Multi-dimensional Country Reviews are the result of a collaborative effort of the OECD and the country under review. The MDCR of El Salvador was carried out jointly by the OECD Development Centre, the Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE), the Directorate for Public Governance, the Economics Department, and the Environment Directorate, in close co-ordination with the Secretariat for Commerce and Investment of the Presidency of El Salvador and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador. The review was initiated with a high-level launch event in San Salvador in July 2019.
The review was produced under the guidance and supervision of Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir, Director of the OECD Development Centre, and Jan Rieländer, Head of the Country Diagnostics and Strategy unit at the OECD Development Centre, with contributions from Alvaro Pereira, Director of the Economics Department and Acting Chief Economist of the OECD, Isabell Koske, Economics Department, Romina Boarini, Director of the Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability, and Equal Opportunity, and Marco Mira d’Ercole, formerly Head of Household Statistics and Progress Measurement, Directorate for Data and Statistics.
The review was led and co-ordinated by Juan R. de Laiglesia, Senior Economist, OECD Development Centre. Part I of the review (“Initial Assessment”) was drafted by Juan R. de Laiglesia, Diana Hanry-Knop, Nathalia Montoya, Alexander Pick (OECD Development Centre), Joshua Monje-Jelfs (OECD WISE), and Ricardo Arroja (external Consultant). Paz Patiño (Paris21) provided valuable inputs. Part II of the review was drafted by Juan R. de Laiglesia, Kerstin Schopohl (OECD Development Centre), Gérard Bonnis (OECD Environment Directorate), Anaïs Loizillon (external consultant), Iván Stola and Patricia Marcelino (OECD Directorate for Public Governance). Inputs were also provided by Andrea Colombo (OECD Development Centre), Martin Wermelinger and Iris Mantovani (OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs). Kate Chalmers (OECD Development Centre) provided superb statistical support. Luiz Hermida and Jérôme Poulain provided excellent research assistance and support, and Myriam Andrieux (OECD Development Centre) provided secretarial assistance.
The team is grateful for insightful contributions and comments from Jason Gagnon, Sebastián Nieto Parra, Annalisa Primi, and Juan Vázquez Zamora (OECD Development Centre), Céline Colin (OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration), Jonathan Marley and Michael Ward (OECD Development Co-operation Directorate), Catherine Gamper (OECD Environment Directorate), Oriana Romano (OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities), Lynn Robertson and Iris Mantovani (OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs), Miguel Castro (OECD General Secretariat), José Antonio Ardavín (OECD Global Relations and Cooperation Directorate), Paulo Santiago, Luka Boeskens, Catalina Covacevic, and Anna Perico e Santos (OECD Directorate for Education and Skills). The team is particularly grateful to Manuela Fitzpatrick (OECD Directorate for Education and Skills) for inputs and guidance on the chapter on education and skills in this report. The team also recognises the contributions made by Óscar Cabrera (FUDECEN), Pedro Argumedo, Helga Cuéllar-Marchelli and José Andrés Oliva (FUSADES), Iván Lucich Larrauri (SUNASS, Peru), Daniel Gómez Gaviria (formerly from the DNP, Colombia), Ana Zúñiga Aponte (Hivos, Costa Rica), and Roberto Rodriguez (FLACSO El Salvador).
Member countries of the OECD Development Centre meet in the Mutual Learning Group to review Multi-dimensional Reviews and share insights of their own development experience. The European Union, Panama and Guatemala served as lead reviewers in the meetings of the MLG-MDCR that examined this review in December 2019 and October 2022.
The Multi-dimensional Country Review of El Salvador was made possible by the financial support of the European Union and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The team is particularly grateful to the Delegation of the European Union in San Salvador for its support during the process, the insights of its staff into the development of El Salvador, and their inputs and comments on intermediary drafts of the report. The team is especially grateful towards Ambassadors Andreu Bassols and François Roudié and towards Erik Kristensen for co-ordinating the team’s engagement with the Delegation. The team also wishes to thank the Embassy of Luxembourg in Managua for their engagement and valuable inputs.
