Policy analysis inside central government in Colombia

Abstract

This chapter explores the structure and powers of the Colombian central government, with particular attention on the executive branch. It discusses the roles of the president and key agencies, such as the National Planning Department (DNP), the Administrative Department of the Presidency (DAPRE), and the National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) in policy-making and policy analysis. It also outlines the role of policy analysis in all the stages of the policy cycle, namely planning, budgeting, execution, monitoring and evaluation. The chapter presents the efforts of the government to develop comprehensive tools to produce useful information for policy decision making. It looks at the institutional restrictions, political factors or lack of incentives in the use of information that constrain the capacity of policy analysis by the central government.