Advocacy, Communication and Planning Skills

Training Program on Advocacy, Communication and Planning Skills

This course provided participants with the knowledge, tools and skills to develop advocacy goals, strategies and campaigns for use at local and international levels. This training was part of the "Protecting Islamic and Christian Culture in Jerusalem" project which is jointly implemented by Palestinian Vision Organization, PASSIA and ACT, and funded by the EU. The Training Program took place from 10-13 November 2021 at the Legacy Hotel in Jerusalem. 

Course Outline

• Intensive Seminar. During the four-day seminar, key issues, concepts and practices of advocacy & lobbying, planning, and communication were introduced, focusing on the need to protect Palestinian culture and heritage in Jerusalem. The program included:

o Islamic & Christian Cultural Heritage in Jerusalem

o Effective Communication Skills

o Analyzing the Context for Advocacy

o Identifying Target Audiences & Messages

o Advocacy Methods & Skills

o Digital Advocacy (social media, new technologies

o Planning Campaigns

o Case studies & field visit

Candidates interested in the training seminar had to complete and return PASSIA’s E-application forms by the given deadline. Upon selection, participants had to confirm their commitment to full-time participation in writing. The PASSIA Training Program itself took place from 10-13 November 2021 at the Legacy Hotel in Jerusalem. There were no costs involved for the participants.

Program:

Day One: Thursday, 10 November 2021

1. Advocacy Definition

- First Session: Definition and objectives of advocacy and lobbying, and characteristics of advocates.

- Second Session: Advocacy methods.

2. Vision and Problem Defining & Campaigns

- Third Session: Definition of vision and a related exercise – A success story.

- Fourth Session: Problem defining and an exercise on problem tree analysis.

Day Two: Thursday, 11 November 2021

3. Setting Objectives

- Fifth Session: Characteristics of objectives, and the objectives tree exercise as a reflection of the problem tree analysis.

- Sixth Session: The roadmap exercise: Moving from problems to goals.

4. Identifying and Analyzing Stakeholders

- Seventh Session: Analysis of stakeholders, audience, allies, opponents, and target groups.

- Eighth Session: Stakeholder power analysis, the pyramid exercise to analyze stakeholder power and examining the use of stakeholder power in influence and change.

Day Three: Thursday, 12 November 2021

5. Drafting the Message & Call-to-Action

- Ninth Session: Drafting the message - designing a call-to-action poster.

- Tenth Session: Creativity in conveying the message.

6. Developing the Campaign Plan and Timeline

- Eleventh Session: Identifying tasks, dates and people.

- Twelfth Session: Setting and discussing the campaign schedule.

Day Four: Thursday, 13 November 2021

7. Identifying and Managing risks

- Thirteenth Session: Identifying and managing Risks.

- Fourteenth Session: Classification of risks and what can be done about them.

8. Other issues – Financing, Monitoring and Evaluation

- Fifteenth Session: Follow-up and evaluation during the campaign.

- Sixteenth Session: Funding.

- Seventeenth Session: Presentation of group campaigns, evaluation of training and distribution of certificates.