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(Social Experimentation for Active Ageing)
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Social Experimentation for Active Ageing

Project presentation

Project Introduction
Project Objectives
Evaluation Framework
Project Management
Project Partners
Project Actions
Project Documentation

Introduction

The overall aim of this project addresses the social needs of older people by seeking to improve social policy in relation to the social and economic activation of older people who are not being reached by current policy measures. Local and national level research has highlighted a number of factors that underlie the limited impact of current policy interventions:

  • Lack of information
  • Skills miss-match
  • Limited impact of current initiatives
  • Isolation and disengagement
  • Lack of incentives
  • Lack of motivation
  • Discrimination and stereotyping 
  • Poor communication with target group
  • An institutional culture that sees the group as “waiting for retirement”
  • Lack of integration and co-ordination of policy at local/regional/national levels.

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Project Objectives

The project has the following objectives:

  • To undertake four pilot social experimentation action research evaluation based small scale interventions in four locations in 3 member states (Prague, Czech Republic); Edinburgh (semi-independent region of Scotland),Maribor (Slovenia) and Herefordshire (UK) to generate possible improvements to current policy .These social experimentation action research pilots will have the common key features:
    • Establishment of a Local Action Research Group (LARG) in each of the four locations. Key players in these LARG’s have already agreed to take part. Letters of commitment from local authorities, ESF managing authorities, NGO’s, employment services are attached as additional documents to this application. These LARG’s are multi-sectoral and multi-level governance in make-up.
    • Each LARG also has identified a local evaluator. In all cases these are researchers/evaluators with established track record.
    • Each LARG will undertake the following key actions:
      • Undertake a base line study which captures the current policy context in the targeted areas and its impact on the targeted group.
      • Implement a small scale social experimentation which is action research based .This will have a key features of  having user involvement as a key element in the research/evaluation methodology.
      • Produce a local evaluation report which covers the evaluation of the local social experimentation and makes recommendations in relation to implications for policy in relation to the target group.
      • Participate in a transnational programme to develop a transferable methodology and framework for evaluating social experimentation actions.
      • Undertake local/regional /national dissemination.
  • To undertake a transnational exchange and development programme. The goals  of the programme are:
    • To develop a transferable methodology and framework for evaluating social experimentation actions.
    • To support mutual learning and capacity building.
  • To realise these two goals the transnational exchange and development programme has the following key elements:
    • Three transnational workshops which will bring together members of the four LARG’s, including the local evaluators and LARG co-ordinators. The first workshop would centre on developing a shared methodology and framework for evaluating the four social experimentation actions. This would be “tested” at local/regional level. The second transitional workshop would bring together the same delegates in order to share issues and lessons emerging for the social experiment actions and their evaluations. The final workshop would bring together the same delegates to share their draft evaluation reports and implications for policy emerging.
    • One transnational dissemination conference to ensure that the outcomes of the project are widely shared especially targeting EU institutions and EU networks connected to the policy issue(s). 
    • The process would be supported by a transnational evaluator who would also work as a “co-ordinator “ for the local evaluators and establish a series of web-based and telephonic discussions between them in relation to preparing materials for the transnational programme.

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Evaluation Framework

Local Evaluator

Local evaluators are required to undertake the following actions/activities:

  • To participate in their local LARG group
  • To work with other local evaluators and the transnational evaluator in developing a common methodology and framework for undertaking the local evaluations of the local pilots. This needs to ensure involvement of « users ».
  • To undertake the production of a base line study report
  • To participate in  and contribute to  four transnational workshops
  • To Produce interim and final evaluation reports
  • To participate in 5-6 telephone/online Conferencing events during the life of the project. These would involve other evaluators, transnational evaluator and local co-ordinators when required.
  • Cooperate with local coordinator to determine who needs to be involved in the evaluation process (LARG, other stakeholders, target group)
  • Define evaluation objectives and questions together with local coordinator and other LARG members
  • Propose an evaluation plan to the to the  local coordinator and other LARG members and to other local evaluators and transnational evaluator 
  • Collect all files, reports, publications and any other relevant information needed for implementation of the evaluation

Transnational Evaluator

The transnational evaluator is required to undertake the following actions/activities:

  • To co-ordinate the work of the local evaluators
  • To work with other local evaluators in developing a common methodology and framework for undertaking the local evaluations of the local pilots. This needs to ensure involvement of « users ».
  • To support the development of a common approach for the production of local base line studies
  • To participate in  and contribute to  four transnational workshops 
  • To produce  an interim progress report  and final  transnational evaluation report
  • To co-ordinate communication with other local evaluators through  5-6 telephone/online Conferencing events during the life of the project . These would involve local co-ordinators when required.
  • Create an online good practice data base (case studies, reports, links etc)
  • Liaise with project co-ordinator.

