For over 20 years, Overseas Strategic Consulting, Ltd. (OSC) has worked to build the research, communications, and educational capacity of governments, businesses, media outlets, civil society organizations, and individuals around the world at a variety of scales. From building the interpersonal communications skills of community health volunteers, to preparing ministers for camera time on global media outlets, OSC has experience strengthening institutions and stakeholders in conflict and post-conflict areas including Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Guatemala, Kosovo, Vietnam, South Sudan, and Serbia.
OSC’s training and capacity building specialties include:
- Module/Curriculum Development
- Training Manual Development
- Workshops
- Role Playing & Simulation
- Embedded Advisory Services
- Live and Remote Mentoring
- E-learning
OSC’s experience in training and capacity building uses evidence-based training methods appropriate to the context in which the training takes place. OSC’s non-didactic, participatory capacity building approaches are informed by adult learning theory, behavior change communications, and behavioral economics.
OSC has delivered measurable and sustainable results in strategic communications, advocacy, research, monitoring and evaluation, public/global health communications, social marketing, and behavior change communications.
Government Communications Capacity Building
OSC provides training for government ministries, agencies and individual officials in developing and overseeing coordinated communications programs. OSC conducts detailed evaluations to ascertain the specific needs and interests of the participants, and creates a tailored curriculum that mixes workshops, seminars and on-the-job-experience to build local communications and outreach management capacity. OSC’s training programs enable government ministries to implement and oversee their own highly effective public education and information campaigns. These campaigns include activities such as: branding, interdepartmental strategy, spokesperson training and crisis communication.
Empowering Local NGOs & CSOs
OSC empowers local NGOs and CSOs to communicate effectively and mobilize stakeholders in support of reform and development initiatives. OSC also prepares these organizations to manage their own public outreach and advocacy efforts independent of donor support. In doing so, OSC creates new, non-governmental sources of information in countries with imperfect information markets and builds a diverse network of locally based and staffed organizations through which future outreach efforts can be carried out.
Strengthening Local Media
OSC builds the capacity of local media to report on government reform and development topics by combining editorial and news-gathering training, technical production skills development and topic-specific seminars that increase journalist knowledge of issues such as anti-corruption, economic governance, and healthcare provision. OSC ensures media access to government and non-governmental sources of information by facilitating briefings, roundtable discussions, and informal networking events that connect journalists to the full range of relevant stakeholders.
Capacity Building Portfolio