The overview of public administration in Colombia: challenges and opportunities for sustainable development

October 21, 2024

According to the OECD, public administration in Colombia faces major challenges in terms of inequality, citizen trust and sustainability.

public administration in Colombia, Bogotá, Más Colombia

According to the report Panorama of Public Administrations: Latin America and the Caribbean 2024, public administration in Colombia is facing a moment in which it must address socioeconomic challenges, respond to growing citizen demands for more inclusive governance and advance in the green transition to mitigate the effects of climate change.

These challenges are intertwined with the need to improve the efficiency of public institutions to implement policies that promote sustainable development, equity and social inclusion.

However, the report also presents opportunities to improve public administration in Colombia by implementing inclusive strategies, digitizing public services and adopting more ambitious environmental policies.

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Colombia, like many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), experiences high inequality. The Gini index, which measures income inequality, reached 0.54 in Colombia in 2023, according to DANE data. This places Colombia as the second most unequal country in the region, surpassed only by Brazil.

Balance of public administration in Colombia

Inequality in access to services

One of the main challenges of public administration in Colombia is inequality in access to essential services. According to the report, satisfaction with public services improves productivity by providing education, health and a sound judicial system, all key factors for economic growth.

In 2022, 53% of the population in LAC countries was satisfied with the healthcare system. Satisfaction with this service in Colombia fell 8 p.p. since 2011 to 41%.

On average, 66% of the LAC population was satisfied with the education system in 2022. In Colombia, during the same year, it was below the regional average (63%) and presented a reduction of 8 percentage points (p.p.) with respect to 2011.

Public administration in Colombia, Más Colombia

Only 38% of LAC citizens reported trusting the judicial system in 2022, an improvement over 2011, when the average was 32%. However, in Colombia this indicator also shows a deterioration from 32% in 2011 to 28% in 2022.

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Digital governance and public procurement

Digital governance has been one of the sectors with the greatest advances in recent years in Colombia. The implementation of digital public services has improved access to procedures and strengthened transparency. The OECD report notes that Colombia has implemented digital government portals in more than 70% of its public entities, which facilitates the provision of services to citizens.

However, challenges remain in terms of equitable access to these platforms. Approximately 45% of the rural population does not have Internet access, which limits their participation in the government’s digital processes.

In terms of public procurement, efforts to improve transparency have been significant. In 2021, the Electronic Public Procurement System (SECOP) processed 74% of public procurement digitally. However, only 9% of these purchases were aligned with environmental sustainability criteria, demonstrating that there is still a long way to go to integrate green public procurement.

incremento en las cuotas de administracion 2024 1 — The overview of public administration in Colombia: challenges and opportunities for sustainable development 5

Green transition and sustainability

One of the greatest current challenges for public administration in Colombia is the transition to a sustainable development model. The country has signed international commitments, such as the Paris Agreement, to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. However, the implementation of concrete policies that promote the green transition has been slow. Only 4.8% of public spending in Colombia is allocated to sustainable investments, compared to 7.4% on average in OECD countries.

Green budgeting is one of the strategies that the Colombian government has begun to adopt to align its public finances with climate objectives. In 2021, Colombia was one of only five countries in Latin America to incorporate environmental considerations into its budget planning.

Despite these advances, the country’s limited fiscal capacity, compounded by a public debt that in 2022 reached 66% of GDP, represents a major obstacle to financing green infrastructure projects and other sustainability programs.

economics, investments, forced investments, money, currencies, Más Colombia — The overview of public administration in Colombia: challenges and opportunities for sustainable development 6

Towards an efficient and transparent public administration in Colombia

To improve the effectiveness of public administration in Colombia, OECD recommendations point out that local and national governments must work in a more coordinated manner to manage public resources more efficiently. Strengthening institutional competencies is key to ensure the implementation of public policies that promote inclusive development.

In addition, a comprehensive approach to decision-making is required, incorporating citizen participation in all stages of the political process. This is the only way to regain confidence in institutions and foster a sense of ownership and legitimacy in public policies. Public perception of corruption is very high in the LAC region. According to the Gallup World Poll, 75.5% of respondents in 2023 believe that corruption is widespread in government, in Colombia this perception is held by 85% of respondents.