Colombian Policy Research Articles

Pathways towards sustainability: A capacity needs assessment for the implementation of the Colombian Policy for Sustainable Cattle 2022–2050

Cattle farming is one of the main agricultural activities in Colombia, but its mainly extensive nature generates significant social and environmental impacts, such as land grabbing, agricultural frontier expansion, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation. To transform cattle systems towards sustainability, the Policy Guidelines for Sustainable Cattle 2022–2050 (LPGBS) were launched in 2022, resulting from conversations between sector institutions and the national government. Although the LPGBS are proposed as the roadmap for cattle farming in the coming decades, their implementation has faced delays and raised doubts among the involved institutions. This research analyzes the current state of the LPGBS to identify difficulties and determine strategies that promote sustainability in cattle systems by building capacities. The research is based on a mixed-methods approach and contains a literature review on the evaluation of public policies in the cattle sector, complemented by 26 key-informant interviews with experts from public and private institutions involved in developing the LPGBS. These interviews provided key perspectives and practical experiences to understand current difficulties in the implementation of the LPGBS and identify the capacities needed to achieve the planned transition to sustainable cattle farming. Results reveal several difficulties in the LPGBS design stage, including institutional weakness, low governmental participation, and lack of trust among stakeholders. However, important progress was made, such as the construction of social, environmental, and productive sustainability criteria, the consolidation of the sustainability approach at the cattle landscape level, and regional participation. The capacities necessary to drive the implementation of the LPGBS include strengthening rural extension programs, access to financing, and the implementation of a traceability system for monitoring and evaluation. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating policies at early stages to provide crucial information for decision-makers and public policy formulators to correct and improve implementation processes.

Factors associated with use of active transport in users of HEVS Program of Ministry of Sports

Abstract Background Sedentary behavior and physical inactivity are associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and mortality. Studies have shown the benefits of active transport to reduce NCDs. In Colombia, studies have been developed to determine the factors associated with the use of active transport, in cities such as Bogota but not nationally, therefore, this study seeks to determine the factors associated with the use of active transport in users of the National Program of Habits and Healthy Lifestyle (HEVS) led by the Ministry of Sport of Colombia in partnership with municipal sports and departmental. Methods The research presented a quantitative approach on a retrospective basis. The population consisted of 75,086 users of the HEVS program in 2019, over 18 years old (average = 44.04 and D.E. = 15.75 years old) of which 87.7% were women. For the statistical analysis a forward logistic regression model was carried out, with the dependent variable: active transport use (0 = no active transport use and 1 = active transport use). Results 41.6% of 75086 participants reported using active transport, corresponding to 31,211. Regular users, who attend physical activity programs 3 times a week, report a higher probability of using active transport OR = 1.38 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.45), compared to those who attend less than 3 times a week. Being female represents a greater probability of using active transport compared to men, OR = 1.39 (95% CI 1.32 to 1.47), those who add salt to food are also more likely to use active transport than those who do not add, OR = 2.04 (95% CI 1.92 to 2.26) and in terms of physical activity, those who meet the minimum recommendations in minutes a week use active transport more likely than those who do not comply, OR = 1.49 (95% CI 1.4 to 1.6). Conclusions Using active transport is associated with greater compliance with weekly physical activity recommendations. Women are more likely to use active transport just like people who add salt to food. Key messages • In order to reduce NCDs in the Colombian population, walking or cycling is proposed because it is associated with a greater probability of compliance with weekly physical activity recommendations. • Formulating public policies in Colombia that encourage the use of active transport would contribute to meeting weekly physical activity requirements.

Education in the National Transplant Law as an ethical pathway for the construction of the health care value in Colombia

The national transplant law in Colombia, Law 1805 of 2016, modified the Colombian legislation regarding how a person accesses an organ transplant, but above all, it changed the donor figure, establishing the term derived from the presumptive consent right. This term implies a person’s hypothetical willingness to be an organ donor as a manifestation of solidarity and charity towards another person in a situation of need and vulnerability concerning his/her health and the dimensions that define it. In the following text, seven moments are considered fundamental facts when constructing a culture about the value of healthcare in the national transplant policy in Colombia.