This review has greatly benefitted from the support of several ministries and public agencies in El Salvador during the implementation of its three phases. The support of Miguel Kattán Readi, Secretary for Commerce and Investment of the Presidency of the Republic of El Salvador, and his staff was of critical importance to the review. Alberto Acosta (Undersecretary for Commerce and Investment), Norma Posada, Georgina Echegoyén, and especially Susana Lobato have been dedicated counterparts throughout the process. The support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador and especially of Vice-minister Adriana Mira and her staff have been extremely valuable for the review. The contributions of the Embassy of El Salvador in Paris are gratefully acknowledged, especially those of Ambassadors Carmen María Gallardo de Hernández and Lorena Sol de Pol and their staff, in particular José Miguel Arévalo. The team is also particularly grateful to Minister of Economy María Luisa Hayem, to Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Fernando López Larreynaga and to Minister of Education, Science and Technology José Mauricio Pineda for their support and that of their teams to the review. A group of focal points in line ministries and agencies have contributed to coordinating exchanges on the review’s recommendations and their contribution is gratefully acknowledged. They include Xenia Guillén (Ministry of Finance), Laura Pacheco (Ministry of Economy), Ricardo Cardona and Óscar Alejandro López (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology), Jessica Laguardia (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources), César Alvarado (Central Bank of El Salvador), Carolina Hernández (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Irma Yolanda Núñez, Luis Mario Soriano, Georgina Echegoyén, Norma Posada, Susana Lobato and Erik Chang (Presidency of the Republic).
The team is grateful to the representatives of ministries, agencies, private sector entities, civil society, academia and international organisations that took part in the numerous bilateral meetings and workshops organised throughout the review process, proving data, comments and valuable insights. They include the Office of the President of the Republic of El Salvador, the Office of the Vice-president of the Republic of El Salvador, the National Administration for Water and Sanitation (ANDA), AES El Salvador, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Japan international cooperation agency (JICA), El Salvador Agency for International Cooperation (ESCO), Spanish agency for international development cooperation (AECID), Agroindustria Cultivar, Municipality of Ahuachapán, Municipality of San Luis Talpa, Salvadoran Banking Association (ABANSA), Community association united for water and agriculture (ACUA), Santa Marta Association for Economic and Social Development (ADES), Association of Distributors of El Salvador (ADES), San Julián municipality decentralised association for water and sanitation (AMA San Julián), National association of private enterprises (ANEP), Salvadoran association of industrialists (ASI), Salvadoran association for sustainable and comprehensive training and skills formation (ASAFOCAIS), Central Bank of El Salvador (BCR), Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Banco Cuscatlán, Development bank of the Republic of El Salvador (BANDESAL), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), World Bank, American Chamber of Commerce in El Salvador (Amcham), Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador (CAMARASAL), Chamber of textile and apparel industry and free trade zones (CAMTEX), Centre for training and the promotion of democracy (CECADE), National centre for agricultural and forestry technology (CENTA), Chapis Pickles, Intersectoral commission for trade facilitation (CIFACIL), National commission for micro and small enterprises (CONAMYPE), Confederation of workers of El Salvador (CSTS), National council for science and technology (CONACYT), National energy council (CNE), National council for childhood and adolescence (CONNA), National council for young persons (CONAPEJ), General Directorate for Customs (DGA), General Directorate for statistics and censuses (DIGESTYC), Echo Technologies, Emprecultura, National School of Agriculture (ENA), Higher education school of economics and business (ESEN), FLACSO El Salvador, El Salvador environment fund (FONAES), Social investment fund for local development (FISDL), Foundation of the technical institute of former Salesian students (FITEXSAL), Dr. Guillermo Manuel Ungo foundation, Educo foundation, Business foundation for educational development (ITCA-FEPADE), Maquilishauatl foundation (FUMA), Foundation for development in Central America (FUDECEN), Foundation for higher education, PRISMA foundation, Foundation Salvador del Mundo (FUSALMO), Salvadoran foundation for economic and social development (FUSADES), Trade association of Salvadoran exporters (COEXPORT), Impact Hub El Salvador, Social initiative for democracy (ISD), Institute for Access to Public Information (IAIP), National Youth Institute (INJUVE), Salvadoran institute for professional training (INSAFORP), Salvadoran institute for comprehensive development of youth and adolescence (ISNA), Key Process, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Local Development, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Housing, Movement of NGOs for Development (MODES), Planning office for the San Salvador metropolitan area (OPAMSS), Organisation for Better Regulation (OMR), Salvadoran organisation for the promotion of exports and investment (PROESA), Organisation of Ibero-American states (OEI), Oxfam, Pettenati, Plan International, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pro-Vida, Salvadoran network for the right to education (RESALDE), System of counsel and training for development (SACDEL), Superintendency of competition, Superintendency of the financial sector (SSF), Superintendency of electricity and telecommunications (SIGET), Tragsa, Catholic University of El Salvador (UNICAES), El Salvador University (UES), Don Bosco University, Dr. Andrés Bello University (UNAB), Dr. José Matías Delgado University (UJMD), and Francisco Gavidia University.
Finally, the team acknowledges Adam Mitchell for excellent editorial work on the manuscript and Delphine Grandrieux, Elizabeth Nash, Mélodie Descours and Henri-Bernard Solignac-Lecomte for preparing the manuscript for publication and for their support in communications.