Developing National Policy Responses for Ageing and Older Persons

Establishing institutional arrangements

Actions

• Individuals, government ministries and/or other bodies responsible for ageing and older persons within the country and for leading on policy and its implementation are set-out
• Responsibilities and functions of the above are clearly outlined alongside how coordination between them will be managed
• Clear lines of accountability for the above are established
• Older persons and key stakeholders are represented within institutional arrangements, ensuring they have voice and influence in the policy process
• Human and financial resources for the functioning of institutional arrangements are secured

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Leadership and planning for the policy development process

Actions

• Roles and key tasks of individuals, ministries and other bodies in the policy-making process are set-out
• Leadership for the policy-development process is clear
• How coordination will be managed both across relevant institutions (horizontal coordination) and between different levels of government (vertical coordination) is established
• Timeline for each stage of the policy development process is set-out and agreed
• Funding and human resources for the policy development process are identified and agreed
• Plans for securing political support from the highest levels, alongside human and financial resources for policy implementation are identified

Engaging key stakeholders in the policy-making process

Actions

• Stakeholder mapping conducted considering both primary and secondary stakeholders
• A plan for how you will engage key stakeholders throughout the policy-making process is agreed, and mechanisms identified
• Responsibility for the inclusion and engagement of stakeholders throughout the process is assigned
• The roles of different stakeholder groups in the policy-making process re outlined
• Resources to support meaningful engagement of stakeholders, including more marginalised groups of older persons, are secured

Reviewing and mapping existing legal and policy frameworks

Actions

• Existing policy and legislation related to ageing, older persons and development are reviewed and mapped (with reference to MIPAA and other relevant global and regional frameworks related to ageing and development) noting lines of responsibilities for law and policy
• Overlaps, gaps and synergies across policy and legislation are identified
• Rights framework in country is mapped and gaps in relation to older persons are identified

Conducting situational analysis on older persons and ageing

Actions

• Working with stakeholders, existing data is reviewed and mapped, with information on the level of disaggregation available indicated.
• Data gaps/data needed to support a comprehensive situational analysis on ageing and older persons are identified in consultation with stakeholders, considering the needs of current and future generations of older persons, trends in population ageing, and both qualitative and quantitative data
• Plans for obtaining missing data are identified, as possible.
• Human and financial resources to support the collection and analysis of the required data is identified and agreed, ensuring age, sex, gender, disability, socio-economic group and geography disaggregation as a minimum.
• Clear processes and principles for how data will inform policy development are agreed
• All data is made publicly available

Identifying policy instruments: laws, policies and action plans/strategies

Actions

• National policy, plan/strategy, and legislation is considered and necessary instruments are identified
• How policy will be mainstreamed into population-wide development processes is considered

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Agreeing principles and vision for an ageing society and for older persons

Actions

• Principles and vision for an ageing society and for older persons are agreed in line with national, regional and international legal and policy frameworks
• Definition of older person is agreed
• Target group for policy is agreed
• How policy will protect and promote older person’s human rights is outlined
• The shared aspirations for older persons and the future of older age are agreed and outlined
• How responsibility for older persons’ wellbeing will be shared among the state, the individual, the family and communities is considered
• The role of different sectors in ageing policy is outlined
• Ambitions for promoting intergenerational solidary are articulated

Developing strategic and holistic policy

Actions

• The results of the legal and policy framework mapping, the situational analysis and the vision and principles for older persons are used to support the identification of policy goals and objectives
• Issues affecting older persons are considered holistically to inform integrated approaches to ageing, and are informed by national, regional and international frameworks (see below and full document)
• Policy adopts a life-course approach to ageing
• Policy is underpinned by the commitment to nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, to support security, health and wellbeing across the life-course
• Policy adopts a gender sensitive and transformative approach and promotes gender equality at all ages, including in later life
• Ageing policy is mainstreamed and integrated with population-wide policy, including national development plans, poverty reduction strategies, disaster risk reduction plans, disability strategies, health and care policies, and social protection plans.
• Policy takes a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to ageing, identifying opportunities for synergy and joint action to be leveraged between population-wide policy and ageing-specific policy
• Policies adopted are coherent and streamlined with wider policy processes, ensuring they collectively contribute to the achievement of overall goals

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Planning for implementation

Actions

A policy implementation plan is developed and includes:

• Actions needed to achieve the policy goals and objectives, and timeline for achieving them
• Roles of different stakeholders in policy implementation (local, national, public sector, private section, voluntary sector etc)
• Details of who has overall responsibility for policy implementation and accountability mechanisms
• Financial and human resources to be made available to support policy implementation
• Activity to raise awareness of the policy goals, objectives and actions
• Details on coordination mechanisms
• Methods for securing political will at highest levels
• Outlines additional instruments needed (legislation, regulation, guidance)
• Details of transparency and accountability mechanisms for policy implementation

Establishing monitoring and evaluation systems

Actions

• Responsibility for data collection and knowledge and information management is agreed and details of how accountability and oversight of this function will be managed are outlined.
• A plan for the regular review of implementation and impact of policy is in place, outlining the roles and responsibilities of different actors and how stakeholders will participate
• The data needed to provide a baseline and to regularly monitor the impact of policy in different areas and on different groups of older persons is agreed, including specific output and outcome measures for each policy objective/goals.
• Transparency and accountability mechanisms are agreed for monitoring and evaluation, including participatory and consultative mechanisms that include key stakeholders, information on how the outcomes of monitoring and evaluation and related data will be made publicly available and widely disseminated, and mechanisms to ensure that learnings are captured and fed-into policy-making and practice to ensure improvement.
• Human and financial resources to support the monitoring and evaluation process are secured.

Finalising policy

Actions

• The process for finalising the policy is agreed at the beginning of the policy development process, ensuring estimates of the time this will take are taken into account, leaving room for possible delays
• Those with responsibilities for the policy implementation are well informed and prepared for what happens when the policy is finalised.
• The policy document includes information on the policy-making process, including stakeholder engagement, the situation analysis, vision and principles design, etc.
• The public is well informed about the policy and the measures that it includes. Public consultation process and/or communications have raised awareness of the policy and disseminate information at all levels.
• Policy launched by or endorsed at the highest possible level to help secure political will
• Key stakeholders are actively engaged in communications planning.