Improving spatial accessibility to health care services in Cali, Colombia: stakeholder assessment of an innovative platform.

To (i) ascertain stakeholders' perceptions of the contextual factors and resources necessary to successfully implement the AMORE platform, a tool that provides accessibility assessments for health care services, considering factors such travel time and traffic conditions, and (ii) identify potential barriers to and facilitators for enhancing spatial accessibility to health care services within the Colombian urban context. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of seven key stakeholders. The sample was drawn from individuals involved in development of policies in Colombia, service providers, and users, among others, who had expertise in the field. Interviews were conducted until saturation was reached. The participants had positive views on the appearance of the AMORE platform, highlighting its user-friendly visualization. Suggestions were made about the variables used in the dashboard, the implementation of the platform, potential usage areas, and barriers and facilitators to implementation and use. Barriers included economic, political, and personnel challenges, while facilitators included creating a minimum viable product at a low cost and building interinstitutional and international cooperation. Innovations such as the AMORE platform have the potential to support decision-making processes across various sectors, including public policies and internal processes within private organizations, academia, and the community. However, implementing such a tool has financial, contextual and environmental challenges. The study identified key factors that were considered prerequisites for successfully implementing the AMORE platform in Colombian cities.

Encuentro de las Ciencias Sociales en la Enseñanza Problémica

The objective of this article is to identify the academic conditions that enabled the meeting of the disciplines in the Problematic Teaching of the Bachelor's Degree in Basic Education with emphasis on Social Sciences, at the University of Nariño, between 2000 and 2015. The methodology is based on the review of University files, educational regulations and testimonies from teachers and graduates. The results show that the meetings between teachers to teach social sciences in the same space-time express the option of trying to implement interdisciplinarity together with Problematic Teaching, at a time of modification of public education policies in Colombia, in the context of academic capitalism. It is concluded that the experience of a program in a regional university allows us to approach the particularities that arise, from the dynamics on a global and national scale, in the teaching of disciplines and the multi and interdisciplinarity of the social sciences.

Teacher Subject, Teacher Training and Educational Policy in Colombia

El presente artículo de revisión muestra apuntes claves para la construcción del objeto de investigación en torno a las categorías <sujeto maestro>, <formación docente> y <política educativa>. Rastreando cómo desde la aparición como funcionario público se le han asignado diversidad de roles, tales como evangelizador, reproductor de los valores, transmisor de valores morales y de urbanismo, administrador de currículo, agente de aprendizajes, entre otros. Lo cual ha transformado su experiencia a lo largo de la historia y le ha llevado a la constante cuestión acerca de quién ha sido, quién es o podría ser el sujeto maestro hoy en día. El estudio de la categoría <sujeto maestro> encuentra el tránsito de un sujeto obediente a un sujeto autoexplotado. La propuesta es repensar entonces cómo generar un modelo de formación que no limite al sujeto maestro a los condicionantes que pretenden reproducir la política educativa y los modelos de sociedad a los que esta responde.

Mental Health Friendly Territories: Strategy for the implementation of the Mental Health Policy in Colombia

AbstractEvidence‐based practices in mental health have been proposed globally and have been adopted in Colombia. However, implementation problems often make it difficult for these initiatives to contribute to people's well‐being. The objective of the present study is to describe a strategy for implementing the components of global mental health in two complex Colombian territories: Chocó and La Guajira. These components are a primary health‐care approach, continuity of care, anti‐stigma, mental health as a human right, mental health in all policies, and a community model of recovery. A monitoring system was created for the reporting of these components by each territory. An appropriation of all the components by the health systems of both territories was found, as mobilization of existing technical resources in the territories and the strengthening of capacities at the administrative, clinical, and community levels, in addition to the articulation of all the strategies proposed at the level global for recovery. Innovation processes built in a participatory manner with communities can favor the implementation of evidence‐based practices and public policies in mental health in territories where social determinants make recovery a challenge.

