What MDF Training & Consultancy has to offer
MDF Training & Consultancy offers a variety of interconnected tools, methodologies, and skills training that are tailor-made to meet the challenges inherent in policy influencing. These tools are user-oriented and designed for learning.
We help you build your Advocacy & Policy Influencing (A&PI) plan based on a thorough analysis of the socio-political and legal context, and with the development of an A&PI proof Theory of Change. Commonly used tools include (advanced) stakeholder and risk analyses, a complexity analysis, a ‘Theory of No-Change’, and a communication strategy, which is the core of any A&PI intervention plan. Our focus on behavioural change in the stakeholders of the programmes (for example through Outcome Mapping) allows us to frame and measure change where it is most relevant and tangible.
For monitoring and learning we emphasise the value of qualitative methods, such as Outcome Mapping, Outcome Harvesting, Contribution Analysis, and the Most Significant Change. These methods enable key stakeholders to participate in the definition and measurement of the results, while favouring the assessment of intermediate outcomes through the analysis of processes and narratives. Goal setting, to track and document change, is conducted in small steps through progress markers. MDF Training & Consultancy often combines result assessments with reviews of advocacy capacity.
In addition to Open Entry Training on A&PI, we provide customised training and facilitation of A&PI Strategy development. We also design monitoring systems for A&PI. This may include long-term support in actual monitoring and learning through blended learning trajectories, strategy revision or developmental evaluation, and assistance in data collection and sense making. And because we consider the process to be as important as the content, our services also extend to effective partnership and network management.