Member since 2019
Prior to CoST: Public infrastructure in context
According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, in 2019, Ecuador achieved a score of 38 and was ranked 93 out of 180 countries. Despite concerns over the roll-back of some civil society freedoms, Ecuador’s climb in the rankings is due to significant improvements to perceptions of corruption since 2016, due to efforts from civil society and the government to promote transparency and accountability.
According to the United Nations’ Electronic Governance Development Index, Ecuador scored 0.7 in 2020, placing it 24th globally. The government’s efforts to build a cooperation mechanism between the private sector and civil society were identified as a key strength as the country works to increase transparency and efficiency in public procurement, particularly in the infrastructure sector.
How it all began
In 2019, Ecuador’s National Public Procurement Service (Sercop) submitted a membership application letter to the CoST board, as part of the CoST Competitive Process. The membership application was reinforced by letters of support from civil society organisations and the private sector, and Ecuador’s application was formally accepted in December 2019. The CoST Ecuador Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) was formally established in July 2020.
In the short term, CoST Ecuador planned to train public officials on centralising infrastructure data through the Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standard (OC4IDS) and identify non-governmental actors to help catalyse impact and spark public engagement.
Multi-Stakeholder Working
CoST brings together stakeholder groups with different perspectives and backgrounds from across government, the private sector, and civil society. Through each member’s Multi-Stakeholder Group, these entities can guide the delivery of CoST and pursue infrastructure transparency and accountability within a neutral forum.
The CoST Ecuador Multi-Stakeholder Group provides leadership and direction over the initiative’s implementation. With representation from government, the private sector, and civil society, the MSG brings stakeholders together to improve the value, efficiency, and effectiveness of public infrastructure delivery.
The CoST Ecuador MSG is comprised of representatives from:
Government: Transport and Public Works Ministry, Transparency Secretary of Quito (Quito Honesto), and Public Procurement Agency (SERCOP)
Private sector: Civil Engineers of Ecuador Association and Civil Engineers of Pichincha Province Association.
Civil society: Development and Citizen Foundation – TI Ecuador (FCD), National High Studies Institute (IAEN), Datalat Foundation, and Vinicio Ayala Foundation (VAF)
Data publication
The data publication process ensures that data about the purpose, scope, costs and execution of infrastructure projects is open and accessible to the public, and that it is data is published in a timely manner.
In Ecuador, infrastructure contract data is published through the Official State Procurement System (SOCE), which is administered by Sercop. All procuring entities in Ecuador are obliged to publish contracts through SOCE; however, not all related contracts can be associated with an infrastructure project.
In order to facilitate the use of data contained in SOCE, SERCOP developed the Open Data portal, one of Ecuador’s Open Government Partnership (OGP) commitments in its 2019-2021 Action Plan, promoting access to information for citizens and stakeholders.
That’s how CoST Ecuador was able to develop an Infrastructure Statistics Tool available on their website, and by using other available open data, the list of projects will be available in the OC4IDS format in July 2025. The CoST Ecuador team is preparing to train stakeholders on the use of data when the platform is launched.
CoST Infrastructure Transparency Index
The four dimensions measured by the ITI
The CoST Infrastructure Transparency Index (ITI) measures levels of transparency and the quality of processes related to public infrastructure at national and sub-national levels. Collaboratively designed and based on international good practice, its objective is to provide stakeholders with quality information that serves to promote transparency and improve the management of public infrastructure. Ecuador published initial results from ITI implementation in 2023, which can be found here.
Get in touch
Andrés Altamirano – CoST Ecuador Manager
ecuador@infrastructuretransparency.org
Useful Links