This is the second country strategy and programme evaluation (CSPE) conducted by the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD (IOE) in Ecuador. It covers the period 2009–2019, reviewing four loan projects and nine grants.

The evaluation examined three aspects in particular: (i) the lending portfolio; (ii) the non-lending activities (knowledge management, partnership building, country-level policy engagement and grants); and (iii) the performance of the main partners (IFAD and the Government). Building on an analysis of these three dimensions, the CSPE assesses the relevance and effectiveness at the country strategy level.

The evaluation found that IFAD’s performance in Ecuador has been moderately satisfactory. The strategic design of IFAD’s programme was sound and enabled its activities to remain relevant despite the significant changes occurring in the country. There was an improvement in the access to assets and resources to support the diversification of Ecuador’s rural economy, through the promotion and strengthening of production and associative enterprises. However, the lack of attention to marketing and market access limited the expected outcomes.

For the future, IOE’s recommendations include reinforcing the differentiated territorial approach with local stakeholders’ participation in project implementation, considered key in enabling access to differentiated markets and valuing Ecuador’s biocultural heritage; and promoting the sustainability of enterprises, one of the cornerstones of IFAD’s portfolio in the country.