STRATEGICBUSINESSPLAN

InternationalAllianceofCarerOrganizations(IACO)

20142018

FinalforRatificationNovember2014ApprovedJanuary2015

UpdateStatus:(amendmentnumber),on(date)

2IACOStrategicBusinessPlan201418ApprovedJan2015

IACOVISION,MEMBERS&GOVERNANCEIncorporatedin2012,IACOservesasanumbrellaorganizationthatprovidescohesivedirection,facilitatesinformationsharing,andactivelyadvocatesforcarersataninternationallevel.Thetermscaregiver,familycaregiverandcarerareusedinterchangeablybyIACOmembers.Acaregiver,familycaregiverorcarerisdefinedbytheIACOasanindividualthatissignificantforapatientortheircare,whocanrepresentthepatient,forexample,apartner,parent,familymemberorclosefriend.

IACOVision

Toestablishaglobalunderstandingandrecognitionoftheessentialroleofcarerswithrespecttocarerecipients,healthandsocialcaresystemsandsociety.

IACOMissionToimprovethequalityoflifeandsupporttheneedsofcarers,throughinternationalpartnershipsandadvocacythatstrengthenandhonorthevoiceofcares.

IACOMembersIACOmembersincludebothnongovernmentalorganizationsandmultinationalcorporationsthatdemonstrateanunderstandingofcarers,awillingnesstocollaborateandcommunicateandacommitmenttotheIACOvision,missionandgoals.IACOhelditsinauguralmeetinginDublinIrelandinMay2013wherethefoundingmembercountriescametogethertosharetheirstrategicdirectionsandinitiativesandidentifycollectivegoalsandobjectivesfortheAlliance.ThecurrentIACOmembersinclude: CanadianCaregiverCoalition(CCC)(establishedin2000)isavirtualallianceofdiversepartner

organizationsthatworkcollectively,andautonomously,toidentifyandrespondtotheneedsofcaregiversinCanada.TheCCCprovidesleadershipinadvocacy,engagementandcollaborationandbuildingawarenessoftheroleandvalueoffamilycaregivers.

CareAllianceIreland(establishedin1995)istheNationalNetworkofVoluntaryOrganisations

supportingFamilyCarers.ItsvisionisthattheroleofFamilyCarersisfullyrecognisedandvaluedbysocietyinIreland.TheorganisationexiststoenhancethequalityoflifeforFamilyCarers.Itaimstoachievethisbysupportingits95memberorganisationsintheirdirectworkwithFamilyCarersthroughtheprovisionofinformation,developingresearchandpolicy,sharingresources,andinstigatingopportunitiesforcollaboration.

CarersAustralia(establishedin1993)isthenationalpeakbodyrepresentingAustralias

carers,advocatingonbehalfofAustraliascarerstoinfluencepoliciesandservicesata

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nationallevel.Itworkscollaborativelywithpartnersanditsmemberorganisations,thenetworkofstateandterritoryCarersAssociations,todeliverarangeofessentialnationalcarerservices.

CarersNewZealand(establishedintheearly1990s)CarersNZ,thenationalpeakbody

supportingfamily,whanau,andaigacarers.Anationalregisteredcharity,CaresNZprovidesinformation,advice,learningandsupportforfamilieswithhealthanddisabilityneeds

CarersSweden(AnhrigasRiksfrbund)(establishedin1996)isanonprofitnationalcarer

organisationconsistingofoversixtylocalassociationstogetherwithothersupportingorganisationsandindividualmembersthatsupportsallcarersirrespectiveoftheage,genderanddiagnosisofthepersontheyarecaringfor.Itprovidesinformationandadviceandlobbiestoinfluenceandinspirethedevelopmentofsupportforcarers.Akeyeventistheannualnationalcarerconferencewhichattractsover800peoplefromallmajorstakeholdergroups.CarersSwedenisakeypartnerwithintheSwedishFamilyCareCompetenceCentre(Nationelltkompetenscentrumanhriga),anationalcentreofexcellenceinthefieldofinformalcare.

CarersUK(establishedintheearly1960s)supportscarersandprovidesinformationand

adviceaboutcaring,influencepolicythroughresearchbasedoncarersreallifeexperiencesandcampaigntomakelifebetterforcarers.

CarersWorldwide,aregisteredcharity,setupin2011toaddresstheissuesfacingcarersin

developingcountries.BasedintheUK,CarersWorldwideworksinternationally,inpartnershipwithwellestablishedorganisations,tobringaboutimprovedqualityoflifeforcarersandthoseforwhomtheycare.CurrentlyCarersWorldwideisconductingprogramsinSouthandNorthIndiawiththreeestablishedpartnerorganisationsinadditiontoaconsultationexercisewithcarersinNepaltoinitiateprogramswithpartnerorganisationsthere.(JoinedIACOin2014)

NationalAllianceforCaregiving(Establishedin1996intheUSA)isanonprofitcoalitionof

nationalorganizationsfocusingonadvancingfamilycaregivingthroughresearch,innovationandadvocacy.TheAllianceconductsresearch,doespolicyanalysis,developsnationalbestpracticeprograms,andworkstoincreasepublicawarenessoffamilycaregivingissues.

TheCentralAssociationofCarersinFinland(OmaishoitajatjaLheisetLiittory)isasupport

andadvocacyassociationforcarersandpersonsreceivingcare.Theassociationspecializesinimprovingthecarerssocialstatusandoffersdifferentkindsofsupportforpeoplelivingincaresituations.Withseventyonelocalassociations,whichhaveatotalofnearly10000individualmembers,theassociationmakeslegislativeinitiatives,givesstatements,participatesinplanninganddecisionmakingrelatedtoinformalcareatthenationallevel,andmonitorstherealizationandqualityofsupportactivitiesforcarers.

