Older Citizens Monitoring in Ethiopia: A Handbook

This handbook, published by HelpAge International, provides guidance on how to plan and implement an older citizens monitoring programme, as implemented in Ethiopia. According to the book, older citizens monitoring is a process which promotes dialogue and interaction between older people, civil society organisations, and governments. In this approach, groups of older citizens are formed in order to develop and monitor policies and practices that affect them. The primary objective of this manual is to provide a guide for woreda (district) governments, non-governmental organisations, and communities that wish to replicate an older citizens monitoring approach to development.

The handbook contains sections which are designed to take readers through the steps that need to be taken when planning and implementing an older citizens monitoring project in the Ethiopian context.

• Section 1: Establishing the structure: This section takes readers through the first stages of the project approach, including the main structures which they will need to establish at kebele (sub-district administration) and woreda (district) level.
• Section 2: Developing skills and capacity: This section discusses the capacity-building aspects of the project. Most of this takes place before monitoring begins, so that everyone has the skills to fulfil their tasks.
• Section 3: Implementation of monitoring: This section highlights the steps in implementing the monitoring activities.