Technical Assistance and Implementation Manual for the MIB Ecuador Program

In late 2025, three cities in northeast Ecuador - Muisne, Manta, and Portoviejo - were each awarded US $2 million as part of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s (MIT) World Bank-funded Comprehensive Neighborhood Improvement program. 

‍

AHI and Fundación SOMOS provided technical assistance to MIT to support the development and implementation of this first-of-its-kind national neighborhood improvement program, which has the potential to impact millions of households across the country. The program aims to promote inclusive and sustainable urban development that follows climate-resilient design and participatory community planning methods. We designed the program manual - covering all aspects of the policy including neighborhood selection processes, project design and implementation, and financing - and developed toolkits on community participation and nature-based solutions, translating the policy into implementable guidance.

‍

We also provided technical advice to the three pilot neighborhoods during the neighborhood selection, project design, and implementation phases, and conducted capacity building trainings on community participation mechanisms for all stakeholders engaged in the program, both nationally and locally.

‍

The project in Muisne will regenerate the children’s park and improve the food vendor area, strengthening mobility, access to services, and social cohesion. Las Acacias Park in Manta, a site that suffers from prolonged neglect, will undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation process including road regeneration, infrastructure maintenance, and new sports areas. The Las Orquídeas neighborhood in Portoviejo will be transformed through reforestation, rehabilitation of the riverbank, and implementation of community safety and environmental education programs.