West Africa Civil Society Institute wacsi.org

WACSI empowers policy advocacy ambassadors across West Africa with robust technical skills

A four-day training on policy advocacy organized by WACSI took place at the Institute’s Training Centre in Accra from June 25 – 28, 2012. The training dubbed Advanced Policy Advocacy training for CSOs in West Africa gave an opportunity for the privileged civil society practitioners from Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Ghana who took part, to have practical scenarios to examine the need for vibrant advocacy strategies in West Africa. They were opportune to use illustrative case studies and apply the policy advocacy skills acquired on existing policy debates in the sub-region.

This training complimented the Introduction to Policy Advocacy Training which took place in March 2012. The participants, most of who were a part of the March training, had a grounded knowledge on how to initiate and develop policy briefs and papers that would stimulate results- oriented and people- centred policy processes in the sub-region.

Prince Effiong Idiong, Policy Advocacy and Gender Technical Adviser for Action Aid Nigeria lauded the conducive nature of the training venue. He noted that the trainer, Ms. Mary Tobbin, WACSI’s certified Policy Advocacy Trainer employed very engaging facilitation skills that enhanced the learning process. He affirmed that he has been better equipped with requisite skills to write thought provoking, and, action oriented policy papers.

The training was described by the participants as constructive, enriching and satisfactory. Participants strongly affirmed that the discussions raised during the highly participatory sessions have reawakened their verve to appropriately strategise in developing advocacy campaigns. They further lauded WACSI’s initiative of frequently organizing such trainings, and pointed out that they will recommend WACSI’s trainings to their colleagues.

View more pictures on this training here.

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