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Project management

Project co-ordinator

Saad, Haroon

Contact Details:
QeC-ERAN
Rue Vieux Marché aux Grains, 48
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel:
+32 (0)2 524 45 45
Fax:
+32 (0)2 524 44 31
E-mail:
hsaadqec-eran.org

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Partners

Lead Partner:
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce

United Kingdom:
PISCESwm – Partnerships in Social and Community Enterprise in Social care

Czech Republic:
Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs

Slovenia:
Economic institute Maribor, Human Resource Development Centre 

The Association of Societies for Social Gerontology of the Republic of Slovenia 

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LARG

In each of the four partner locations there will be established a Local Action Research Group (LARG). These LARG’s are muliti-sectoral and multi-level governance in make up. Each LARG also has identified a local evaluator. In all cases these are researchers/ evaluators with established track record.

First Meeting

The first meeting took place in Maribor 23-24 February 2010. Participants discussed the aims and objectives of the project and agreed on a work programme for the coming six months.

Download documents:

Transnational Workshop in Edinburgh

The transnational workshop took place in Edinburgh 8-11 December 2010. Partners presented their baseline study reports, local action pilots and local evaluation methodologies.

Download documents:

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Project Actions

In relation to the above general and specific contexts the following four social experimentation actions have been identified:

Pilot social experimentation in Czech Republic

Older unemployed people in the Czech Republic are a specific group of unemployed because of prevalence of some specific characteristics. The problem is not their number but very limited routes back to the labour market. Most of released older workers choose total withdrawal from labour market to the economic inactivity if they are eligible for pension benefits (early retirement, old age pension after reaching statutory retirement age, disability pension). If older person becomes unemployed, it is usually for rather long time and it is extremely difficult to bring him/her back. Reasons for it are barriers on the employers´ side as well on the side of older workers.

According to experiences of labour market offices employees most of older unemployed people miss motivation to further education. Older people who lost their job often suffer from deteriorating psychological wellbeing in terms of decreasing self-confidence.       

Active labour market programmes aimed at older unemployed people based on preferential treatment of this group of unemployed in different schemes is not effective enough. Reasons of their very low effectiveness are following:

  • active labour market programmes in the Czech Republic are financially and personally poorly developed,
  • these programmes are not targeted enough at unemployed older people,
  • older people without paid employment are not interested in part-time employment. Working time or working organisation flexibility in the case of older people is not supported substantially. 

Experiences of labour market offices confirm that providing support to self-employment of unemployed people is rather effective way how to employ them. This kind of programme is not usually aimed at older people. We think that support of self-employment for older people with adequate financial support, motivation, training and counselling could be very effective in solving their unemployment. 

Pilot social experimentation in Slovenia

The demographic picture in Slovenia is similar to that of Europe – in the next 10 – 20 years we expect a great increase of the number of old people. Already today this percentage amounts to an average of 14 to 15 %. So we are facing the age of geronto-boom.

Raising the employment rate of older people in Slovenia is also one of the priorities of the labour market (by 2010 50% of the employment of older) and data on employment shows slow but steady increase of employment rates of older people. In the last two years, employment of this population increased by only 2.7%. Employment rate for older women increased very slowly, in 2007 it was 22.2% (2005 - 18.5%), while the employment of older men was 45.3 % (2005 - 43.1%).

A comparison of registered unemployed persons at the end of April 2009 with the previous year shows an increase in unemployment of 32.7 % in Slovenia, 27.4 % in the area of the Regional Office Maribor and a 21.3 % increase in the area of the Municipality of Maribor. The majority of unemployed in Slovenia and in the Municipality of Maribor are male (50.7 %; 50.6 %), while in the area of the Maribor Regional Office women are dominant with 50.5 %. In the age structure the highest share belongs to unemployed persons between 50 and 60 years (28.2 % in Slovenia and 26.5 % in the area of RO Maribor).

PROPSAL

Measures included in the Slovenian Strategy for active ageing are still in the process of development. Nevertheless, in recent years we have a lot of financed active labour market programmes/measures for unemployed in the area of carrier planning and job searching, but none of them specialised for people over 50, although they have special needs in the tackled area.

The objective of our social experiment would be to test new approach (programme “Active after 50”) to activate group of unemployed people over 50 back into the labour market.

The program will be implemented as a pilot in Podravje region (Maribor) for a small group of elderly unemployed people. The results of a new program will be compared to results of measure for the unemployed, which is present running and financed under the Active labour market policy, but not exclusively intended only for elderly unemployed.

“Active after 50” programme will be “tailor made” according to the needs of elderly unemployed people. Based on many years of experience in working with elderly unemployed people, we have found out, that they have:

  • very low self-esteem,
  • negative self-image,
  • fear of any kind of change,
  • consider themselves inefficient, regardless their widespread working experience,
  • belief that no work is available,
  • illness or disability,
  • weak social network,
  • lack of information about possibilities of education / training and employment,
  • no awareness of the importance of lifelong learning,
  • low motivation for any activity (only waiting for retirement), 
  • family responsibilities,etc.

If we would like to activate unemployed over 50 and motivate them for active employment, LLL and active ageing we need to focus themes in the programme to their characteristics/needs and as well to the needs of Slovenian labour market and demographic situation.

The program will will consist of three parts: an orientation phase, individual treatement and group sessions.

The orientation phase. In this phase, which will be carried out in the form of workshops, elderly unemployed people will get to know the characteristics of the labour market, recognize their potentials, strengthen their self-esteem, learn about modern approaches to successful performance in the labour market, make their personal folder (portfolio), etc..