Causes of Low Communicative Competences in English as a Foreign Language: Considerations and Reflections

Mastering English as a lingua franca has become a first-rate skill for new professionals in most jobs around the world. According to the bilingualism policies in Colombia it is expected that students from higher education achieve a level of English between B1 or B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL), with students from bachelor degree programs in foreign languages, the level must be C1, in this sense the Ministry of Education has implemented projects and strategies to get a bilingual professional with high communicative competences, according to the demands of the globalized world. However, most students show low levels of communicative proficiency in English according to the results of the test applied by ICFES. Despite the demands of learning English, weaknesses persist in the mastery of communicative competences. A constant concern is to investigate some causes of low communication skills in this language. This article presents the results of some research conducted in various countries around the world that has attempted to investigate these causes. The causes, according to the results of the research, have to do with social and cultural aspects, but more importantly, teacher performance is one of the most frequent causes. This requires special attention to start programs and projects aimed at training teachers in didactic competencies.

Biodiversity conservation under green extractivism and armed neoliberalism in Colombia

In the context of the global climate and ecological crisis, increasing pressure on governments and the private sector to act, combined with inertia and resistance to transformative change, has led to a new form of extractivism. Green extractivism refers to actions or activities that are promoted as environmentally sustainable but that rely on or facilitate the unsustainable extraction of natural resources. Conservation tools such as environmental offsets are embraced by governments and the private sector as a solution to address the contradictions between economic development and environmental conservation. How do such conservation measures play out in places afflicted by a history of armed conflict? Examining the evolution of environmental compensation policy in Colombia and a case study of the Hidrosogamoso dam, this article explores multiple manifestations of green extractivism intertwined with armed neoliberalism. These include the creation of biodiversity and carbon sacrifice zones that facilitate the concentration of land and the capture of natural assets; the promotion of green narratives that distract from the extensive social and ecological impacts; and the use of violent tactics to quieten dissent from local communities and environmental defenders.

Trends in mental health before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal survey of a conflict-affected population in Colombia

BackgroundFocusing on the Meta region in Colombia, we investigated the relationship between mental health, the COVID-19 pandemic, and social determinants of health influenced by over five decades of civil conflict. We studied the post-2016 peace agreement trends in mental health for the population of Meta, before and after the local onset of the pandemic.MethodWe conducted three rounds of a longitudinal health survey in years 2018 with N = 1309 (Women = 709; Men = 600); 2019 with N = 1106 (Women = 597; Men = 509); and 2020 with N = 905 (Women = 499; Men = 406). We measured mental health through the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20), investigating population trends in the average SRQ score and SRQ-positive frequency (SRQ + , indicating positive tendency towards experiencing mental health disorders).ResultsBetween 2018 and 2020, there were reductions in the mean SRQ-20 score by 1.74 points (95% CI -2.30 to -1.18) and in SRQ + frequency by 15 percentage points (95% CI -21.0 to -9.0) for the Meta population. Yet specific subgroups have become more vulnerable to mental illness during the pandemic, for example older age groups (e.g., increase in mean SRQ score among over 60 s by 2.49 points, 95% CI 0.51 to 4.46) and people living with children younger than five years-old (e.g., increase in mean SRQ score by 0.64 points, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.20). Increased mental health vulnerability among specific subgroups may be related to differences in the likelihood of knowing people who tested positive for COVID-19 or died from itf having been in quarantine.ConclusionOur findings support the importance of public policies in Colombia (and other low- and middle-income countries) that address the social determinants of mental illness whose influence was likely exacerbated by the pandemic, including persistent job insecurity leading to work and financial pressures, and inadequate support networks for isolated individuals and vulnerable caregivers.

