Public affairs and government relations require a rare blend of political analysis, strategic communication, stakeholder management and media influence. This five-day programme builds capability across all of them — from mapping your political and regulatory landscape through to crafting persuasive positioning, executing campaigns, engaging senior officials and using media strategically to advance policy objectives.
Public affairs strategy design and political landscape analysis, advocacy and lobbying techniques, campaign implementation, high-level stakeholder engagement, and media influence for policy change.
This five-day programme runs in a small, boardroom-format group of senior professionals. Each day covers a distinct specialist discipline, with modules combining evidence-based best practice briefings, structured discussions, practical workshops and peer learning. Your trainers tailor content to the specific industries, organisations and challenges in the room. The format has a coaching and consulting flavour — you work on real situations and produce outputs you can apply immediately. You will leave with an integrated public affairs and government relations capability — from strategy design through to advocacy, stakeholder engagement and media influence.
- Analyse and map the power structures shaping your policy environment
- Identify when, where and how to engage in the policy and legislative process
- Develop a strategic public affairs and issues-management plan
- Apply core lobbying and advocacy techniques with confidence
- Design and implement a public affairs campaign aligned with organisational goals
- Prepare for and conduct meetings with senior government officials
- Integrate communications, PR and thought leadership into your PA/GR strategy
- Use the media strategically to amplify advocacy and influence policy outcomes
- Understanding the principles and purpose of PA/GR
- Mapping political, policy and stakeholder landscapes
- Setting objectives and designing a strategic framework
- Building a practical PA/GR strategy you can apply immediately
- Developing focused and compelling messages
- Framing and substantiating your arguments
- Tailoring positioning to different stakeholder needs
- Deploying messaging effectively across communication channels
- Understanding political dynamics and engagement pathways
- Selecting appropriate lobbying frameworks and tactics
- Applying tools to engage stakeholders and build support
- Practical workshop to design your own PA/GR campaign
- Identifying and targeting the right officials
- Adapting messages and approaches to different individuals
- Managing relationship dynamics and meeting challenges
- Using communications collateral effectively in advocacy
- Aligning communications and PA/GR activities
- Using PR tools and tactics to generate meaningful coverage
- Building productive relationships with journalists
- Workshop with filmed interviews and individual feedback
This course is for executives who engage with government, legislators, regulators or political stakeholders and want a comprehensive strategic grounding in public affairs and government relations.
The following are some of the ISOC trainers who regularly lead this course, depending whether you join us in London, Dubai or live online.
Yes. We deliver this course for teams of any size, tailored to your organisation's context. Contact us to discuss.
The programme runs over five consecutive days in a small, boardroom-format group. Each day covers a distinct specialist discipline, building a comprehensive and integrated skill set.
Nothing specific is required. If you have a current project or challenge relevant to the course topic, bring it along — the practical exercises can incorporate real-world contexts.
The course is designed for professionals with some existing knowledge who want to deepen their strategic capability. If you are new to the field, contact us to discuss which course is the best starting point.