After completion of the orientation phase, individual treatment and group sessions will follow. Individual treatment will be carried out in accordance to the needs of individual, at least 10 hours per person. Within face to face individual sessions, mentor will support each individual to prepare action plan how to improve her/his situation in the labour market.

The group sessions will be carried out once a week in the form of discussions, presentation of role models/good practices, self-help groups, and will cover various themes, such as:

  • health care,
  • system of National Vocational Qualifications,
  • flexible types of work,
  • mentoring,
  • preparation for retirement, pension legislation, reforms,
  • how employers respond to the challenge of an ageing labour force,
  • etc.

By joining into programme elderly unemployed people will:

  • strengthen positive self image,
  • gain additional knowledge and experience from the field of active carrier planning and job search,
  • establish new social contacts and strenghten their social inclusion,
  • improve their personal social capital,
  • start to change the attitude to health, LLL, employment,
  • be prepared for active old ageing,
  • etc.

Pilot social experimentation in Edinburgh

Context

Increasingly it has become more important for organisations to understand the impact of demographic ageing on their workforce and customers/ clients so that solutions can be sought to address the issues arising.

The challenges may relate to:

  • creating an organisational culture that values talent regardless of age
  • workforce planning
  • health and wellbeing of the workforce, or
  • ergonomics and job design

Age management refers to managing an age diverse, though increasingly ageing workforce and requires a multi-disciplined approach, drawing from demographics, learning and development, occupational health, work design/ergonomics, career planning and a number of other disciplines. Identifying the key age risks in organisations is a first step towards understanding the business case for age management.

Examples of key age risks:

  • Increasing mismatch between the competencies and characteristics of the available labour pool and those required
  • Loss of operational knowledge caused by exits and retirements
  • Impaired productivity
  • Falling or stagnating growth
  • Declining health and wellbeing of workers
  • Limited capacity amongst the organisation’s managers and leaders to assess and respond to the changed environment

Understanding fully the age related risks to the organisation will enable a plan to be devised to mitigate, and so far as possible eliminate, the identified risks.

The widespread adoption of good practice in age management will help organisations to: adjust to the inevitable ageing of their work forces; enhance the competitiveness and productivity of their ageing work forces; improve the employability of ageing women and men; assist in prolonging working life; and ensure more equal opportunities between workers of different ages. There is, then, a powerful economic imperative for age management in employment. It will no longer be possible for employers to bank on a sufficient supply of young workers: increasingly, they will have to confront the ageing of their existing work forces.

Proposal

The Edinburgh partnership – led by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and containing the City of Edinburgh Council, the Employment Research Institute within Napier University and also drawing on the shared working of the Edinburgh Joined up for Jobs strategic partnership which contains the main policy and delivery agencies locally – are looking to deliver a pilot that will help intensify mutual learning amongst the various actors and should facilitate the adaptation of public policies to evolving social needs.

The pilot project will be built upon:

  • Researching the issues of age management from the angle of national governments, regional and local governments, social partners, employers, employees and those over 50 who are active, but unemployed;
  • Definition of the baseline situation with regard to age management
  • Research of appropriate methods to address the issues identified (which we believe will contribute to reinforcing EU social inclusion objectives)
  • Development of an action plan to measure the intended impacts of the appropriate methods in terms of impacts, outputs and results
  • Definition of a measurement system and monitoring and evaluation framework

Pilot Social experimentation Herefordshire

This action will seek to establish what methodologies and interventions are being made to provide either employment of opportunities for enterprise for people over 50 in one of England’s most remote and poorest rural counties.

Traditionally the County has relied on agriculture and much of its employment has been directed towards this industry through a number of small businesses. These, in turn, provided a great deal of the direct employment of local people, often on low wages and without skills and qualifications.

In recent years Herefordshire has seen an outward migration of its younger population to be replaced by older people enjoying early retirement or establishing their own home based businesses using new technologies.

The recession throughout Europe has not only affected incomes and investments but caused many of the small businesses in the rural areas to retract and also close down.

There may have been, however, a counter movement based on the fact that Tourism in England and particularly in counties like Herefordshire may have benefited by more and more people staying in this country.

The 5 Market Towns of Herefordshire, excluding the City of Hereford itself, appear to be attracting more leisure related businesses into their retail shops particularly cafes and gift shops. Is this a short term phenomena populated by people over 50 looking for alternative ways of generating income?

The delivery of any service to remoter areas of the County is extremely expensive and this particularly relates to Information, Advice and Guidance around employment and enterprise.

Through the Worklessness task Group of the County Council plus other vehicles, particularly the Federation of Small Businesses which is particularly strong within the County the action will seek to map out exactly what level of support and guidance, particularly outside the traditional parameters of Job centre Plus is being provided for people over 50 and what means of monitoring are being used to assess levels of redundancy or alternatively Job creation.Following the mapping a small scale social experimentation action will be targeted at a random sample of the target group in order to improve the impact of policy interventions in the rural areas.

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Project Documentation

EVALUATION FRAMEWORK

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 With support from the European Union *

 

*Sole responsibility lies with the author. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein