Fast-Track Data Project Status and Future 9th General Assembly Meeting Joint Programming Initiative „More Years, Better Lives” 30 September / 01 October 2013 The Hague

Rationale  Help improve the quality and relevance of data, and knowledge about data sources among scientists and policymakers.  “Mapping” the range of data sources available on ageing, at European, national and more local level: o Describe what data is available o Examine whether there are major gaps in the data available; o Influence those collecting data to use more appropriate models; o Inform researchers and policymakers about potential data sources, their strengths, limitations, and comparability.

Participation  11 out of the total 14 JPI member states: o Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom o Plus Croatia with a JPI observer status.  The Scientific Working Group was led by Prof. James W. Vaupel, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research and member of the JPI Scientific Advisory Board.

Link to the Strategic Research Agenda of JPI MYBL  The fast-track data project operates within the broad scope of the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA).  Informs drafting of the SRA and helps clarify whether there are major data issues, which need inclusion in the SRA itself.  The main focus is on data relevant to people over 50.

1.Health and performance 2.Social systems and welfare 3.Work and productivity 4.Education and learning 5.Housing, urban development and mobility 6.Public attitudes towards old age 7.Social, civic and cultural engagement 8.Uses of technology 9.Wellbeing 10.Intergenerational relationships Thematic areas of data

 Covered data sources were of high quality, quantitative, recent, if possible longitudinal or from large datasets, and policy-relevant.  Where no data was available, or where data was limited or of doubtful quality, this was also noted. It may indicate the need for further research, or to changes in routine data collection.  Data sources included registry data, regular surveys, occasional surveys, longitudinal surveys, and qualitative evidence. Data selection

 Review of a total of 337 national and European-wide data sources 12 country reports Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom plus Croatia  Reports mainly deal with statistical data relevant to policymakers. A smaller section addresses evidence on policies and provides information about where to find information about national policies. Main results and policy recommendations  Access to data  Sub-Population Coverage  Topic Coverage  Methodological Issues Website

Wellbeing o Necessary to establish agreement about the definition and measurement. Relevant data is scattered over a range of sources. Education and learning o The most underdeveloped area. Most available data concerns formal courses in educational institutions, which is only a tiny portion. Attitudes to age o Policymakers need to understand how age is viewed by the general population, and how older people view themselves. o No consistent measures and data of age discrimination, or of how open older people are to the kinds of policy changes that are likely to happen. Input for the SRA New and underdeveloped fields

The very old o Their living conditions, preferences, wellbeing and quality of life. Those living in residential institutions o Constitutes a high proportion of older people, missed by many surveys. Migrants o Different migrant groups may have very different characteristics and circumstances, which means very small sample sizes. Also important to understand internal migration within the EU. Highest and lowest socio-economic status groups o Often the target groups of social policymaking. Input for the SRA Current data misses key groups

Multiple levels of data collection and policy accountability. o National, regional and local data often not joined up Frequency of data collection. o Published data is often out of date, and data collection systems can be slow to pick up new issues like information technology or social media. Population sizes for surveys. o Small countries have difficulty generating appropriate sample sizes Relative importance of self-reporting vs. objective reporting. o Objective factors may be inadequate proxies for wellbeing. Input for the SRA Other problems

Policy recommendations

1.Increasing efforts to provide open access to anonymised register data in online databases or research data centres, particularly for international users; 2.Providing exhaustive and user-friendly documentation on how to use register data; 3.Promoting international networks of research institutions and data providers for comparative studies which could jointly benefit from data exchange. Access to data

1.Developing and supporting surveys with a more representative sample of the vulnerable and dependent populations in general, and especially of people 65, 80 and older, the institutionalised population, people with disabilities, immigrants, and people outside the socio-economic “mainstream”; 2.Providing better access to aggregated data from official statistics, data from health care institutions, and other institutions dealing with people from the mentioned sub-groups; 3.Developing new strategies for improving the participation of the above groups in micro-censuses and censuses. Sub-population coverage

 Lack of data that pertain to living arrangements, not only of the elderly, but also of the aggregate population, which limits the ability to study social and familiar networks.  Little data about the mobility of the elderly across countries within and outside Europe.  Little data regarding the level of participation of those aged 50+ in education  In terms of the use of technologies, data regarding assisted living are also scarce.  As to wellbeing, data are available at the national and the international levels. Yet these data are often fragmented and stem from surveys that differ in scope and time.  Absence of data about individual attitudes towards and societal images of old age. Topic coverage I

Recommendations  Increasing available funding opportunities for collecting register and survey data on less-explored topics  Encouraging public institutions in related fields to allow for access to related data. Topic coverage II

 Improving existing incomplete database and survey infrastructures;  Strengthening and contributing to the sustainability of well-established structures;  Strengthening the dialogue between scholars and policy-makers  Involving researchers in decision-making procedures in the creation of datasets and data availability, e.g. by internationally-composed research data councils. Methodological issues

 Starting a debate on open-access data, particularly if it has been collected, sampled or developed using public funding;  Improving the collection methods in order to increase the response rates;  Reconsidering the planned EU legislation on the rights of individuals to disapprove any use of their data.  Improving the budgetary allocation for research and research infrastructures, especially with the goal of improving access to statistics, as well as developing surveys and research databases. Challenges and opportunities

Regional extension  Statistical data relevant to policymakers: Extension from EU-12 coverage to EU-28 Thematic extension  Evidence on policies: Background information on national policies  Evidence on costs: Information on specific impacts and cost-benefit effects Benefit  Comparative perspective: Best practices?  Most efficient use of resources Implementation  CSA funding scheme with a prospective budget of approx. 1.0 Mio EUR  Duration of about 12 to 15 months Continuation of the JPI Data Project | Broadening the scope

Thank you.