Public Health Advocacy

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Upcoming course information

Start date	15 July 2024
Dates and Times	15 – 17 July 18:30 – 20:30 22 – 24 July 18:30 – 20:30 29 – 30 July 18:30 – 20:30
Cost	Full price - $1,800* Early bird - $1,600*⁺
Delivery	Online
Commitment	2 hours for 8 evenings over 3 weeks
Registrations close	30 June 2024^

About the course

As public health professionals, we are all working towards a world that enables and supports our community’s health and wellbeing.

Unfortunately, this is not a given. Rather, major social, political, economic and commercial forces shape the environments and societies in which we live and whether these are conductive to health and wellbeing. In this way, public health is inherently political and obtaining equitable health and wellbeing often requires systemic change, for example through laws, regulations, policies and institutional practices.

Through strategic public health advocacy, we can each play a role in achieving this systemic change, for a world where everybody’s right to health and wellbeing is realised and no one is left behind. Public health advocacy uses strategic collective actions that aim to effectively engage and influence decision makers to take evidence-based actions that deliver better population health outcomes. This short course will teach you about the fundamental aspects of public health advocacy and common advocacy tactics used in public health.

Over 3 weeks, you’ll learn about key skills and practices for engaging in effective public health advocacy such as influencing politicians and bureaucrats, leveraging traditional and social media and building coalitions. You will hear from an array of guest speakers who will provide real-world examples of advocacy in action and share lessons they have learned through their public health advocacy.

*Students, low-income participants, those whose study is being funded by a small NGO, and members of the Public Health Association of Australia, the Australian Health Promotion Association, and the Australasian Epidemiological Association may be eligible for a $600 discount.
To discuss, contact: FoHshortcourses@canberra.edu.au

⁺Early bird registrations close 31 May 2024.

^Registrations close 30 June 2024, unless class capacity is reached prior to this date.

Who this course is for

Academics, public servants and other public health professionals.
Policy officers seeking to understand policy implementation.
Those working in health-related NGOs looking to improve their skills in being able to influence policy outcomes.

Career potential

The key role of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in developing policy has been fundamental for decades. However, there is a growing need amongst all those involved in policy development and analysis to also understand the implementation process.

Many NGOs of all sizes are keen to have people on board who understand the full policy process from development to analysis and implementation. It is the public health advocacy process that facilitates implementation.

Additionally, the traditional manner in which academics have been regarded has been based on publications and citations. The ability to influence within their area of expertise and translate research into practice, so that research and publications have more practical impact, has highlighted the need for well-developed advocacy skills.

Learning outcomes

Understand the policy implementation process in public health.
Appreciate the importance of values-based advocacy.
Build practical skills in working with a range of players in the policy implementation process including:
- The media
- Local Government Councillors
- State and Federal Members of Parliament
- Bureaucrats at a range of levels.
Understanding how public health influence operates at an international level.
Build practical skills in preparing and appearing before a Committee of Inquiry that could be:
- A Commission
- Parliamentary Inquiry
- Government Inquiry.

Learn from industry experts

Dr Michael Moore AM PhD

Dr Michael Moore is the former CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia, past President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) and current Chair of the WFPHA Global Taskforce on Immunisation as well as a number of other of health networks. A Distinguished Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health and Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra. Michael served four terms as an elected member of the ACT Legislative Assembly from 1989 to 2001 and was Australia’s first independent Minister, appointed as Minister of Health and Community Care. In 2017 he was honoured by being made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Dr Aimee Brownbill PhD

Dr Aimee Brownbill is a Senior Policy and Research Advisor at the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education. Aimee has a PhD in Medicine (Public Health), a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences (Nutrition and Health Promotion) and Honours Degree in Public Health and has contributed to collaborative applied research projects in the fields of nutrition, alcohol and tobacco control. She has authored peer-reviewed journal articles and presented her research nationally and internationally. She has also authored reports and briefings for government and consults on public health policies in Australia, currently focusing on exploring the integration of policy, research and advocacy to best achieve translational outcomes in public health policy and practice.

Course structure

Module 1

Introduction to public health advocacy

Why public health advocacy?
Public health is political
Ten steps in public health advocacy
The importance of evidence
The Sustainable Development Goals

Module 2

Values-based advocacy

Introduction to values-based advocacy
Values based messaging
Working within a wider discourse
Targeted advocacy campaigns

Module 3

Building relationships

Understanding the range of players involved in the policy implementation process including:

Bureaucrats
Politicians
Political Staffers
Media/Journalists
Other NGOs
Researchers

Module 4

Working with the media

Understand the role of the media in public health advocacy including:

Traditional media (e.g. print,radio and television)
Social Media (e.g. Facebook and Twitter)

Module 5

Being opportunistic

Being opportunistic
Having a ‘presence’
Working with others
Creating opportunities
The elevator pitch

Module 6

Submissions/ Appearing before committees

Preparing a submission

Parliamentary
Bureaucratic
Commission
Committee

Understanding what the committee is looking for
Preparing for presentation to a committee on the public health perspectives

Module 7

International
action

Working with the World Health Organization
The role of World Federation of Public Health Associations
Other international organisations

Module 8

Planning advocacy action – Presentation

Students will integrate their learnings from the course to make a short presentation on an advocacy action plan

Hear from our students

I have never been so engaged in an online course as I was for this one, it was truly fascinating! I learnt a lot and I am looking forward to applying it to my work.

It was great, and it helped me understand how to move from my research role focused on grants and publications to something that can have a real impact on health policies and people.

Fabulous! I would recommend anyone interested in Public Health Advocacy no matter your experience or background to complete the course!

A thorough and comprehensive overview of public health advocacy and health promotion. They had guest speakers almost every session which included those who are currently working in the field and those who have vast domestic and international experience in health policy.

After completion

Once you’ve finished the Public Health Advocacy short course you will earn a certificate of completion from University of Canberra’s Faculty of Health that you can share on your resume and LinkedIn profile.

If you would like to know more about this short course, please contact us to have all your questions answered.