Leader: Andrea Principi (INRCA); Other collaborator(s):
By interacting in a functional way with the other tasks of this WP, this task aims to develop participative tools for the governance of active ageing at the policy level, in some Italian regions. Indeed, even if this concept, originally elaborated by the WHO, is supposed to produce benefits both at the individual (in terms of health and wellbeing) and at the societal level, it is seldom operationalized properly, e.g., by adopting participatory and co-decisional policy tools, in a mainstreaming ageing perspective.
Chronologically, this task will take place as the last one of this WP. Participative networks at the regional level will be created, by involving representatives of regional governments and representatives of the relevant regional civil society organisations. The results of the previous tasks of this WP, which are carried out at the Municipality/community level, will be presented and discussed, with the aim to understand if and how they may feed policy making in the field of active ageing at the regional governmental level.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Task 5.5.1. This task is concentrated in starting collaborations with activities of other WP Tasks. One of the activities concerned starting working on a meta-narrative literature review on “Transitions in ageing”, by exploring the gerontological field.
In order to contribute to the fieldwork planned by other WP Tasks in 3 Regions, a contribution on developing the topic guide for the interviews was planned.
Dissemination and training: Presentation in the first of 4 Spoke 10 webinars “Mainstreaming ageing and ecosystemic complexity: concepts, models, strategies of adaptation and learning”: Mainstreaming active ageing in national and regional policies (02/10/23. Participation (online) at the seminar at Milano Bicocca (05/03/2024) “Beyond age, beyond the individual. Interdisciplinary perspectives on the aging system”, by giving a presentation on “Transitions in older age through the lens of active ageing”.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Task 5.5 depends on the activities that are ongoing in task 5.1.
The analysis of policies at a national and regional level (ongoing) will be useful later, both for the interpretation/discussion of research data (understanding of the political framework) and to nurture the co-construction of meaning, services, and technological solutions in the territories.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
This task will develop its activities after the completion of the second phase of fieldwork to connect data to policies.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Implications will be developed following the second phase of fieldwork.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
This task will develop its activities after the completion of the 2 phases of fieldwork to connect data to policies.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Implications will be developed following the second phase of fieldwork.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Contacts were initiated with representatives of Piedmont (North), Emilia-Romagna (Centre) and Campania (South) regions, that are preparatory to the creation of networks promoting a governance of policy making in the field of active ageing through co-decisional tools, at the regional governmental level. One aim of this activity is to discuss the results of the fieldwork being carried out in this WP through this co-decisional tool.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The study about strategies to operationalise the active ageing concept at the political level in Italy is currently being deepened, also in the light of the latest regulatory developments at national level. Our activities suggest a governance model to be discussed with the regional networks (being established), that reflects the guidance of a rapidly changing national context.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
The work described above continues, by collecting preliminary information on the analytical framework concerning active ageing and on the co-decisional governance model being developed, to be shared with the networks being established in the identified regions. These regional network will be supposed to include representatives of the Departments of the regional government relevant for the topic of active ageing, and representatives of the relevant civil society organisations on the same policy issue.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The operationalisation of the active ageing concept in Italy will be suggested within the planned (by March 2024) publication of the volume “Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche Educative e Formative per l’invecchiamento attivo” (Accompanying Longevity. Good Educational and Training Practices for Active Ageing), published by Firenze University Press, through the chapter “Politiche a favore dell’invecchiamento attivo in Italia: background, recenti sviluppi e prospettive future” (Active ageing policies in Italy: background, recent developments and future prospects).
Insights aboutthis were anticipated duringthe Round Table on “Bisogni di apprendimento e necessità formative per le Politiche di Active Ageing in Italia” (Learning and Training Needs for Active Ageing Policies in Italy) within the Conference "Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche Educative e Formative per l'invecchiamento attivo" (Accompanying Longevity. Good Educational and Training Practices for Active Ageing), organised by the Transversal Scientific Committee "Apprendimento, formazione e invecchiamento attivo" (Learning, training and active ageing), Age-It Programme, Università degli Studi di Firenze, 26 September 2024.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Objectives and activities of Task 5.5 have been partially reoriented due to the need to exploit in a more fruitful way the results of other WP5 tasks. The creation of regional networks involving representatives of both regional governments and relevant regional civil society organisations is in progress. In the meanwhile, a draft of the chapter “Politiche a favore dell’invecchiamento attivo in Italia: background, recenti sviluppi e prospettive future” (Active ageing policies in Italy: background, recent developments and future prospects) has been elaborated and submitted for publication in the volume “Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche Educative e Formative per l’invecchiamento attivo” (Accompanying Longevity. Good Educational and Training Practices for Active Ageing), expected to be published by Firenze University Press. Functional to the aims of the present task, the chapter provides an overview of the existing participative governance tools for policy making on active ageing at national and regional levels in Italy. This will represent the broader context from which starting the activities of creating participative networks in the three Regions under study: Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Campania.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The main experiences and recent regulatory developments at the national level concerning active ageing in Italy, will be presented during the workshop ‘’Giornate di lavoro sul campo: Aggiornamenti sulle Politiche per la promozione dell’invecchiamento sano e attivo” (Fieldwork Days: Updates on Policies for the Promotion of Healthy and Active Ageing). The event will be held on 19 and 20 June in Venice and will involve representatives of different WPs of Spoke 10, thus representing an opportunity to contribute to the creation of a shared vision, within the Spoke 10, with respect to future possible policy developments in the field of active ageing.
