Education, Training and Development Adult Learning

Advocate And Lobby Community Issues Training

SAQA US 119517 | NQF 3 | Credits 12 | Duration 9 Days
From $1,798 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the knowledge and skills to effectively advocate for community issues and lobby decision-makers. Participants will learn to identify community needs, develop advocacy strategies, and engage stakeholders to influence policy and resource allocation.

Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze community issues and identify stakeholders for effective advocacy.
  • Develop a comprehensive advocacy plan with clear objectives and strategies.
  • Implement lobbying techniques to influence decision-makers and policy.
  • Evaluate the impact of advocacy efforts and adjust strategies accordingly.
  • Apply communication and negotiation skills to build coalitions and partnerships.
  • Demonstrate ethical practices in advocacy and lobbying activities.

Target Audience

This course is designed for community leaders, NGO workers, government officials, and anyone involved in community development or social activism who seeks to enhance their advocacy and lobbying skills.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Advocacy and Lobbying

Objectives:
• Define advocacy and lobbying in the South African context.
• Distinguish between advocacy and lobbying.
• Identify the roles and responsibilities of an advocate.
• Understand the legal and ethical framework for advocacy in South Africa.

Topics:
• What is advocacy and lobbying?
• Key differences between advocacy, lobbying, and campaigning
• The South African legal landscape: Constitution, Bill of Rights, and relevant laws
• Ethical considerations for advocates
• Overview of community issues and stakeholder identification

Day 2: Understanding Community Issues and Stakeholders

Objectives:
• Analyse community issues using a systematic approach.
• Identify key stakeholders and their interests.
• Map power dynamics and influence.
• Develop a stakeholder engagement plan.

Topics:
• Techniques for issue analysis (problem tree, SWOT)
• Stakeholder mapping: identifying allies, opponents, and neutrals
• Power analysis and influence mapping
• Building relationships with stakeholders
• Introduction to community organising principles

Day 3: Policy and Legislative Frameworks

Objectives:
• Understand how policies and laws are made in South Africa.
• Identify key policy levers for change.
• Analyse existing policies relevant to community issues.
• Develop policy recommendations.

Topics:
• The legislative process in South Africa (Parliament, provincial legislatures, municipal councils)
• Policy formulation and review cycles
• How to read and interpret legislation
• Writing policy briefs and position papers
• Case study: Analysing a local policy

Day 4: Communication Strategies for Advocacy

Objectives:
• Craft compelling advocacy messages.
• Select appropriate communication channels.
• Develop a media engagement plan.
• Prepare for public speaking and presentations.

Topics:
• Message development: framing, storytelling, and evidence
• Communication channels: social media, print, broadcast, community meetings
• Media engagement: press releases, media advisories, interviews
• Public speaking skills and presentation techniques
• Creating advocacy materials (fact sheets, infographics)

Day 5: Building Coalitions and Networks

Objectives:
• Understand the value of coalitions in advocacy.
• Identify potential coalition partners.
• Develop a coalition governance structure.
• Manage coalition dynamics and conflicts.

Topics:
• Types of coalitions and networks
• Steps to forming a coalition
• Governance, decision-making, and communication within coalitions
• Conflict resolution and maintaining coalition health
• Case study: Successful South African coalitions

Day 6: Lobbying Techniques and Tactics

Objectives:
• Differentiate between direct and indirect lobbying.
• Plan and conduct lobbying meetings.
• Use evidence and data to influence decision-makers.
• Understand the role of lobbying in democracy.

Topics:
• Direct lobbying: meeting with officials, presenting submissions
• Indirect lobbying: mobilising public support, using media
• Preparing lobbying packs and briefing notes
• Using research and data effectively
• Lobbying ethics and codes of conduct

Day 7: Campaign Planning and Management

Objectives:
• Design a comprehensive advocacy campaign.
• Set SMART goals and objectives.
• Develop a campaign timeline and budget.
• Monitor and evaluate campaign progress.

Topics:
• Campaign planning frameworks (e.g., logic model, theory of change)
• Setting goals, objectives, and targets
• Resource mobilisation and budgeting
• Monitoring and evaluation indicators
• Risk assessment and contingency planning

Day 8: Digital Advocacy and Social Media

Objectives:
• Utilise digital tools for advocacy.
• Manage social media campaigns effectively.
• Understand online security and privacy risks.
• Analyse digital engagement metrics.

Topics:
• Digital advocacy tools (petitions, email campaigns, websites)
• Social media strategy: platforms, content, scheduling
• Online security for activists (encryption, secure communication)
• Measuring digital impact: analytics and reporting
• Case study: Successful digital advocacy in South Africa

Day 9: Integration, Action Planning, and Reflection

Objectives:
• Synthesise learning into a coherent advocacy strategy.
• Develop a personal action plan.
• Present advocacy plans for peer feedback.
• Reflect on ethical practice and sustainability.

Topics:
• Integrating all course components into a strategy
• Action planning template and next steps
• Peer presentations and feedback sessions
• Ethical dilemmas and sustainability of advocacy
• Course evaluation and certification

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Wed 09 Sep 2026 Mon 21 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Tue 29 Sep 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Mon 19 Oct 2026 Thu 29 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Thu 17 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
Fri 15 Jan 2027 Wed 27 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
Thu 18 Feb 2027 Tue 02 Mar 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
Wed 03 Mar 2027 Mon 15 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Thu 25 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
Fri 11 Jun 2027 Wed 23 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,798 Register
Thu 01 Jul 2027 Tue 13 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,798 Register
Wed 21 Jul 2027 Mon 02 Aug 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,798 Register
Tue 07 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,798 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Thu 07 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,798 Register
Fri 22 Oct 2027 Wed 03 Nov 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,798 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Thu 16 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
Fri 31 Dec 2027 Wed 12 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
Thu 20 Jan 2028 Tue 01 Feb 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 499 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Fri 31 Jul 2026 Wed 12 Aug 2026 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Winter 2026 $5,211 Register
Mon 03 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Johannesburg, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,969 Register
Tue 04 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Mauritius Winter 2026 $5,211 Register
Wed 05 Aug 2026 Mon 17 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $4,455 Register
Thu 06 Aug 2026 Tue 18 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $6,615 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Thu 17 Sep 2026 Tue 29 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
Wed 07 Oct 2026 Mon 19 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
Tue 27 Oct 2026 Fri 06 Nov 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
Tue 15 Dec 2026 Fri 25 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,338 Register
Mon 18 Jan 2027 Thu 28 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,338 Register
Fri 26 Feb 2027 Wed 10 Mar 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,338 Register
Thu 11 Mar 2027 Tue 23 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Wed 17 Mar 2027 Mon 29 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Tue 23 Mar 2027 Fri 02 Apr 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Thu 24 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Fri 09 Jul 2027 Wed 21 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Thu 29 Jul 2027 Tue 10 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Wed 15 Sep 2027 Mon 27 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Tue 05 Oct 2027 Fri 15 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Mon 25 Oct 2027 Thu 04 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Tue 14 Dec 2027 Fri 24 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Thu 13 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Fri 28 Jan 2028 Wed 09 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

View Sessions & Register Get A Quote Download Course Brochure
Have an account?

Sign in to track your applications and manage your cart.

Related Courses

Other Education, Training and Development courses at NQF level 3 learners on this page also viewed.

Browse the full Education, Training and Development category for education, training and development training programmes.
GET A QUOTE / APPLY COURSE CATALOGUE