Government Relations & Public Affairs Training Course

Overview Objectives Audience Methodology Contents Certificate FAQ's

Course Overview

Government relations and public affairs are the types of public relations that deal with how an organization interacts with government, with governmental regulators, the legislative and regulatory arms of government.Government relations is the branch of public relations that helps an organization communicate with governmental publics. Public affairs is the type of public relations that helps an organization interact with the government, legislators, interest groups and the media. These two functions often overlap, but government relations is often a more organization-to-government type of communication in which regulatory issues are discussed, communication directed to governmental representatives takes place, lobbying efforts directed at educating legislators are initiated and so on.

Learning Objectives

Participants attending the programme will:

Identify why government relations and public affairs are important and what value they can create for an organization
Understand and analyse the components of a public affairs strategy
Use stakeholder analysis and evaluation tools
Produce a situation analysis
Map out the power structures that determine your organization’s prospects
Identify how, where and when to engage in the policy and legislative process
Develop an issues and stakeholder management plan for public affairs
Use stakeholder analysis and evaluation tools
Master and execute the main public affairs and lobbying techniques

Target Audience

This course is designed for those with existing knowledge and several years of experience in PR, marketing or communication. Learning is pitched at a level to help you develop strategic approaches and apply sophisticated techniques. This course is recommended for anyone tasked with managing or overseeing the creation of a lobbying or PA strategy, whether directly or having hired a consultancy.

Training Methodology

The programme is highly interactive and practical. There will be work in groups and pairs as well as individual exercises and everyone will get an opportunity to discuss and practice. Each day will end with time to produce an action plan for delegates’ continuing development and application back in the workplace.

Pre and Post-course assessments will be used to measure the effectiveness of this training and the pre and post skill and ability of participants.

Course Contents

Module 1: Understanding the Principles of Government Relations & Public Affairs

Key Topics

The founding concepts and best practices that underpin effective public affairs
Understanding the origins of public affairs and government relations
What public affairs and government relations can achieve
Introducing public affairs and government relations activities
Evaluating the threats and opportunities of acting and not acting

Module 2: Creating a Government Relations and Public Affairs Strategy

Key Topics

A practical step-by-step approach to designing a lobbying strategy for any organisation
Learning the components of a public affairs and government relations strategy
Identifying objectives and goals, stakeholders and key messages
Measuring success

Module 3: Stakeholder Analysis & Management in Public Affairs

Key Topics

How to shape and adapt government relations activities according to the needs and expectations of stakeholder audiences
Identifying, categorising and evaluating stakeholders
Understanding what and how they think
Identifying and researching political targets
Mapping relationships with your stakeholders

Module 4: Understanding & Mapping your Public Affairs and Political Landscape

Key Topics

How to extract insights from a big-picture view of the government and policy environment
Understanding government influences on the policy agenda
Evaluating sources of available intelligence
Understanding the policy development cycle

Module 5: The Challenge of Governance on Public Policy & Affairs Implementation

Key Topics

Social diversity’s impact on public policy and affairs governance and features today
Keeping pace with social change – recent trends
Aligning governance frameworks with government relations structures and public affairs
Public policy, governance and administration interplay
Ensuring social impact – practical tools and tips

Classroom Session

Dubai

09 - 13 Nov 2026

$5,600

Nairobi

09 - 13 Nov 2026

$5,600

Dubai

01 - 05 Feb 2027

$5,600

Dubai

31 May - 04 Jun 2027

$5,600

Paris

28 Jun - 02 Jul 2027

$5,950

London

19 - 23 Jul 2027

$5,950

Kigali

09 - 13 Aug 2027

$5,600

Lisbon

27 Sep - 01 Oct 2027

$5,950

Nairobi

15 - 19 Nov 2027

$5,600

Dubai

29 Nov - 03 Dec 2027

$5,600

Barcelona

27 - 31 Dec 2027

$5,950

More Schedules

Online Session

Duration: 2 Hrs X 8 Days

Starting Date

27-Oct-2026

$3,000

Starting Date

14-Dec-2026

$3,000

Starting Date

09-Mar-2027

$3,500

Starting Date

12-Jul-2027

$3,500

Starting Date

12-Oct-2027

$3,500

Starting Date

20-Dec-2027

$3,500

More Schedules

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Certificate

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will receive a PROMISE Certificate of Completion.

Certificate

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will receive a PROMISE Certificate of Completion.

This Program has been approved for 25.00 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR , aPHRi , PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi and SPHRi recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®)

testimonials

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An exceptional learning experience. This stands out as one of the most comprehensive and well-structured courses I have encountered in my career.