AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific

Overview

To support inclusive growth in an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven economy, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) launched the AI Opportunity Fund (AIOF) across Asia-Pacific, supported from Google.org and the Asian Development Bank. The initiative aimed to expand access to AI and digital skills training for underserved communities, helping them prepare for emerging job opportunities. To ensure the programme delivered meaningful and measurable outcomes, AVPN partnered with an independent evaluator to assess its design, implementation, and long-term impact. The evaluation provided insights that now inform broader regional skilling strategies and workforce initiatives.

Challenge

As automation and AI technologies reshape labour markets, many communities in the region face barriers to accessing the skills needed to stay competitive. The AIOF sought to bridge this gap by delivering AI training that was both accessible and relevant. This involved building a training ecosystem that included strategic curriculum development, upskilling of local training partners, and direct outreach to communities that are often excluded from mainstream education and employment pathways. The challenge lay in creating a scalable, locally grounded model that could respond to diverse economic contexts while ensuring lasting impact.

Approach

The evaluation was structured around three core phases. The first focused on design, including the development of a Theory of Change and monitoring framework in collaboration with AVPN and its partners. This foundation helped align expectations and define success metrics across different markets. The second phase assessed the rollout of training—gathering data from trainers, delivery partners, and community participants to understand both reach and effectiveness. The third phase involved iterative reporting and strategic recommendations, enabling real-time learning and refinement throughout the programme’s lifecycle. The approach prioritized both quantitative and qualitative insights, ensuring a balanced and grounded understanding of what worked and why.

Impact

As the evaluation is still in its early stages, definitive impact data is not yet available. However, the work to date has laid important groundwork. The evaluation aims to surface insights on how inclusive AI training can improve digital readiness, confidence, and employability for underserved communities. It also seeks to assess how capacity-building among local partners can support long-term, sustainable delivery of AI education. As the programme progresses, the focus will remain on understanding what works in diverse local contexts and how scalable training models can contribute to more equitable access to the future of work across the Asia-Pacific region.