Our programme will provide you with the analytical mindset, ethical reflections, leadership and communication skills indispensable to design and implement effective advocacy campaigns in national and international settings. Our programme focuses on how to influence policy-making in competitive, multi-layered environments, whether you work in the private or public sector, as a diplomat or policymaker representing a public authority or Permanent Mission, or within an international organisation, NGO, company or trade association.
Objectives
- Influence multiple stakeholders to seek funding for a cause, implement an advocacy project or lobby for/against policies
- Acquire appropriate communication skills to advocate in persuasive and efficient ways when you need to mobilise resources with potential partners, engage with media and policy-makers or any relevant stakeholders
- Develop analytical and practical tools to plan and implement campaigns in international, regional, national or local environments with tangible results
- Meet advocacy practitioners, lobbyists, policy-makers and experts from diverse sectors and expand your network on your professional path
- Obtain a degree from a renowned institution specialised in international affairs, leading to a comparative advantage for a promotion or a professional transition
Who is this programme for?
This programme is particularly relevant for mid to senior level practitioners from the private, public, international organisation and NGO sectors working or aspiring to work in the fields of:
- Advocacy and lobbying
- Communication and public relations
- Fundraising and resource mobilisation
- Campaigning
- Government affairs
- Corporate social responsibility, public affairs
- Diplomacy and civil service
Related SDGs
Module 1
Context, Actors, Strategies and Leadership - Certificate & Diploma - In-person and online
- Discover the web of actors involved at global, regional, national and local levels
- Raise awareness of units and levels of analysis, encompassing legal, economic, social and political dimensions
- Through case studies, sharpen your strategic-thinking skills and trends
- Two full-days devoted to professional development, with a focus on leadership
- Two full-days devoted to lobbying and policy influence
Module 2
Tactics, Tools and Outcomes Measurement - Certificate & Diploma - In-person
- Master up-to-date tools and tactics to execute and measure successful campaigns
- Create and present a campaign in groups at the end of the module
- Discover fundraising and philanthropy techniques
- A two-day upskill devoted to storytelling
Module 3
The international system - Diploma - E-learning
- Global governance and the international system under pressure
- The international legal framework
- The evolving practice of diplomacy in a multi-actor world
- State and non-state actors
- Science and technology diplomacy
Module 4
Topic of your choice - Diploma - In person
- Diplomacies, power and geopolitics
- Policy, risk and strategic decision-making
- Negotiation and strategic influence
- Selection is primarily based on the candidate's professional experience and motivation
- A bachelor's degree is required, or a degree/diploma deemed to be equivalent (no particular discipline required)
- A minimum of five years of full-time work for the Executive Certificate and eight years for the Executive Diploma is highly recommended. Participants typically range between 30 and 50 years of age
- Proficiency in English is required
Executive Certificate in Advocacy, Lobbying and Policy Influence
Certificate of Advanced Studies (15 ECTS)
Requires successful completion of Modules 1 & 2 assessments and final paper
Executive Diploma in Advocacy, Lobbying and Policy Influence
Diploma of Advanced Studies (30 ECTS)
Requires successful completion of Modules 1,2,3 & 4 assessments and final paper
This programme counts towards the Executive Master in International Relations.
- Start the application process by clicking on the red "Apply now" button (available when applications are open)
- Provide a copy of your certifications and diplomas
- The admissions committee will then evaluate your application and come back to you in the following two weeks
To complete the programme, participants are expected to:
- Attend a minimum of 80% of the sessions - participants can miss a maximum of 3 days of classes for the Executive Certificate, five days for the Executive Diploma
- Complete each module's assessment - evaluations consist of a paper for Module 1 (take-home assessment) and an in-class group presentation of an advocacy campaign for Module 2
- Submit a final assessment related to the Module 2 advocacy campaign (take-home assessment)
For any questions related to payment, financial assistance, changes in programmes, prices, and conditions of withdrawal, please visit our Terms & Conditions page
The programme offers a mix of face-to-face, online and e-learning modules:
- Module 1 is delivered face-to-face in Geneva
- Modules 2 and 4 are delivered face-to-face in Geneva
- Module 3 is a five-week e-learning session (asynchronous) including a two-day online session (synchronous)
Classes start at 9 am and finish at 5:45 pm (adjustments are possible). Days are a bit shorter during the live virtual classroom to adapt to the online format.
