In the age of globalization, development practitioners and citizens around the world are discovering the need to be actively engaged in influencing policies, programs and laws that guarantee access to basic public services. They are working to increase pressure on governments to become more responsible, accountable and transparent. Coady is strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations to network with each other and to advocate for a just and democratic world.

Since the launch of the Advocacy and Networking Certificate in 2001, three Master Trainers have been involved in the delivery of the program, two from the global South and one from the North. One trainer has gone on to establish an Institute for Disability Advocacy in Namibia. In 2003, a Coady graduate from Egypt (now with the Advocacy Institute, Washington, D.C.) assisted in the design and delivery of the Advocacy certificate.

Coady launched an action research project with Ekta Parishad, an advocacy organization based in Bhopal, India that focuses on "advocacy by the people" - educating and mobilizing tribal peoples, dalits, landless labourers and women to advocate for their rights to land and a livelihood. A Coady staff member contributed to a study focused on Developing Effective Leadership in Mass-Based People's Organizations: The Case of Ekta Parishad and the Land Rights Movement in India.