Empowering Senior Voices Program
Connecting lived experience with better places, services and decisions
The Empowering Senior Voices Program brings older adults, communities, researchers and decision-makers together to understand local experiences, identify what matters and turn those insights into practical improvements.
From lived experience to practical change
The Empowering Senior Voices Program combines participatory research, community-led insight and collaborative design to help communities understand what matters to older adults and connect lived experience with evidence, decision-making and practical action.
The approach is designed to adapt to different communities, projects and local contexts. Rather than following a fixed process with a defined endpoint, it supports ongoing learning, reflection and collaboration, allowing priorities and solutions to develop as the project progresses.
The Empowering Senior Voices Program approach
1
PREPARE:
Build the foundations through ethical approval, community-based recruitment, relationship building and participant onboarding.
2
DISCOVER:
Older adults explore their communities and capture their lived experiences, observations and insights.
3
DISCUSS:
Participants, researchers and partners interpret the evidence together, identifying shared themes, priorities and opportunities.
4
ACTIVATE:
Insights and priorities are brought together with stakeholders to co-design responses and identify opportunities for action.
5
CHANGE:
Evidence and ideas are translated into practical actions, resources and opportunities to influence positive change.
6
FUTURE FOCUS:
Learning, relationships and participation are carried forward to support continued involvement, future collaboration and new opportunities for action.
The Prepare and Future Focus stages extend the participatory process at both ends. Prepare strengthens the foundations for meaningful participation before research begins, while Future Focus carries learning, relationships and opportunities forward beyond findings and recommendations.
Why it works
Lived experience becomes insight
Older adults share what matters in their everyday lives
Insight becomes evidence
Experiences are brought together to identify patterns and priorities.
Evidence informs action
Communities and partners work together to shape practical responses.
Participation continues
Relationships, learning and feedback create pathways for continued involvement and future action.
Learning from the program
Learning from Empowering Senior Voices is also informing the Emerging VOICES Framework for Sustainable Civic Participation, which explores what is needed for lived knowledge to be valued, connected with decision-making and carried forward through visible response and continued participation.
The framework will continue to be tested and refined through future research and co-design.
