Description
The project objective is to audit senior policies in selected cities and to test tools enabling seniors themselves to control their implementation. Under the project and in cooperation with local senior groups, we will perform monitoring of implementation of senior policies in 8 cities from 4 voivodeships, we will prepare and test a tool for monitoring, and we will support local senior organisations in their efforts to introduce changes based on the results. The project partner is the Foundation in Support of Local Democracy, having expertise in developing local policies concerning seniors useful in creating monitoring tools and performing monitoring. FRDL has its regional centres and contacts with organisations from all voivodeships where the project will be implemented, helpful in in cooperation with local senior organisations.
Summary of project results
"According to the data by the Central Statistical Office of Poland, by 2025 about 25% of Polish population will be aged 60 years or older. Yet in spite of the aging society (which tendency has been apparent for several years), local authorities are insufficiently prepared to cope with the situation. Even in places where various senior policy programmes and strategies are created, senior citizens are rarely included in their preparation. The objective of the project was to improve the senior citizens policy in 10 chosen cities, as well as to create and test tools which would enable senior citizens to conduct grass root monitoring in their communities. The project provided for pilot monitoring of senior citizens policies in 2 Silesian cities, and for publishing reports from the monitoring. Then, in cooperation with local seniors' groups, the monitoring was conducted in further 8 cities, and reports were prepared. There was a joint report summarising the project. A monitoring tool was prepared and tested, and 8 local debates were held, with participation from about 230 people. The outcomes of the project include changes to senior citizens policies, or improved life quality of senior citizens, in the monitored cities (e.g. creation of two senior citizens' councils, improvement of urban infrastructure), as well as preparation and testing of the monitoring tool, which will be available to local seniors' groups. The beneficiaries of the project include the authorities and senior citizens of the 10 monitored communities, as well as senior citizens' organisations from other cities, which wish to get involved in the process of shaping senior citizens policies in their communities. The project's partner cooperated with the representatives of Bona Fides at all stages, from the development of the research tool, through the pilot tests, support for the monitoring organisations, to the preparation of the summarising report and the final version of the tool."
Summary of bilateral results