Blog posts
September 2, 2025
By News Room

SDG Evaluation in Ecuador: A Lead Evaluator’s Perspective

Written by Claudia Aguilar Garza, founding partner of MultiPolar Global Services. 17 October 2024.

As we stand at the crossroads of global development, with just six years left to achieve the ambitious targets set by the 2030 Agenda, a groundbreaking initiative in Ecuador is redefining how we evaluate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the lead evaluator for MultiPolar Global Services, I find myself at the helm of this innovative endeavor, navigating uncharted waters in the realm of SDG evaluation.

Our journey began when MultiPolar, a small Guatemala-based consulting firm, was entrusted by the German Institute for Development Evaluation’s (DEval) Focelac+ project to conduct one of the world’s first country-led SDG evaluations in Ecuador. In collaboration with Ecuador’s National Secretariat of Planning (SNP), we set out to rethink the SDG evaluation process—not just tweaking existing methods or using SDG terminology as a superficial label, but reimagining the process from the ground up.

The task was both challenging and exhilarating. We were asked to evaluate Ecuador’s multi-level efforts to combat chronic child malnutrition (CCM), a priority issue affecting over a fifth of the country’s children under two. But our mission extended beyond just this focus; we were developing a methodology that could become a global reference for SDG evaluations. Our goal was to fully embody the principles of the 2030 Agenda, ensuring that the evaluation itself reflected key values like Leaving No One Behind (LNOB) and shared responsibility.

Breaking New Ground in SDG Evaluation

This wasn’t your typical evaluation. From the start, our young and dynamic team worked closely with the SNP, integrating the principles of the 2030 Agenda—such as LNOB, the interconnected nature of the SDGs, and shared responsibility—into every aspect of our evaluation. We took these principles beyond theory and embedded them into our criteria, fieldwork, and engagement with local communities. It wasn’t always easy, but seeing these principles in action, from government offices to local leaders in remote areas, was incredibly rewarding. The principles became our guiding star, showing us how inclusive, impactful, and sustainable processes could contribute to the SDGs and to more effective and inclusive government action at all levels.

Lessons for Evaluators and Governments Alike

Our work in Ecuador revealed several key insights that I believe are invaluable for evaluators and governments alike, particularly in the Global South:

Principle-Powered Evaluation: Anchoring our evaluation in the 2030 Agenda’s principles provided a comprehensive and robust framework. This approach went beyond checking off boxes—it allowed us to truly understand the process to achieve the SDGs at both national and local levels.

Process Over Outcomes: Focusing on how and why policies are implemented gave us a deeper understanding of their effectiveness. This shift helped us deliver meaningful recommendations to the Ecuadorian government, guiding future efforts to reduce chronic child malnutrition.

Amplifying Local Voices: Engaging with local communities enriched our evaluation process. With 92% of our consultations taking place at the local level, we saw how bottom-up approaches can drive empowerment of local players and foster a shared understanding of SDG implementation on the ground.

Reshaping Global SDG Reporting

At MultiPolar, we believe our work in Ecuador could help shape the future of SDG reporting globally. By emphasizing public policy cycles and intersectoral coordination with a strong territorial focus, evaluators can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of SDG progress. We are excited to see how this approach has already informed high-quality Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) submitted by Costa Rica and Ecuador in 2024.

Bringing UNGA Resolutions to Life

Our evaluation directly responds to the recent UN General Assembly resolution on strengthening voluntary national reviews through country-led evaluations. It’s been incredibly fulfilling to work with the SNP to show exactly how countries can empower their institutions, including at the local, and develop more effective, equitable strategies to achieve the SDGs.

A Call to Fellow Evaluators

As evaluators, we have a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to innovate in how we approach SDG evaluations. Our experience in Ecuador highlights the importance of:

  • Infusing the 2030 Agenda principles into every stage of the evaluation process
  • Shifting our focus from outcomes to processes
  • Embracing mutual learning and collaboration at every level

In a recent exchange with evaluators from Costa Rica, we saw just how transformative this approach can be. It reinforced our belief that when evaluators innovate and collaborate across borders, we can drive real change together.

Looking Ahead

As our work in Ecuador concludes, I’m more convinced than ever of the power of principle-based SDG evaluations. These evaluations go beyond measuring progress—they focus on understanding what truly works and how specific policies, institutional arrangements, and programmatic approaches can drive meaningful change toward sustainable development.

I invite my fellow evaluators to join us on this exciting journey. How can we build on Ecuador’s experience to enhance SDG evaluation globally? What potential do you see in applying these approaches in your context? Let’s continue this important conversation and work together to ensure that our evaluations contribute meaningfully to the 2030 Agenda’s goals.

At MultiPolar, we’re proud to be part of this collective effort, and we look forward to seeing how the global evaluation community continues to shape the future of SDG evaluation.

About the author

Claudia Aguilar Garza is a founding partner of MultiPolar Global Services. She is an economist and evaluator with over 20 years of expertise in assessing public policies and sustainable development programs across Latin America and the Caribbean; and has led strategic evaluations focused on the SDGs, financial and institutional arrangements for the 2030 Agenda as well as public policy reviews for the SDGs and 2030 principles.

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