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GOVERNANCEOFIACOTheGeneralAssemblyoftheIACOconsistsofdelegatesfromeachmemberorganizationandreflectaninternationalpresence.Eachdelegateisamemberoftherespectivegoverningbodyofthememberorganization(chiefexecutive,orofsimilarstatus)andpossessspecificskillsthatwillbebeneficialtotheIACO.TheGeneralAssemblyelectsaGoverningBoardtoactonitsbehalf.TheGoverningBoardrepresentativesincludetheestablishedcommitteechairs,thePresident/CEOofthesecretariatorganizationandotheridentifiedrepresentatives.TheGoverningBoardensuresthecollectiveinterestsofmembersarerespected,obligationsarefulfilledandtheoperationalstructureiseffective.TheGoverningBoardcanappointSpecialAdvisorsfromtimetotimeasrequired.ASpecialAdvisormaybesomeonewithcertainskillsthataddtothoseoftheGoverningBoardMembers.TheymaybeabletoassisttheBoardwithaparticularissueorproject,orgivemoregeneralsupport.IACOSpecialAdvisorsusetheirexpertiseandexperiencetoassisttheGoverningBoardinachievingtheiraims.TheseaimsareallfocusedonfulfillingIACOsmission.SpecialAdvisorshavenovotingrightswithintheGoverningBoardandnodecisionmakingpower.TheCommunicationsCommitteeoverseestheefficientandeffectivecommunicationsstrategyfortheorganisationincludingstrategicplanningdocuments,brandingandkeymessaging,websitedevelopment/contentandpublic/pressstatements.TheMembership/FundingCommitteecontributestothefinancialsustainabilityofIACObyactivelyidentifyingandsecuringfundingpartners.ActivitiesincludethedevelopmentofabusinesscaseforinvolvementinIACO,structuringguidingtermsofreferenceforfundingorganizations/associatemembersandsourcingnewmemberorganizations.

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FIVEYEARSTRATEGICGOALTohavetheroleofcaregiversrecognizedasahumanright(inindividualcountriesand/orthroughtheUnitedNations).

PRIORITYGOALSGOAL1:DEVELOPANIDENTITY(201416)IACOmemberswillincreaseawarenessofcaregivers,whotheyare,whattheydo.Rationale:Selfidentificationofcaregiversisachallenge.Caregiversconsidercaringtobeaninherentlyprivate,familyandcharitableactivity.Itiscommonlyreportedthatmanypeopleprovidingcareinsuchsituationsdonotidentifythemselvesascaregivers.IdentificationofindividualsascaregiversisoccurringthroughanumberofindirectwaysinvariouscountriesandIACOhasthebroadscopetoidentifyandarticulatethese.GOAL2:ARTICULATEANARRATIVE(201517)ClearlydefinethedetrimentaleffectsofbeingacarerbothwithinmembercountriesandgloballythroughIACO.Rationale:Manycountriesarecurrentlycompilingevidencethatassumeacarerrolehasadversesocial,economic,healthandpoliticalconsequences.IACOwillexploretheglobalconsequenceswithintwoframes:

1. Healthandwellbeingofthecarers2. Flexibleworkplacesforemployedcaregivers

GOAL3:VERBALIZEACREED(201718)IACOwillarticulateacommonandunifyingissuethatcaregiversfaceacrosstheglobe.Rationale:Theavailabilityandactiveinvolvementoffamilycaregiversisvitaltotheprovisionofeffectivehealthandsocialcareoutsideofinstitutions.Anageingglobalpopulationtogetherwithgreaterlifeexpectancyisresultingingreaterlevelsofdependencyratios,withmorepeoplerequiringcareandsupportrelativetotheformalworkingpopulation.Formanypatientsorcarerecipientstheconceptofindependenceisnotfeasibleasinthecaseofanindividualchoosingtodieathome,orsomeonewithcomplexcareneedsthatimpactbothphysicalandmentalabilities.Inordertohaveindependenceyoumusthaveinterdependence.

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STRATEGICACTIONS(201416)ACTION1:DEVELOPANIDENTITYFORCARERSWORLDWIDEIACOmemberswillincreaseawarenessofcarerswhotheyare,whattheydoRATIONALE:Selfidentificationofcaregiversisachallenge.Caregiversconsidercaringtobeaninherentlyprivate,familyandcharitableactivity.Itiscommonlyreportedthatmanypeopleprovidingcareinsuchsituationsdonotidentifythemselvesascarers.IdentificationofindividualsascaregiversisoccurringthroughanumberofindirectwaysinvariouscountriesandIACOhasthebroadscopetoidentifyandarticulatethese.ACTIONS: Identifywhichcountries(beginningwithmemberorganizations)havelegislationthatsupports

carers. CollectCaregiverBillofRightsmaterialsthatcarerorganizationshavedeveloped. Determinewhichcountriesincludequestionsregardingcarersintheirnationalcensusreports

orotherpoliticallyrecognizedsurveys. Amalgamatecommoncarersdataintoonesource(buildingonthecaregiverdatachartsee

above). Determinewhichcountrieshaveprogramstosupportemployedcarersanddevelopa

communicationspiecetobuildawarenessofinitiatives. Leveragemembercountrysawarenesscampaigns:

o PublicRelations/AdvocacycampaignIamacarerorIamacaregiver.o Videothatcapturesapersonswholelife.Ifwedoamontage,shouldincludevery

seniorcarers.CDsonyoungcarersinIreland.VideosinSwedishandUKvideos.o DoIlooklikeIcare?UKcampaigno Whatisacarer?

CreateaWorldmapthatshowscaregivernumbersandfacts. Promoteacommondefinitionfor