Using the right tool to adequately monitor the impact of a wide range of policies is necessary to manage population ageing. This is the purpose of the Active Ageing Index (AAI) which combines 22 indicators covering four dimensions: including active ageing outcomes, namely employment; participation in society; independent, healthy and secure living; as well as capacity and enabling environment for active ageing. A peer review was held on 15-16 October 2014 in Krakow, Poland, to discuss the development of the AAI and its extension to the regional level.
A report of the event can be downloaded here.
AGE Platform Europe, represented by Rodd Bond, took part in this peer review and has been regularly involved through its secretariat in the development of the AAI for more than two years.
The meeting highlighted the following key messages:
- The AAI has been taken up mainly in Central and Eastern European countries that are still in the process of developing active ageing policies. EU recommendations could be helpful in advancing policy in other Member States.
- Many active ageing policies are the responsibility of local and regional government, and so the AAI can be a useful guide at this level, too. To cope with regional diversity, it should be applied in a flexible way, however adhering to the original concepts. It can act as a useful framework for dialogue.
- When using the index, it is vital to engage with stakeholders – primarily older people, but also young people, employers, trade unions, service providers and researchers.
- While the aggregated index gives policy makers an overview of the way in which a combination of policies affects the contribution that older people make to society and the economy, the 22 individual indicators are also necessary to develop solutions and monitor implementation of specific policy initiatives.
- The wide gender disparities that the index reveals show that it is vitally important to take a gender approach to preparing indexes on ageing.
- The AAI can also be a useful tool in guiding on how best to use European Structural and Investment Funds.
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