Humanitarian & Disaster Management
Advocacy Competencies for Humanitarian Personnel
Short intensive on influencing decision-makers on behalf of affected communities.
Syllabus at a glance
Around 4 weeks of guided study, with weekday evening or weekend sessions and short practical tasks between sessions.
| Unit | Study block | Module |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Week 1 | Advocacy foundations and power analysis |
| 2 | Week 2 | Evidence-based advocacy messaging |
| 3 | Week 3 | Stakeholder mapping and engagement |
| 4 | Week 4 | Media, campaigns and public communication |
| 5 | Week 5 | Advocacy planning, ethics and risk |
Module breakdown
- 1
Advocacy foundations and power analysis
Week 1Build a shared working vocabulary for advocacy foundations and power analysis and set the standards this course expects of you.
What you cover
- Key concepts, terminology and standards behind advocacy foundations and power analysis
- Step-by-step methods and templates for advocacy foundations and power analysis
- Common problems, risks and mistakes in advocacy foundations and power analysis, and how to avoid them
- Applying advocacy foundations and power analysis in low-resource and community settings
Assessed work: Case study discussion applying advocacy foundations and power analysis to a local scenario.
- 2
Evidence-based advocacy messaging
Week 2Work through the methods and tools used for evidence-based advocacy messaging in day-to-day programme work.
What you cover
- Step-by-step methods and templates for evidence-based advocacy messaging
- Common problems, risks and mistakes in evidence-based advocacy messaging, and how to avoid them
- Applying evidence-based advocacy messaging in low-resource and community settings
Assessed work: Practical task: draft one working document related to evidence-based advocacy messaging.
- 3
Stakeholder mapping and engagement
Week 3Practise stakeholder mapping and engagement on realistic case material drawn from Sierra Leonean community and field settings.
What you cover
- Common problems, risks and mistakes in stakeholder mapping and engagement, and how to avoid them
- Applying stakeholder mapping and engagement in low-resource and community settings
- Recording, reporting and communicating your stakeholder mapping and engagement work
Assessed work: Group simulation using stakeholder mapping and engagement under time pressure.
- 4
Media, campaigns and public communication
Week 4Turn media, campaigns and public communication into documents, plans and decisions your team or employer can actually use.
What you cover
- Applying media, campaigns and public communication in low-resource and community settings
- Recording, reporting and communicating your media, campaigns and public communication work
- Key concepts, terminology and standards behind media, campaigns and public communication
Assessed work: Portfolio entry: reflect on how you will use media, campaigns and public communication in your role.
- 5
Advocacy planning, ethics and risk
Week 5Review, quality-check and improve your own advocacy planning, ethics and risk work with tutor and peer feedback.
What you cover
- Recording, reporting and communicating your advocacy planning, ethics and risk work
- Key concepts, terminology and standards behind advocacy planning, ethics and risk
- Step-by-step methods and templates for advocacy planning, ethics and risk
Assessed work: Guided exercise: produce a short worked example covering advocacy planning, ethics and risk.
Who this course is for
- • Practitioners and volunteers already working in, or moving into, this area of work.
- • NGO, government and community responders involved in preparedness and response.
- • School leavers and graduates building a first professional portfolio.
Entry requirements
- • Open to all learners; no formal qualification required.
- • Access to a phone, tablet or computer for online and blended study.
- • Commitment to attend sessions and submit assignments on time.
How you are assessed
- • Short module tasks completed during the course.
- • Practical component: Produce a one-page advocacy brief and pitch it in class.
- • A final assessment or portfolio review covering the full syllabus.
- • Participation in guided sessions, discussions and group exercises.
Materials and support
- • Session handouts, checklists and templates you keep after the course.
- • Case material and worked examples based on community and field practice.
- • Tutor guidance by WhatsApp between sessions.
Certification
Learners who complete all assessments receive an SLIHSD professional certificate of completion. This records completion of an SLIHSD short course and is not presented as an accredited academic award.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the certificate you should be able to:
- Build an advocacy strategy with clear asks
- Write persuasive evidence-based messages
- Engage decision-makers safely and ethically
Practical component
Produce a one-page advocacy brief and pitch it in class.
How this programme is delivered
Online
Guided sessions and assignments you can follow from anywhere with a connection.
Face-to-face
Classroom sessions at our Mile 91 learning centre, including weekend and evening options.
Blended
A mix of online study with periodic in-person workshops, field exercises and simulations.
Ready to start Advocacy Competencies for Humanitarian Personnel?
Applications for the Founding Student Intake 2026 are open. Register your interest and we will guide you to the right programme.