Assessment of the impact of an international multidisciplinary intervention project on sustainability at the local level: case study in a community in the Ecuadorian Andes

In the community of San Ignacio in the Ecuadorian Andes, an intervention project was carried out with the aim of improving their socioeconomic capacities through different actions designed with the inhabitants in a participative manner. In order to analyze the effect of the actions undertaken, the impact on sustainability before and after the intervention was evaluated using the framework for the evaluation of natural resource management systems (MESMIS). Twelve indicators were selected to measure the project's areas of influence on the performance of the 22 production units and the capacities of their managers. Of the 12 indicators, the perception of empowerment indicator is proposed for the first time within the framework of the MESMIS program as a strategic indicator to explore in depth the factors that influence gender equality. Based on the differences found in these indicators, it could be seen that the intervention had a positive effect on the sustainability of the system, significantly improving the indices referring to functional biodiversity, mainly due to women’s activity, and access to technological innovations. Although the actions did not appear to significantly influence gender equality, the new proposed strategic indicator leads to a greater understanding of gender perspective, which meant that factors such as dread, independence and satisfaction improved after the intervention process. Lastly, a medium- and long-term evaluation is recommended in order to confirm the effects of the intervention project within a suitable timeframe.