Faculty & Staff
DAVIDE RODOGNO
Academic Advisor - Executive Programmes in Advocacy, Lobbying and Policy Influence
Professor in International History and Politics
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CHRISTOPHE LÉCUREUIL
Lead advisor for advocacy skills - Executive Certificate in Advocacy, Lobbying and Policy Influence
Executive Director of the European Centre for Public Affairs
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Speakers
- Expert practitioners advising global companies and international organisations
- Academic thought-leaders exploring pressing global issues
- Case studies and guest speakers change yearly according to the most recent developments. A high number of senior executives were welcomed over the years from all organisations, including Leidar, WEF, Bloomberg, IUCN, GAVI, WHO, EACD, European Centre for Public Affairs, DNDi, EPFL, International Crisis Group, UNI Global Union, Interpeace, IFPMA, FoodDrink Europe, the European Commission, Apprentis d'Auteuil, Accenture, Syngenta, Acumen Public Affairs, the European Parliament, Swiss Permanent Mission to the EU, Airlines for Europe, 7-Eleven, MSF, UNIL, FIFDH, International AIDS Society, EBU
Patrick Boehler
Executive Editor responsible for Audience and Innovation at SWI, Switzerland
"Newsrooms face similar challenges and opportunities as the communications branches of companies, political parties, NGOs and international organisations. How do we best reach, inform and engage audiences effectively as media consumption habits change and traditional power structures erode fast and amid an avalanche of 'content'."
I took this course to learn best practices from other industries and find inspiration to distribute journalism better. I learned much more: I gained a new understanding of how the other side engages journalists and how that could be different. I've also gained a better understanding of how we can leverage communication processes to benefit the interests of journalists, how other actors try to build trust and authority among stakeholders and communities and how to communicate effectively familiar narratives of purpose inside and outside an organisation.
Most importantly, I've learned why and how my role as a journalist can be far more significant than to tell stories."
Patrick Boehler is the Executive Editor responsible for audience and innovation at SWI, the international service of the Swiss public broadcaster, and the managing editor of the Global Environmental Reporting Collective, an international group of journalists working to expose environmental crimes. He previously worked for the New York Times, the South China Morning Post and other publications in Asia and taught at the University of Hong Kong.
Cécile duprez-naudy
Global Public Affairs Director at Moët Hennessy
"This course provides a unique framework that combines academic teaching, case studies, and practical advice. A focus on topics such as crisis management and stakeholder engagement ensures that we are well-equipped to design and implement impactful advocacy campaigns."
At the time of the programme, Cécile Duprez-Naudy was working as Global Advocacy Lead for Nestlé SA in Vevey. Having held a number of public affairs roles at Nestlé, she provided guidance and leadership on the scaling up of the global advocacy strategy. Cécile has a Master in European Studies from the Catholic Institute of Paris. Before joining Nestlé, she worked as Senior Account Manager for European Public Policy Advisors in Belgium.
Luca Gobbo
Deputy Cantonal Information Officer, Swiss Foreign Ministry EDA, Switzerland
"I joined the Advocacy programme because the content and the teaching methods are varied and of very high quality. Paired with the Graduate Institute's international reputation and the ideal setting in International Geneva, this program offers great practical and theoretical knowledge on advocacy."
Luca Gobbo grew up as a son of a diplomat and has lived in several countries across the world. Holding a Master in European Studies from LUISS School of Government in Rome, he worked as a policy officer in the foreign policy division of the Conference of cantonal governments (CCG) in Switzerland, where he was responsible for different dossiers, such as human rights and/or specific EU-Swiss bilateral agreements.
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