Background Digital transformation is rapidly reshaping labour markets, skills requirements, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) delivery across Asia and the Pacific. Countries in the region are increasingly adopting digital solutions, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered tools, to modernize training systems, strengthen skills and workforce development, and improve alignment with emerging industry needs. However, despite these advancements, significant disparities persist across institutions and countries in terms of digital infrastructure, institutional capacities and readiness, and the effective use of digital technologies for skills development.   National skills authorities and TVET institutions face growing pressure to adapt to rapidly evolving technological demands linked to AI, automation, and broader digitalisation. Although many institutions are experimenting with digital tools, their level of readiness vary significantly. While some organisations have launched innovative initiatives, others face constraints related to governance, data systems, digital maturity, and resource availability. This fragmented landscape makes it difficult to identify scalable, contextually relevant, and sustainable digital and AI-powered solutions that can be deployed widely and that can deliver tangible improvements in workers´ learning and labour market outcomes.   To address these challenges, the ILO is implementing the Digital Skills Coalition (DiSCo) Asia-Pacific initiative, which aims to establish a regional strategic platform for collaboration and innovation in digital skills development and lifelong learning. A core priority of its first phase is to assess the current digital solutions being used by national stakeholders Worldwide, understand their effectiveness, and identify opportunities for innovative and AI-enabled approaches that could support more coherent and coordinated digital transformation of TVET systems across the Asia-Pacific region.   In this context, a systematic assessment of available digital and AI-powered platforms, including emerging innovations and global good practices, is essential. The analysis will also benchmark successful approaches or models that have demonstrated measurable improvements in content sharing, institutional capacity development, and instructor support, as well as their contribution to workers’ livelihoods and labour market outcomes (for example: improvements in job placement rates, earnings progression, skills proficiency gains, training completion rates, instructor digital competency scores, reductions in training delivery time, etc.), when data is available. The assessment will be accompanied by a recommendation to determine the feasibility under DiSCo of adapting or scaling such solutions across Asia-Pacific and to inform future regional decision-making.   As part of this process, and given the rapid evolution of AI technologies, the assessment will also consider ethical implications in line with ILO’s human-centred approach to AI, including transparency, fairness, accountability, privacy, and non-discrimination.   These Terms of Reference constitute the basis of a Service Contract between the ILO and the selected institution (“The Contractor”) to carry out this assessment and generate insights that will directly inform ILO’s decision-making regarding future regional AI-powered platform development.   Objectives The objective of the assignment is to identify, analyse and make a recommendation on innovative, effective, and relevant digital and AI-powered platforms and tools that can support digital skills development and TVET system transformation in the Asia-Pacific region, with a particular focus on potential integration in the regional AI-powered platform to be developed by the DiSCo initiative.   The assignment will adopt an evidence-based and learning-oriented approach that is aligned with the objectives and priorities of the DiSCo Asia-Pacific initiative. The assessment will combine an examination of emerging innovations and global good practices in digital and AI-powered solutions with an analysis of institutional capacities and enabling conditions necessary to adopt selected solutions in other contexts. This approach is essential to identify solutions that are not only effective globally but also feasible and contextually relevant for future piloting and integration under DiSCo in the Asia-Pacific region.   The analysis will provide the ILO with evidence-based insights to inform decision-making for future AI-powered platform development under the DiSCo initiative. Specifically, the assessment will support the ILO to: Identify emerging innovations and global good practices in digital and AI-powered tools that have demonstrated potential to improve the accessibility, quality, relevance, and efficiency of training and learning processes. Understand the types of digital and AI-powered solutions that have been successfully piloted or implemented in comparable international contexts by education or training institutions, and assess their applicability for addressing skills development challenges in the region. Analyse the pedagogical, technical, and functional strengths of the digital solutions to determine which features or models could be adapted or contextualised under the DiSCo initiative. Identify gaps, challenges, and enabling factors that would influence the effective integration of digital and AI-powered tools into other skills and TVET systems. Identify institutional capacities and governance arrangements needed to support increased adoption, adaptation, or scaling of digital and AI-enabled solutions in the four target countries.   This assessment will deliver a recommendation that will enable the ILO to determine which digital and AI-powered approaches are feasible, scalable, and strategically relevant for supporting more coherent, coordinated, and sustainable digital transformation efforts in the Asia-Pacific region.   The Contractor will work under the guidance and supervision of the ILO team.     Scope of work The Contractor will undertake three interconnected work components: Component 1. Mapping and analysis of digital and AI-powered innovations and global good practices Key tasks: Conduct desk review to identify and map emerging digital and AI-powered tools, including global practices relevant to: training delivery curriculum and content development competency standards classification personalised learning instructor support and content generation Develop an analytical framework to assess digital and AI-powered solutions based on: functionality, relevance, and demonstrated results accessibility and user experience applicability and adaptability for Asia-Pacific contexts data governance, privacy, and ethical AI standards scalability and potential for regional integration Benchmark selected international solutions and models to assess: core design features, functionalities and underlying technologies software and vendors employed, with explicit identification of open-source options pedagogical and technical strengths resource, governance and infrastructure requirements potential relevance and added value for adoption under the DiSCo initiative Prepare an assessment report summarising the findings.   