Strategic Advocacy and Influence for ESOs

A practical training for ESOs on how to understand policy systems, map influence, and build capacity to advocate for youth entrepreneurs. This course equips ESOs with the tools, skills, and confidence to influence policies and systems that shape youth entrepreneurship. 

The training is practical and focused on African contexts. However, the tools, approaches, and principles are relevant to advocacy work in any region seeking to shift power, policy and practice to support youth entrepreneurship. 

  • Stephen Hunt 

    Principal Consultant -
    Carsis Consulting

  • Discussions available

    Share within communities

  • Expected Duration

    5.5 hours

  •  Credentials available

What is the Strategic Advocacy and Influence training?

Through five progressive modules (made up of 11 individual sessions), ESOs will learn how to analyse policy systems, prioritise advocacy issues, design influencing strategies, engage stakeholders, and sustain advocacy.

By the end of the modules, participants will be able to:

  • Understand what strategic advocacy is and how ESOs can influence entrepreneurship ecosystems beyond programmes or communications.
  • Assess and strengthen organisational readiness, identifying realistic advocacy roles, internal systems, and resources that support sustained influencing.
  • Analyse power and policy systems using political economy thinking and influence mapping to identify entry points for change.
  • Develop focused advocacy strategies, including prioritising issues, shaping messages, and aligning actions with policy and influencing processes.
  • Engage stakeholders and sustain momentum by building coalitions, involving youth and women, tracking progress, and communicating results in credible and practical ways.
Meet the expert

Stephen Hunt 

Principal Consultant - Carsis Consulting

Stephen Hunt is an established senior advisor and consultant with nearly 15 years of international experience working on private sector development, entrepreneurship, business environment reform, and inclusive economic policy across more than 20 countries. Trained in poverty and economic development policy, he supports governments, multilaterals, funders, NGOs, and civil society organisations to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems—particularly for youth and women entrepreneurs—by improving policy and programme design, institutional coordination and capacity building, and the use of evidence in reform processes. He leads his advisory work through the award-winning Carsis Consulting and has held senior advisory roles with leading organisations, including Mercy Corps, BRAC International, and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), working across Africa, Asia, and the UK.


How to attribute this resource:

Digital media:

Copy the below to paste onto your digital media: 

Strategic Advocacy and Influence © 2026 by Youth Business International is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Print work or media:

Copy the text below and paste it on the title and/or copyright page of your print work or presentation, or in the credits of your media:

Strategic Advocacy and Influence © 2026 by Youth Business International is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/