Ageing and Life Course

Network cycle of continual improvement

Cycle of WHO Global Network of Age-friendly Cities©

Stage 1: Planning (Year 1-2)

To join the Network, cities and communities are required to commit to the following four steps:

  • Establishment of mechanisms to involve older people in all stages of the Age-friendly Cities and Communities process. Cities and communities are also encouraged to build partnerships (including nongovernmental organizations and academic institutions).
  • A comprehensive and inclusive baseline assessment of the age-friendliness of the city or community. This needs to be rigorous but can be flexible. At a minimum, it needs to at least consider each of the eight domains identified in the Global Age-friendly Cities guide.
  • Development of a 3 year city-wide action plan based on assessment findings. It is anticipated that the action plan will link to other municipal instruments to ensure that age-friendliness becomes a core responsibility for all municipal departments.
  • Identification of indicators to monitor progress against this plan.

Stage 2: Implementation (Year 3-5)

On completion of stage 1, and no later than two years after joining the Network, cities and communities will submit their action plan to WHO.

WHO or accredited partners will review the submitted documentation and may undertake an on-site assessment. The purpose of this review is to ensure that the initial assessment of age-friendliness has considered all the topics outlined in the Global Age-friendly Cities guide and has been undertaken in a systematic and rigorous manner. The review will also confirm that the proposed implementation plan is relevant and achievable.

Stage 3: Progress evaluation

If the action plan is endorsed by WHO, cities and communities will then have a 3 year period of implementation during which their membership within the Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities will continue. At the end of this period, they will be required to submit a progress report to WHO outlining movement against the indicators agreed to at the end of Step 1.

Stage 4: Continual improvement (end of year 5)

If there is clear evidence of progress against the original action plan (note that this does not necessarily require the achievement of all indicators) cities and communities will be requested to develop a new plan of action (with duration of up to 5 years) along with associated indicators.

Progress against this new plan will be measured at the end of this second implementation period, and cities and communities will be able to enter into further implementation cycles to ensure continuing membership in the Network.

Older persons as active participants in the process:

The involvement of older residents of the city or community is essential to becoming a member of the WHO Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities and can initially be demonstrated by the inclusion and acceptance of local older peoples' organizations to the process of becoming an Age-friendly City and Community. Methods of involvement include:

  • Consultation in community assessments so that views on the city's or community's "age-friendliness" serve as a source of information for setting priorities for action.
  • Solicitation of opinions when monitoring the cities' and communities' progress and in assessing the outcomes of actions taken.
  • Participation in all established processes to set priorities, propose solutions and monitor implementation.

Related links

Share
Email Twitter Facebook Google Delicious LinkedIn
More...