Examining Stakeholder Perspectives: Process, Performance and Progress of the Age-Friendly Taiwan Program.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Gerontology
• Urban Planning

Background:

• Taiwan launched its Age-Friendly City (AFC) program in 2012, with central government support.
• The program aims to enhance urban environments for older adults through resource allocation and policy advocacy.
• Stakeholder perspectives are crucial for understanding program implementation and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine stakeholder perspectives on the process, performance, and outcomes of Taiwan's AFC program.
• To identify discrepancies between facilitator assessments and expert expectations.
• To provide recommendations for improving the AFC program's evaluation and resource integration.

Main Methods:

• A 53-item questionnaire, based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, was administered to stakeholders.
• The questionnaire assessed mechanisms and processes, outcome evaluations, and resource integration.
• Data analysis focused on comparing scores between facilitators and experts.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were found in perceptions of inter-city experience exchange, indicator monitoring, performance evaluation, and government-community interactions.
• Facilitators consistently reported more optimistic assessments than experts across key program areas.
• A notable disconnect exists between expert expectations and the actual practices implemented by facilitators.

Conclusions:

• The findings highlight an overly optimistic view by facilitators regarding the AFC program's mechanisms, outcomes, and resource integration.
• There is a clear gap between expert expectations and the practical implementation by facilitators.
• Recommendations include aligning top-down strategies with bottom-up realities, enhancing stakeholder education, and improving resource integration among government, civil organizations, and communities.