Bizkaia Observatory on Longevity and Care (OLC)

The Observatory

Who are we?

We are an advisory body to the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, attached to the Directorate-General for Longevity and Demographic Challenges within the Department of Social Action.

Our mission is to build a stable infrastructure for the generation and transfer of knowledge that enables us to understand trends in longevity, anticipate future developments and improve public policy planning.

We have three specific objectives:

  • To analyse demographic dynamics, with a particular focus on the challenge of longevity and long-term care in the Historical Territory of Bizkaia.
  • To anticipate trends through foresight and the transfer of knowledge.
  • To develop evidence-based public policies and practices.

How we work

Our work is organised around five key areas:

To ensure the rigour of its work, the Observatory maintains a bioethics forum in collaboration with the Bizkaia Ethics Committee for Social Intervention (CEIS), aimed at aligning analysis and foresight with the key ethical challenges of care and longevity.

Scientific Advisory Committee

Acting in an advisory capacity, the Scientific Advisory Committee provides specialist knowledge, methodological scrutiny and guidance on the various lines of work. It meets three times a year to review the progress of activities, analyse the main outputs produced and make recommendations for new lines of work.

It comprises experts from academia, social organisations, public administrations, research centres and specialist institutions, with extensive experience in the development and analysis of policies on longevity and care.

Monitoring

Sociodemographic information viewer

The Observatory produces a scorecard that that compiles, organises and regularly updates key demographic and social indicators. It enables the monitoring of changes in the population’s needs, the identification of trends, and supports the design, planning and evaluation of public policies relating to longevity, living conditions and care needs in Bizkaia.

It draws on the Observatory’s own baseline sociological study and from secondary statistical sources: data from Eustat and the Basque Government in the areas of sociodemographics, employment, income, consumption, digital skills and health, as well as the register of people with recognised dependency status maintained by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.

Needs Survey for the Over-50s

One in two residents of Bizkaia is over 50 years old. To anticipate their needs, we must first listen to them. The Needs Survey for the population aged 50 and over in Bizkaia provides an up-to-date overview of this group’s perceptions, expectations and demands: it identifies their needs in relation to long-term care, assesses the availability of formal and informal support, and evaluates the quality of life linked to the care they receive.

Virtual library

The virtual library organises specialist knowledge on longevity and care and makes it available to anyone interested.

With over 100 references and constantly updated, the collection’s content is available for consultation in an accessible and free-of-charge manner.

Analysis

Monographic analyses

Our case studies interpret the available data, contextualise the trends identified and generate applied knowledge as a basis for policy design.

They address the key areas of the demographic challenge set out in the Bizkaia Demographic Challenge Strategy 2026–2030: longevity, young people, intergenerational cohesion, migration and population balance within the region, as well as emerging phenomena that require specific monitoring due to their potential social impact.

We combine quantitative analysis of statistical sources with a review of existing evidence and, where appropriate, carry out comparative analyses with other regions, paying particular attention to internal, regional, socio-economic, gender and origin-based inequalities, as well as the evolution of each phenomenon over time.

Reports of interest

Evaluation

We assess the degree of compliance with Bizkaia’s Demographic Challenge Strategy 2026–2030 and verify the achievement of the expected impacts at two levels:

  • Process evaluation: monitoring the degree of implementation of the planned actions across the four areas – knowledge and research, a territory for all ages, the economy of the ‘ ’ longevity and cultural transformation – and within their priority lines.
  • Outcome and impact evaluation: analysis of trends in key indicators linked to the social, economic and institutional effects envisaged in the Strategy.

The evaluation combines a quantitative and qualitative approach based on three elements:

  • a system of monitoring indicators aligned with the Strategy’s objectives
  • analysis of information from administrative, statistical and documentary sources
  • a qualitative cross-checking process with the stakeholders involved, through interviews or working sessions, to contextualise the results and understand why they occur

Foresight

The Observatory on Longevity and Care promotes forums for strategic reflection to better understand the challenges posed by an ageing population and to anticipate the changes that will shape the future of longevity and care. Through trend analysis and collaboration with experts, it helps to generate knowledge that supports the planning and development of public policies.

To enhance the quality and rigour of this work, the Observatory has a Scientific Advisory Committee, comprising specialists of recognised standing in fields such as ageing, care, social policy and research. Furthermore, it maintains an ongoing collaboration with the Bizkaia Ethics Committee for Social Intervention (CEIS), incorporating reflection on the main ethical dilemmas relating to care and personal autonomy to guide and enrich its analyses.

Evaluation

The Observatory carries out the monitoring and evaluation of policies, strategies and care models relating to ageing and care in Bizkaia. Among its main activities is the evaluation of the Bizkaia Demographic Challenge Strategy 2026–2030, with the aim of assessing the progress made on the planned actions and evaluating the results and impacts achieved.

This work combines the analysis of indicators, statistical data, administrative and documentary information with the cross-checking of results with the relevant stakeholders. In this way, the Observatory gains a rigorous insight into the progress made, identifies opportunities for improvement and generates useful evidence to strengthen the design and evaluation of public policies.

Knowledge transfer

Events

View current events

Our events disseminate the knowledge we generate and facilitate debate amongst stakeholders in the fields of longevity and care..

They provide a forum for professionals, public officials, the academic community and other stakeholders to share evidence, compare approaches and exchange experiences.

Training sessions

Our training sessions are designed to enhance the skills of those involved in longevity and care in Bizkaia: technical staff from public administrations, professionals within the social services and care system, and other stakeholders from the academic and community sectors.

The aim is to put our knowledge into practice: in the design, implementation and evaluation of public policies and in professional practice. The content is structured around our key areas of work—monitoring, analysis, foresight and knowledge transfer—and incorporates evidence, research findings and comparative experiences.

Training sessions