FAITh – Transnational Report – Needs Assessment Correlation & Recommendations

The use of information technologies is nowadays an important condition for the inclusion of all citizens, allowing older individuals to better adapt to technological changes and, in this way, to have greater chances of personal development, autonomy and integration in today’s societies . However, the majority of the older adults consider online transactions with suspicion and prefer to stick to the traditional ways, thus gradually becoming digitally excluded and financially “obsolete”.

This implies the need to act proactively and take the necessary measures so as to raise the awareness of older citizens about the need to familiarise with online (financial) transaction management systems, while feeling safe and confident about their ability to navigate such (digital) environments.

The present Transnational Report – Needs Assessment Correlation & Recommendations was elaborated within the context of the project FAITh – Feeling SAfe to Transact Online In the Third Age and, in particular, under the scope of Work Package 2: Needs assessment and specification.

The purpose of the FAITh project is to prevent the digital marginalisation and improve the quality of life of older adults 55+ in Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Portugal, and by extension in EU, by developing their ICT skills and building their confidence so as to increase the use of digital technologies to execute online transactions.

To address these objectives, the project will develop a Digital Literacy Learning Programme for older adults 55+ and a Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Programme, counting with the support of peers, community volunteers, family and caregivers, as well as a network of local businesses and services sector professionals trained in age-friendly techniques and environments.

In order to obtain the necessary data to design and implement a fourteen-month pilot a Research Protocol was developed to guide each partner in the conduction of a primary and secondary research at national level, which thereby served to elaborate the 4 National Reports. The insights gathered in these reports were subsequently collated in this Transnational Report, which will serve as guiding document on how to best build older adults’ capacity on Digital Financial Literacy through peer mentoring.

The secondary research, or desktop research involved a comprehensive, up-to-date, overview aimed to provide the current State of the Art of Digital Financial Literacy on older adults 55+ among the four countries, framing it in the European context.

Additionally, to establish a common understanding on the two most critical definitions to be addressed thorough the project, namely Digital Financial Literacy and Peer-Mentoring, a definitions’ elicitation project was led leveraged on the literature review.

The primary research conducted afterwards aimed to provide an assessment and understanding of the opportunities that older adults have to use ICT for online transactions, their abilities, and the barriers they face, including their attitudes, fears and perceptions, as well as about the support they receive, and how these vary among the partner countries.

The data collected corroborated the literature review and supported the development of the specifications to the Digital Literacy Learning Programme.

In sum, 11 main challenges were identified, along with the key barriers and constraints, as well as possible enablers, serving as the groundwork to formulate and elicit the Functional and Non-Functional Requirements. Between all the partners 80 Requirements were elicited, 36 of which Functional Requirements and the remaining 44 Non-functional Requirements. These requirements were compiled into a list and prioritized by all the partners. Along with the barriers and enablers identified, they will constitute the main drivers of the design and elaboration of contents for the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Programme and the Digital Literacy Learning Programme.

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