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Session Date

May 10, 2027 - May 21, 2027

Application Deadline

April 10, 2027

Program Fee

$4900

Faculty Chair

Lauren Brodsky

Program Director

Melissa Pagonis

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Over two weeks, this program meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am - 1pm ET.
Group Enrollment: Tuition discounts are available for groups of five or more. Learn more here.

Executive Certificate: This program is a core program in the Public Leadership concentration. This program can also be used as a third program for several concentrations in the Executive Certificate series.

Program Overview

Driving meaningful change, both on a personal and organizational level, requires expert communication – delivering your message with clarity, impact, and in a way that persuades and resonates with key decision makers. Persuasive Communication: Narrative, Evidence, and Impact, a two-week, online executive program, allows you to develop and refine these essential communication skills on an intensive level.

This immersive, highly engaging program, taught by Harvard’s expert faculty, will equip you and your global cohort with the skills to craft compelling, persuasive messaging to advance your goals and achieve your desired outcomes. Faculty Chair Lauren Brodsky will also help you understand communications within the context of a broader policy landscape. What’s the most strategic way to approach a situation? How can communications play a role in achieving your goals? Join our program to tackle these and other key questions that will transform the way you communicate.

PROGRAM CURRICULUM

Before Persuasive Communication: Narrative, Evidence, and Impact begins, you’ll participate in a one-hour onboarding session. Pre-session readings and videos will also be provided so that you can enter the program fully prepared.

Over two weeks, expect to invest around 12 hours per week, divided among live faculty sessions, persuasion training activities, and group assignments. This hands-on curriculum integrates practical exercises in data visualization, evidence-based argumentation, and business persuasion training methods—ensuring you gain the confidence and techniques to deliver concise, high-impact communications in a variety of contexts.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In Persuasive Communication: Narrative, Evidence, and Impact, you will:

Engage in a curriculum that blends knowledge acquisition with direct persuasive communication training
Write and receive expert feedback on your opinion piece to refine your persuasive communication skill
Create and deliver a short presentation, harnessing business persuasion training strategies
Elevate your use of data, applying persuasion theory to enhance credibility and clarity
Strengthen data visualization techniques to communicate evidence effectively
Build robust arguments that resonate with decision-makers
Examine the media’s influence on policymaking and learn to position your narrative for maximum effect

Application Information

Persuasive Communication: Narrative, Evidence, and Impact is designed for public- and private-sector officials in mid- to senior-level roles who are responsible for communications, public relations, human resources, and corporate social responsibility.

This program would be ideal for individuals including:

Senior leaders in the public sector
Elected or appointed public officials
Communications and public relations professionals
Policy and advocacy advisors
Nonprofit leaders
Foreign and U.S. diplomats
Military and defense professionals
Public health, education, and social service professionals
Union leaders
Leaders of social movements
Corporate leaders working with or for the public sector

View the draft program schedule. Note that module titles, speakers, and sequence may change.

What is “Persuasive Communication: Narrative, Evidence, and Impact”?
A two‑week, online executive education program from Harvard Kennedy School that builds advanced persuasive communication skills in writing, speaking, and presenting for professionals who need to influence decisions and drive change.
What does the program focus on?
It focuses on identifying and understanding key stakeholders, forging authentic connections, and delivering clear, impactful messages that blend narrative, evidence, and data to shape outcomes in policy and organizational settings.
How is the program structured (format and schedule)?
The program begins with a one‑hour onboarding session and pre‑work (readings and videos), followed by two weeks of approximately 12 hours per week spent in live faculty sessions, persuasion training activities, and collaborative group assignments.
What kinds of skills and assignments will I work on?
You will draft and refine an opinion piece with expert feedback, create and deliver a short presentation, practice evidence‑based argumentation, enhance your use of data and data visualization, and apply persuasion theory to real‑world communication challenges.
Who leads the program?
Faculty Chair Lauren Brodsky leads the program, helping participants understand how strategic communication operates within broader policy and organizational environments and how it can be used to achieve specific goals.
Who should attend this persuasive communication program?
Public‑ and private‑sector officials in mid‑ to senior‑level roles who are responsible for communications, public relations, human resources, corporate social responsibility, or other functions that require influencing internal and external stakeholders.
What types of roles and sectors is this program ideal for?
Ideal participants include senior public‑sector leaders; elected or appointed officials; communications and PR professionals; policy and advocacy advisors; nonprofit leaders; foreign and U.S. diplomats; military and defense professionals; public health, education, and social service professionals; union leaders; leaders of social movements; and corporate leaders working with or for the public sector.

WHAT PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING

“The Persuasive Communication program opened my eyes to an array of approaches I’d never considered. I found myself simultaneously stimulated and inspired, eager to apply what I had learned to solving my organization’s communications challenges.”

Victor Lambert, Senior Communications Advisor, U.S. Department of Housing