Component 2. Institutional readiness and enabling conditions for replication and scalability Key tasks: Identify institutional factors that influence the adoption, replication, and scalability of digital and AI-powered solutions. Examine system-wide enabling conditions that shape effective digital and AI adoption, including governance arrangements, infrastructure robutsness, human capacity, and organisational culture, as well as the overall digital readiness of national skills systems and relevant government institutions. Identify common institutional strengths, gaps, and constraints affecting the potential replication or adaptation of global digital and AI innovations across different country contexts. Assess governance arrangements, data ecosystems, interoperability requirements, and policy frameworks that determine scalability and successful integration of digital and AI-enabled tools. Examine whether institutional policies and practices ensure ethical, transparent, and responsible use of AI, in line with ILO guidance on fairness, worker protection, and safeguarding of rights. Prepare a report outlining key enabling conditions, including institutional readiness, necessary for replicating and scaling digital and AI-powered solutions across the Asia-Pacific region.   Component 3. Co-definition of priority areas and recommendations for the DiSCo AI-powered platform Key tasks: Participate in stakeholders’ consultations organized by the ILO to validate findings from components 1 and 2, and ensure that proposed directions reflect national priorities, institutional needs, and labour market realities. Identify which digital and AI-powered features, models, or solutions show the highest potential for future piloting and integration into the DiSCo regional AI-powered platform, based on their feasibility, scalability, and expected impact on training quality, institutional efficiency, and workers’ labour market outcomes. Prepare a roadmap and recommendations report outlining priority areas, proposed features, and considerations for platform development under the DiSCo initiative. The roadmap will articulate the anticipated pathways of impact, including how the proposed solutions can enhance training relevance, strengthen institutional capacity, and improve learners’ and workers’ opportunities for decent work.   Outputs and deliverables Output 1 (deliverable 1): Inception report detailing the methodological approach, analytical framework, workplan, and timeline.   Output 2 (deliverable 2): Assessment report on global digital and AI-powered innovations and good practices, including: Mapping of the most relevant emerging digital and AI-powered innovations and tools. Benchmarking of key international approaches or models. Assessment of how each innovation and model addresses ethical AI considerations, including data protection, privacy, inclusion, accessibility, transparency, and user safety. Analysis of pedagogical, technical and functional features. Assessment of applicability and potential relevance for future integration under DiSCo regional platform, with a view to support regional knowledge exchange and institutional capacity development.   The report must be no more than 20 pages.   Output 3 (deliverable 3): Institutional readiness and enabling conditions report, outlining: Institutional factors influencing the adoption, replication, and scalability of the digital and AI-powered innovations and good practices identified. Governance, infrastructure, human resources capacity, and organisational culture considerations shaping the potential for replication and adaptation across different contexts. System-wide enabling conditions and constraints affecting the successful integration of digital and AI-powered solutions. Implications for integrating the assessed solutions into TVET and skills systems across diverse institutional and country contexts.   The report must be no more than 20 pages.   Output 4 (deliverable 4): Set of recommendations for the future DiSCo regional AI-powered platform, outlining: Priority areas and potential features for the DiSCo’s AI-powered platform, , grounded in their expected contribution to training quality, institutional performance, and workers’ labour market outcomes. Digital and AI-powered solutions with highest potential for piloting and future integration, based on feasibility, scalability, and anticipated impact on national skills systems. Considerations for design, governance, interoperability, and scalability. Ethical AI safeguards required for the DiSCo platform, including mechanisms for transparency, accountability, bias mitigation, data protection, and safeguarding users. Actionable recommendations to guide future ILO decision-making and support the development of an inclusive, rights-based, and contextually relevant regional platform.       Timeframe and location Duration: 12 January 2025 to 15 April 2026 Location: Home-based, with virtual meetings.   Eligibility Criteria Academic requirements Master’s degree or higher from an accredited academic institution in a relevant subject area.   Experience A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in a relevant field. Experience working with educational or training institutions. Experience in digital transformation of education and TVET systems is highly desirable. Experience conducting digital readiness or digital maturity assessments is an advantage. Familiarity with AI platform governance, data protection, and ethical AI principles is desirable. Experience applying ethical AI frameworks in education, TVET, or digital learning contexts is an advantage.   Requirements Skills Demonstrated knowledge of digital skills and digital transformation. Strong understanding of digital education, training and learning processes. Capacity to work independently with minimal supervision. Demonstrated personal commitment, efficiency, and flexibility. Gender-sensitive and culturally sensitive, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Excellent English writing and communication skills, including the ability to facilitate discussions.   Competencies Values Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible. Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct. Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.   Core Competencies – behavioural indicators Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner and is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes. Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work. Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring, and motivational way.   Application Interested individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications: An up-to-date organizational profile with Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the lead expert(s), indicating all relevant qualifications and professional experience, including prior experience in similar thematic areas. A Technical Proposal (1-2 pages) discussing the approach/methodology to undertake the assignment, and comments on the Terms of Reference, if any. A Financial Proposal specifying the professional fees for this assignment, with the cost of each output clearly identified.   The ILO promotes equal opportunities for women, men and disabled candidates to obtain decent and productive employment in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.   Proposal submission procedure and deadline   Interested individuals must submit the aforementioned documents to the ILO through email at [email protected] no later than 24 December 2025 at 23:59 (GMT+7, Bangkok Standard Time). Proposers who fail to submit all these documents shall not be considered for further evaluation.   Technical questions, if any, can be sent to [email protected] until 18 December 2025 at 23:59 (GMT+7, Bangkok Standard Time)