaluation approaches. Participants leave with not just knowledge, but an action plan and frameworks ready for implementation. The course bridges the gap between learning and doing, combining systems thinking in advocacy, strategic communications evaluation, and stakeholder-centred approaches into a cohesive learning experience.
