JOB DESCRIPTION

Program Overview: 

The objective of the GEDSI Program is: To work together under the Vuvale Partnership to advance Fiji’s commitments on gender equality, disability equity and social inclusion.

The GEDSI Program aims to achieve this by realising two complementary End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs):

• EOPO 1: Select ministries are mainstreaming GEDSI in policy, programs and budgets; and
• EOPO 2: Strengthened service delivery and public education for the prevention of violence against women and girls.

The GEDSI Program will be situated within the Platform’s governance and management arrangements, communications protocols, and approaches to monitoring, evaluation and learning.  The Platform’s core personnel include the “Cross-Cutting Priorities Hub”, which comprises of technical staffing to support the Platform’s effective integration of GEDSI and climate change. The Cross-Cutting Priorities Hub team will oversee the implementation, day-to-day management and operations of the GEDSI Program.

Position Summary:

Lead consultation, review and preparation of revised National Ageing Policy through:

• Review of existing policy
• Conducting situational and stakeholder analyses of ageing and the elderly in Fiji,
• Consult with and build capacity of key stakeholders,
• Draft policy aligned with international standards appropriate to local context.
• Submit revised National Ageing Policy with Implementation Plan for government approval

Background:

The National Ageing Policy 2011-2015 was designed through a partnership with the UNFPA Pacific Sub-Regional Office. Fiji’s population has been ageing steadily over the past few decades. Population projections carried out by UNFPA suggest that the number of older persons in Fiji will grow from 69,000 (8% of the population) in 2010 to 170,500 (17% of the population) by 2050. The oldest of the old population is also expected to increase substantially over this period, from 5,000 in 2010 to 28,500 by 2050.

Fiji Bureau of Statistics (FBoS) data shows that the female older population represented 53.8% of the older person’s population in the 2017 census, a slight increase from 52.3% recorded in the 2007 census. The male proportion of the older population declined by a similar ratio over the same period. Overall, the proportion of older people in the population increased by 21.8% from 2007 to 2017.

The Ageing Policy goals and objectives concern the inclusion of older peoples in the community and family affairs, their health and welfare, and the extent to which they can support themselves within the community.

The policy recognises that:

• Older persons deserve to live their lives with dignity and to have all their human rights realised
• Older persons should be supported in their communities and in their homes as long as possible
• Ageing is a normal part of the lifecycle
• Population ageing should be understood holistically and mainstreamed within all social and economic development plans
• Traditional customs, institutions and arrangements
• National poverty cannot be reduced unless poverty is alleviated amongst older persons
• Families and caregivers need support
• Particular attention needs to be paid to older women because they comprise a larger proportion of the older population and are more likely to be widowed, neglected and poor.

Key Responsibilities:

Under direct supervision of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection (MWCSP) Permanent Secretary, and with support from the Chief Executive Officer – National Council for Older Persons (NCOP), the Adviser is expected to undertake the following tasks:

Phase 1: Research and Engagement: Conduct a situational analysis on ageing and the elderly population in Fiji.

Review of existing data and social protection initiatives:

1. Work with the MWCSP and NCOP to identify and confirm key stakeholders and provide stakeholder analysis
2. Coordinate effectively with key policy stakeholders, including both government and civil society actors.
3. Support technical capacity building for MWCSP staff, NCOP members and sectoral stakeholders, focusing on evidence-based policy review and key data needs.
4. Identify FBoS national surveys and inclusion of older persons issues in all FBoS surveys, including national census
5. Document and profile existing social protection programs targeted at older persons
6. Prepare a request to the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) for the provision of data on the coverage rate of FNPF data into situational analysis and other social benefits
7. Compile a list of resource materials required to assess the living situation and circumstances of the elderly to inform the policy review

Review status of elderly population in institutional care via:

1. Assessing the status of aged care in institutions and the community
2. Identifying skills gaps and training need for providers of aged care in institutions and in the community
3. Make a presentation of findings to the first national consultation which will be adapted to the divisional consultations
4. Provide final analytical report to MWCSP

Phase 2: Consultation and drafting of Policy

Assist NCOP in understanding and interpreting the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and related strategies (Shanghai Implementation Strategy, Macao Programme of Action) and adapting them to Fiji’s context.

1. Participate in NCOP meetings and lead technical policy dialogue with key stakeholders
2. Facilitate development of a revised policy framework for Fiji that incorporates international guidelines, adapts to local conditions and reflects Phase 1 stakeholder inputs and recommendations
3. Review potential social protection arrangements for the elderly, such as health care, transportation, institutional care, support for family care givers and support for the elderly with disabilities
4. Conduct simulation studies on options for introducing a universal social pension in Fiji, evaluating eligibility age, coverage, benefit amount, and implementation timeline.
5. Identify capacity building needs for key ministries engaged in policy formulation in relation to ageing and the elderly.
6. Liaise with multilateral agencies to ensure additional technical support as required.
7. Draft Fiji’s revised Policy on Ageing based on research and data from consultations and stakeholders’ views

Key Deliverables: 

• Draft Situational Analysis presented for feedback and review
• Final situation analysis, amended incorporating feedback
• Consultation plan presented for review and endorsement
• Draft Policy on Ageing presented for feedback and review
• Final Policy on Ageing endorsed by MWCSP Permanent Secretary

Key Working Relationships:

Reporting to:

• Adviser reports directly to the MWCSP Permanent Secretary
• Adviser will engage with MWCSP Principal Welfare Officer for day-to-day management
• Indirect report to FPSP Cross Cutting Priorities Lead

Other:

• Other teams with MWCSP and other relevant Ministries
• UNFPA and other multilateral agencies, such as WHO
• DFAT
• Other partners

Selection Criteria:

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Demography, Social Work, Social Policy, Social Gerontology or equivalent professional experience
• 7 to 10 years professional experience in the field of social policy, preferable in Ageing Policy and working with Indigenous Populations

Skills and Experience

• 7 to 10 years professional experience in the field of social policy, preferable in Ageing Policy and working with Indigenous Populations
• Professional experience in demographic data collection, processing and analysis, preferably in a developing country
• Previous working experience with policy formulation in the Pacific region
• Fluency in oral and written English

How to Apply: