What will I learn?
On completing this online policy communications course, you’ll know why persuasion is important in policy communications, and how to deploy persuasive techniques in your day-to-day role as a policy or research communications expert.
We’ve developed this course with experts and communicators in think tanks, NGOs, political institutions and university research centres. It draws on our experience of helping them solve communications challenges, including those specific to the worlds of research, policy, and public affairs.
The course covers:
- What the pros and cons of research-based communications are
- Why ‘policymaker’ is a terrible audience definition, and how to write a good one
- Why values matter, and how you can use them to reframe an argument
- Why narratives are more powerful than facts, and examples from our work
- What bounded rationality is, why it matters, and in what order to use rationality and emotion in an argument
Online training on policy communications
| Commitment: 2 hours per week | Duration: 5 weeks, starting 4th December 2024 (with a break over Christmas) |
| Price: £350 GBP (+VAT) | Study Mode: Tutor-guided, online learning |
A module is opened each week on a Wednesday, including the study content and a homework exercise, to be completed at your own pace. There are three live sessions, run via Google Meets, normally in weeks 1, 3 and 5.
Why take this policy communications course?
You should take this course if you want to learn how to:
- Deploy the three modes of rhetorical persuasion
- Frame your messages based on audience insight
- Cultivate your storytelling skills
By joining ‘Communicate to persuade’, you will be able to access The Craft, a global community of policy communicators, where you can share ideas or challenges you are facing with others to get their insight and thoughts.
Your instructor
Josh Eyre
Josh Eyre is a strategic communication specialist with over 10 years of experience helping businesses and civil society organisations accelerate social impact. Beyond communications, he has led research projects on social innovation for the London School of Economics and the Innovation Growth Lab, based at Nesta.
In 9 years at MullenLowe salt, Josh was focused on teaching corporates how to speak the language of public policy, and creating thought-leadership and advocacy strategies.
Josh has advised Unilever and many of its brands, along with Novartis, DFID, USAID, Unicef, WaterAid, Mondelēz International, the World Steel Association, Economy, Kimberly-Clark and LIXIL Corporation.
Hear from previous Cast From Clay students
Accessibility statement
If you require additional accommodations or encounter any accessibility barriers, please contact us at [email protected].