Total number of volunteers: 1,345

• 567 commenced new assignments
• 778 continued assignments from previous year/s

Gender of volunteers:

• 64 per cent female
• 36 per cent male

Age range of volunteers by gender:

• 18-29: 75 female; 25 male
• 30-39: 69 female; 31 male
• 40-49: 62 female; 38 male
• 50-59: 63 female; 37 male
• Age 60+: 46 female; 54 male

Number of host organisations: 883

Host organisations by category (top six):

• Local NGOs: 21 per cent
• National governments: 20 per cent
• National NGOs: 16 per cent
• Educational institutions: 12 per cent
• International/regional NGOs: 10 per cent
• Local/provincial governments: 6 per cent

Six most common areas of assignment focus:

• Government and civil society*: 20 per cent
• Education: 17 per cent
• Health: 17 per cent
• Other social infrastructure and services**: 15 per cent
• Service industries***: 11 per cent
• Agriculture and industry: 9 per cent

Where they went:

• Asia: 57 per cent
• Pacific: 36 per cent
• Africa: 7 per cent

Total number of countries: 29

Top 10 countries:

• Indonesia: 156^#
• Cambodia: 116
• Fiji: 111
• Solomon Islands: 101
• Vietnam: 93
• Vanuatu: 87
• Philippines: 72
• Timor-Leste: 70
• Papua New Guinea: 68
• Myanmar: 67

Total numbers of volunteers supported in 2015–16

AVID allocated funds 2015-16 (A$): $47.8 million

In 2015–16, Australian Volunteers for International
Development (AVID) continued to deliver an effective
program with strong development and public diplomacy
outcomes in 29 countries in the Indo-Pacific. A total of 1345
Australians volunteered their time, energy and expertise
to work for 883 host organisations. The total AVID budget
allocation in 2015–16 was $47.8 million, a 15.5 per cent
change from $56.6 million in 2014–15. Volunteers worked
to support Australian and partner government country
priorities with 95 per cent of new assignments aligned with
Aid Investment Plans.

The AVID program makes a considerable contribution to
the achievement of the Government's public diplomacy
objectives. Volunteers promote a positive perception of
Australia in the region, and promote a positive perception
of the aid program domestically. The Returned Australian
Volunteer Network (RAVN) was launched in 2015 to
recognise the ongoing contribution of returned Australian
volunteers to the Australian aid program. RAVN provides
networking, engagement and professional development
opportunities for around 13,000 returned volunteers.

Key AVID achievements in 2015-16 included:

• Disability - 15 per cent of new assignments focused on disability inclusion, and 21 volunteers self-identified as having a disability
• Gender - 64 per cent of volunteers were
  women, and 130 or 10 per cent of assignments
  had a primary focus on gender equality
• Youth - 29 per cent of volunteers were
  under the age of 30 years, including pilot
  programs targeting disadvantaged and
  Indigenous youth in South Africa and Vanuatu
• Private sector - engagement increased
  significantly with 342 or 25 per cent of
  assignments engaging with the private sector
• Child protection - AVID partners
  reported 100 per cent of host organisations
  complied with the requirements of DFAT's
  Child Protection Policy

The program was funded and delivered by DFAT in
partnership with AVI, Scope Global (in consortium with
Australian Business Volunteers) and the Australian Red
Cross who transitioned out of the program in June 2016.

AVID underwent significant changes to deliver an effective
program in 2015–16. Changes were made to in-country
management arrangements with a move to a single AVID
delivery partner operating in 27 of the 29 countries, with
the exception of Indonesia and Fiji. The AVID program
in Bangladesh was closed in late 2015 due to increased
security concerns for volunteers.

The AVID program has historically faced challenges
in measuring the impact on gender equality, disability
inclusion, private sector engagement and innovation.
Over the course of the year, additional reporting indicators
and tools have been developed to improve the capture
of information about program impact, which will enable
comparisons to be made in future years.

* Government and civil society assignments include: public sector management; law and justice; media; gender equality; ending violence against women
and girls; democratic governance and human rights.

** Other social infrastructure and services assignments include: social and welfare services; and other program support such as income generation;
employment creation; and combating child labour.

*** Service industries assignments include: policy, planning and programs in transport; communications; energy generation and supply; banking and
finance; business; construction; and trade and tourism.