Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Establish a systematic **Environmental Scanning** process to identify emerging issues and trends.
• Develop a comprehensive **Issue Prioritization Matrix** based on probability, impact, and timeframe.
• Master the lifecycle of an issue (from formation to resolution) and the appropriate intervention strategies at each stage.
• Design and implement effective **Stakeholder Engagement** programs to manage conflicting opinions on key issues.
• Develop clear, pre-approved messaging and communication strategies to neutralize emerging issues.
• Integrate Issues Management protocols with overall risk management and corporate governance systems.
• Utilize advanced social listening and media monitoring to track issue momentum and sentiment shifts.
• Advise executives on policy, regulatory, and public sentiment shifts that require proactive corporate response.

• Issues Management and Risk Communication Specialists
• Public Affairs and Government Relations Professionals
• Senior PR and Corporate Communications Managers
• Legal and Compliance Officers
• Corporate Strategy and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Leaders

• Group Environmental Scanning and Issue Prioritization Workshop
• Case Studies on Brands Successfully Managing or Failing to Anticipate Major Issues (e.g., climate, labor)
• Individual Exercise: Drafting an Issue Position Paper and Communication Strategy for an Emerging Threat
• Role-Playing Stakeholder Dialogue with a Hostile Activist or Regulator
• Discussions on the Ethics of Corporate Advocacy and Transparency

Unit 1: Foundations and Principles of Issues Management

• Defining Issues Management and its distinction from Crisis Management.
• Understanding the lifecycle of an issue: formation, growth, maturity, and resolution.
• The strategic benefits of proactive management: cost savings, reputation protection, and policy influence.
• Integrating Issues Management with the organization's overall Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework.
• Identifying the core ethical, regulatory, and competitive categories of potential issues.

Unit 2: Environmental Scanning and Prioritization

Identification and Analysis
• Mastering techniques for systematic **Environmental Scanning** (media, political, regulatory, social channels).
• Utilizing advanced monitoring tools and human intelligence to spot emerging trends and activist movements.
• Developing a structured **Issue Prioritization Matrix** (e.g., probability vs. impact) for executive focus.
• Conducting detailed analysis of issue drivers, opponents, advocates, and their likely trajectory.
• The process of internal issue reporting and assigning ownership within the organization.

Unit 3: Strategy Formulation and Response

Intervention and Mitigation
• Developing an Issue Management position statement and desired corporate outcome.
• Identifying and selecting the appropriate intervention strategy (e.g., accommodation, proactive change, strategic defense).
• Designing and executing communication plans to **Neutralize** an issue before it reaches a critical stage.
• Aligning policy positions, organizational behavior, and communication messages for consistency.
• Strategies for managing internal stakeholders who resist change driven by external issues.

Unit 4: Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Influence

Dialogue and Advocacy
• Mastering techniques for high-stakes dialogue with activist groups, NGOs, and government regulators.
• Developing advocacy campaigns to shape public opinion and influence legislative outcomes.
• Strategies for building coalitions and alliances with sympathetic organizations and third-party validators.
• Utilizing transparent, ongoing communication to build trust with skeptical or adversarial stakeholders.
• The ethical requirements for lobbying and engaging in political communication.

Unit 5: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

Tracking and Improvement
• Implementing a continuous monitoring system to track issue momentum and communication effectiveness.
• Defining metrics for success: media coverage shift, public opinion tracking, and policy change.
• Conducting post-mortem reviews to assess the effectiveness of the Issue Management strategy.
• Integrating lessons learned back into the environmental scanning and prioritization system.
• Reporting Issue Management activities and risks to the Board of Directors and senior leadership.