HIV/AIDS Policy and Advocacy Training Course

Participants can interpret core HIV data and identify priority policy questions.

• Incidence, prevalence and mortality measures used in HIV policy decisions
• HIV testing and treatment cascade analysis from programme data
• Disaggregation by age, sex, geography and key population status
• Triangulating surveillance, survey, routine reporting and community monitoring evidence
• Data-quality checks for completeness, timeliness, consistency and representativeness
• Priority-setting questions derived from epidemiological and service-utilisation patterns

Participants can assess policy options across the HIV prevention-to-treatment continuum.

• Combination prevention packages for populations with unequal HIV risk
• Pre-exposure prophylaxis policy criteria, delivery models and adherence support
• HIV self-testing regulation, distribution channels and linkage-to-care requirements
• Differentiated service delivery models for stable treatment clients
• Viral-load monitoring policies and treatment failure response pathways
• Mother-to-child transmission elimination commitments and service integration arrangements

Participants can identify rights, gender and equity barriers requiring policy action.

• Human rights principles applied to consent, confidentiality and non-discrimination
• Gender analysis of HIV risk, care burdens and service access
• Criminalisation, punitive laws and policing practices affecting key populations
• Stigma-reduction policy measures within health facilities and public institutions
• Meaningful engagement of people living with HIV in decision-making
• Equity impact assessment for proposed HIV policy changes

Participants can formulate a precise, evidence-supported HIV policy problem statement.

• Problem trees separating root causes, service barriers and consequences
• Policy gap analysis against national commitments and programme guidance
• Framing a change objective within institutional decision authority
• Selecting affected populations through burden, inequity and feasibility criteria
• Evidence matrices linking claims, sources, limitations and policy implications
• SMART policy objectives with measurable conditions and deadlines

Participants can compare HIV policy options using explicit decision criteria.

• Walt and Gilson policy triangle: context, content, actors and process
• Options appraisal using effectiveness, equity, feasibility, cost and acceptability
• Political economy analysis of interests, incentives and institutional constraints
• Implementation feasibility assessed through workforce, commodities and information systems
• Unintended consequences identified through risk and mitigation analysis
• Recommendation statements matched to responsible authorities and decision windows

Participants can develop financially credible arguments for HIV policy priorities.

• Domestic financing trends, donor dependence and sustainability risk assessment
• HIV budget structures: commodities, workforce, laboratories and community systems
• Cost drivers for antiretroviral therapy, prevention and differentiated delivery
• Resource-allocation arguments using burden, equity, value and programme impact
• Budget advocacy requests linked to named activities and accountable budget holders
• Procurement bottlenecks affecting medicines, diagnostics and prevention commodities

Participants can map stakeholders and plan engagement based on influence and interests.

• Stakeholder mapping by power, position, interest and potential contribution
• Power analysis covering formal authority, informal influence and resource control
• Decision-maker profiles built from mandates, incentives and public positions
• Allies, opponents, persuadables and blockers classified for engagement planning
• Engagement approaches tailored to government, communities, donors and professional bodies
• Political risk register with triggers, responses and escalation responsibilities

Participants can draft a concise policy brief with an actionable recommendation.

• Policy brief structure: issue, evidence, options, recommendation and implementation
• Executive summaries written for ministers, directors and parliamentary committees
• Evidence synthesis using headline findings, source citations and caveats
• Recommendation language specifying action, owner, timeframe and resource implication
• Tables and charts selected for rapid interpretation of HIV programme evidence
• Quality review against relevance, accuracy, brevity and decision usefulness

Participants can design an HIV advocacy strategy linked to a defined policy objective.

• Advocacy theory of change connecting activities to policy outcomes
• Campaign objectives aligned with decision points and institutional processes
• Target analysis distinguishing primary, secondary and influential audiences
• Tactics matrix covering meetings, submissions, media and community mobilisation
• Advocacy workplans sequencing actions, owners, resources and milestones
• Assumptions tested against political conditions and coalition capacity

Participants can create audience-specific HIV advocacy messages supported by evidence.

• Message house construction: core ask, supporting evidence and proof points
• Framing HIV policy asks around health, rights, economics and accountability
• Audience segmentation by authority, values, knowledge and likely objections
• Spokesperson briefing notes with key messages and anticipated questions
• Plain-language translation of technical evidence without distorting findings
• Media statements prepared for announcements, setbacks and contested policy debates

Participants can establish practical arrangements for inclusive HIV advocacy coalitions.

• Coalition purpose statements defining shared policy demands and member roles
• Governance terms covering representation, decisions, confidentiality and conflict resolution
• GIPA principles applied to leadership by people living with HIV
• Community-led monitoring findings incorporated into coalition policy priorities
• Partnership mapping across networks, providers, researchers and legal services
• Safeguarding measures for advocates facing stigma, violence or legal exposure

Participants can prepare and conduct structured engagement with HIV policy decision-makers.

• Meeting objectives framed as decisions, commitments or information requests
• Interest-based negotiation separating positions from underlying concerns
• Briefing packs assembled with evidence, recommendations and implementation options
• Objection handling for cost, feasibility, morality and political sensitivity
• Follow-up protocols documenting commitments, owners, dates and evidence requested
• Escalation routes through technical committees, parliamentary processes and public consultation

Participants can monitor advocacy progress and use findings to strengthen accountability.

• Advocacy results chains linking inputs, outputs, outcomes and policy impact
• Indicator selection for access, commitment, implementation and service change
• Baseline and target setting using available programme and policy evidence
• Contribution analysis for assessing advocacy influence amid multiple actors
• Community scorecards used to document service barriers and response quality
• Accountability matrices assigning commitments, deadlines, evidence and follow-up actions

Participants can manage advocacy risks arising from opposition, misinformation and changing conditions.

• Risk registers covering political backlash, misinformation and participant safety
• Scenario planning for funding cuts, policy reversals and public controversy
• Crisis communication protocols for inaccurate claims and hostile media coverage
• Digital security basics for sensitive advocacy records and communications
• Do-no-harm review for public messaging involving criminalised populations
• Contingency actions triggered by changes in policy or stakeholder positions

Participants can build, review and present a complete HIV policy and advocacy package for a defined policy change.

• Policy problem statement supported by epidemiological, programme and community evidence
• Options appraisal producing a justified and feasible policy recommendation
• Stakeholder power map identifying targets, allies, risks and engagement approaches
• Decision-ready policy brief with implementation, financing and accountability actions
• Advocacy strategy containing messages, tactics, workplan and coalition arrangements
• Monitoring framework specifying indicators, milestones, evidence sources and review cycles