Advocacy and Communication for Social Protection
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Online
Advocacy and Communication for Social Protection
16 June–25 July 2025
The course is available in English
Key features
LEARN ONLINE
Connect with a global network of practitioners in an immersive digital learning environment
HAVE YOUR LEARNING CERTIFIED
Successful candidates will obtain an ITCILO Certificate of Achievement
MOVE CLOSER TO OBTAINING A DIPLOMA
Course eligible for the Diploma for Social Protection Managers, allowing you to move one step closer to obtaining your recognition
Introduction to the course
How can you become an agent of change both inside and outside your organization in advancing the social protection agenda? Advocacy and communication are essential in establishing a rights-based culture of social protection, pushing for evidence-based governance with a view to better policymaking, and ensuring that programmes are aligned with international standards and meet people's needs. Well-coordinated advocacy, framed by Agenda 2030 and supported by international and regional initiatives, will be pivotal if governments are to advance towards universal social protection. Being able to engage others - beneficiaries, professionals, social partners, the media and policymakers - convey your vision for strengthening social protection and galvanise action for change is key. Yet, finding your voice and using it effectively is an art that can be learned, a skill that can be honed. This is precisely what this course aims to achieve. You will be introduced to fundamental principles and instruments in advocacy and communication to help you better define what you want to change, identify who can make that happen, and how to make your voice heard in order to achieve change. Successful participants will obtain a Certificate of Achievement that is eligible for the Diploma for Social Protection Managers.
Who attends this course?
The course is designed for officials, managers and executives of social protection institutions, ministries, international organizations, social partners and civil society who are tasked with shaping and advancing the social protection agenda at the local, national or international level; all professionals and practitioners who aim to strengthen the way they communicate about social protection internally and externally; those who wish to step up their work with the media; anyone who works closely with decision-makers to inform policy or budget formulation, amendment and implementation with a view to strengthening social protection systems for extension of coverage.
What will I learn?
- How to conduct a policy analysis, research and diagnostics and why these are essential to any policy reform.
- Why a contextualised problem analysis can help identify priority issues.
- How key international advocacy initiatives and coalitions are helping to set the global social protection agenda.
- How to plan advocacy and communication initiatives and develop effective strategies.
- Why stakeholders matter and how to profile them in order to understand what they care most about and how to can best convey our messages to them.
- How to craft a convincing narrative to convey our vision for change and galvanise others to take action.
- How to convey messages in an engaging way to different audiences, including the media and policy-makers.
- How to monitor your advocacy and communication efforts and understand whether you have made a difference.
What will I be able to do?
- Frame your advocacy and communication work based on robust contextual evidence and problem analyses.
- Apply the steps of the advocacy planning cycle to help guide the development of your advocacy and communication initiatives.
- Conduct a comprehensive stakeholder mapping and audience profiling.
- Develop impactful narratives and messages tailored to different audiences.
- Step-up your communication work through media training.
- Boost your influencing efforts with customised lobbying ‘surgeries’ and support.
Who attends this course?
The course is targeted at practitioners, officials, managers and executives from social protection institutions, ministries, international organizations, social partners and civil society who are tasked with designing, administering or advocating for social protection programmes.
Language
English
How?
Each week, participants will:
- Join two 90-minute live sessions focusing on specific topics (synchronous).
- Consult engaging learning materials on the course platform (self-paced)
- Share their knowledge and experiences through a dedicated technical forum (self-paced)
Participants should expect to dedicate a maximum of 10 hours to engaging in course
activities each week.
