Country Program Evaluation: Ecuador (2007-2011)

This evaluation reviews the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of the IDB's Program with Ecuador for 2007-2011. The period was characterized by an important political and institutional shift in Ecuador, embodied in the new Constitution of September 2008. Working within the framework provided by the Plan Nacional para el Buen Vivir, the IDB program was in alignment with the country's agenda. IDB's efficiency has been mixed. Despite improvements in timeliness and cost, the institutional capacity of agencies responsible for the execution of IDB projects has been varied. Available outcome indicators show progress in Ecuador's development path; however, it is difficult to establish to what extent IDB's interventions contributed to those improvements. In light of the findings, the IDB is advised, as one of the country's main lenders, to engage more actively in policy dialogue; prioritize sectors that can address problems of competitiveness, inequality and social exclusion; strengthen Ecuador's planning, evaluation, and monitoring capacity; and promote the establishment of training programs for national and subnational executing agencies.