The draft chapter “Politiche a favore dell’invecchiamento attivo in Italia: background, recenti sviluppi e prospettive future” (Active ageing policies in Italy: background, recent developments and future prospects) has been edited and finalised after an initial round of review. Also, two presentations have been delivered during the workshop ‘’Giornate di lavoro sul campo: Aggiornamenti sulle Politiche per la promozione dell’invecchiamento sano e attivo” [Fieldwork Days: Updates on Policies for the Promotion of Healthy and Active Ageing] (Spoke 10), held on 19 and 20 June in Venice: a theoretical presentation focused on defining the field of research for the promotion of active ageing, while the second one discussed the state of the art and future prospects of active ageing policies in Italy, with particular emphasis on the project “National multilevel co-managed coordination of active ageing policies in Italy”. In addition, it is reported the participation in the authorship of: three abstracts submitted for the “Second General Meeting” of the Age-It Program, that will be held in Naples on 29-31 October 2025; a meta-narrative interdisciplinary literature review on transitions in later life (including all the researchers that are part of WP5), submitted to the Journal “Educational Gerontology”. As the topic of promoting active ageing through national policies also raised interest in Spoke 4, on 23 June we were invited as speakers to the event “One health: Age-it synergies between disciplines and organizations for successful ageing”, to deliver a presentation focused on the path leading to Legislative Decree 29/2024.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The activities described above, highlight the rising interest in possible connections between the different domains of scientific research focused on older adults, and policy making for the promotion of active ageing. Such interest, intercepted both within Spoke 10 and beyond, amplifies the relevance and impact of the activities being organised within WP5, with the creation (in progress) of participative regional networks (including representatives from Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Campania regional administrations) for discussing the policy implications of the fieldwork results’.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Following the meeting of the policy group (within Spoke 10) - held in Venice on June 19 and 20 - a contribution was made (between July and September) to the drafting of the policy brief “Raccomandazioni delle organizzazioni internazionali per l’invecchiamento sano e attivo”. The first draft of the policy brief was presented in Rome at the seminar “Politiche partecipative e adattive per un invecchiamento sano e attivo. Raccomandazioni del progetto PNRR-Age-It” (September 16-17). On the 17th, Andrea Principi chaired the final round table and shared a presentation entitled “In che modo Age-It può essere utile allo sviluppo delle politiche per l’invecchiamento in Italia?”.
During August and September, preparations began for three workshops to be held in the Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Campania Regions, to achieve the objectives of task 5.5. In particular, the three workshops will involve representatives from the respective regional administrations, with the aim to disseminate the results of the fieldwork and share policy suggestions. To this end, three information documents on the objectives and content of the workshops were prepared and sent to regional representatives. Subsequently, direct contact was established with regional representatives, using the available channels within the project “National multi-level co-managed coordination of active ageing policies”.
From September 1 to 5, Davide Lucantoni participated in the summer school TRAG “Transitions in ageing: An interdisciplinary framework”, organised at the Lake Como School for Advanced Studies, at Villa del Grumello, Como (Grant Alessandro Volta Foundation). On September 4, Davide Lucantoni led a workshop entitled “Participatory research for policy making” and on the 5th he shared a presentation entitled “Critical approaches to researching transitions”.
During the month of September, the draft chapter “Politiche a favore dell’invecchiamento attivo in Italia: background, recenti sviluppi e prospettive future” (Active ageing policies in Italy: background, recent developments and future prospects) has been finalized and published by Firenze University Press, within the volume “Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche Educative e Formative per l’invecchiamento attivo” (Accompanying Longevity. Good Educational and Training Practices for Active Ageing).
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
With regard to policy implications, action was taken on two levels: nationally, with work on the policy brief produced by the policy group in Spoke 10, and regionally through synergies created with the project “National multi-level co-managed coordination of active ageing policies”, which will enable workshops to be held in the three Regions mentioned, bringing important policy recommendations to the attention of policymakers. This, in order to address the emerging needs of the older population at the local level.
Book chapters
Lucantoni, D., Principi A. (2025) Politiche a favore dell’invecchiamento attivo in Italia: background, recenti sviluppi e prospettive future [Policies promoting active ageing in Italy: background, recent developments and future prospects]. In Vanna Boffo, Michele Bertani, Donatella Bramanti, Rabih Chattat, Laura Formenti (edited by), Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche educative e formative per l’invecchiamento attivo [Supporting longevity. Good educational and training practices for active ageing]. Firenze University Press.
Other initiatives