Macro level system mapping of the provision of mental health services to young people living in a conflict context in Colombia

Colombia has one of the longest running internal armed conflicts, which has significantly impacted the mental health of the population. This article is the first to present a national level mapping of the provision of mental health services to young people living in Colombia, through detailed review of documentation, interviews with key stakeholders and quantitative analysis of existing data on mental health and suicide. It explores the existing public mental health provision in the country, focussing on where mental health resources are concentrated and how these are implemented. We use this mapping to understand how the current mental health system in Colombia fits with international approaches to youth mental health. We show that whilst mental health policy is variously framed (biomedical, biosocial, psychologically or through human rights), Colombian policy clearly focusses on a differential approach. This differential approach shapes service provision to target support at those in need, consequently neglecting whole population level mental health support. This means that not all stakeholders were clearly articulated or included in policy and that key institutional stakeholders, such as the education sector, were not linked to implementation plans or activity. Policy approaches were also over-centralised with little cross-institutional collaboration. Youth were specifically missing from services, as was explicit understanding of the intergenerational effects and impact of conflict. This was exacerbated by unequal distribution of mental health care services concentrated in populous, urban areas away from conflict-affected regions. Suicide is the second most prevalent cause of death with 10% of population who were recorded as dying by violence, dying from completed suicide. Triangulation implies a strong relationship between suicide and poorer access to professional support in conflict-affected areas and suggests that international frameworks and policy approaches to supporting youth mental health have been insufficiently adapted for conflict and post conflict contexts.

Multilingual Policies and Practices in Higher Education: A Nation-Wide Exploration in Colombia

In the last two decades, foreign language policies in Colombia have prioritized English across the education system, aiming for international competitiveness and educational quality. These policies have sparked concerns among educators, including language stratification, commodification of English for the privileged, adoption of foreign benchmarks, insufficient policy implementation, and limitations of the English-Spanish bilingual model compared to multilingual perspectives. Inspired by critical race theory and decoloniality, this qualitative study examines higher education policies in Colombia, focusing on how they address multilingualism and the country's sociocultural diversity. The study explores language policies related to student access, retention, and graduation; language requirements for faculty; and the promotion of various languages. Data collection involved a documentary analysis, interviews and surveys conducted across 16 universities from different regions of the country. Findings suggest the ongoing pervasiveness of English language-centered ideologies in most participating institutions, the invisibilities these ideologies and associated practices bring about in universities, and some emergent policies aiming at promoting multilingualism. The recommendations emanated from this study could resonate with universities both in Colombia and internationally, particularly those in similar contexts.

Reflections on the Role of Indigenous Languages in the Context of Bilingualism Policies in Colombia

Colombia is one of the most diverse countries in cultural and linguistic terms, with 68 indigenous languages in different regions. However, because of the bilingualism policies implemented in the country and the decision to promote the teaching of English as a foreign language from a homogenization perspective, a great majority of languages have been disappearing over time, which affects the cultural and historical legacy that these languages allow. The trends of the globalized world have provoked non-English-speaking countries into starting bilingualism plans to enter the dynamics and requirements for new professionals. However, these initiatives have been detrimental to the cultures of the countries themselves. In Colombia, the teaching and preservation of aboriginal languages have been omitted to introduce foreign languages. The national bilingualism programs launched in Colombia during the last decades are focused on linguistic homogenization, leaving aside the cultural and linguistic richness of the country, which affects the communities that have a minority language and are in danger of extinction. This is qualitative research with a descriptive documentary research methodology whose main objective was to analyze the policies of bilingualism in Colombia and their impact on preserving aboriginal languages. A review of bilingualism policies, ethno-education policies, and academic offers in higher education were reviewed from the perspective of descriptive-documental research. The research results show that bilingualism policy decisions have favored the inclusion of modern languages, leaving indigenous languages at a disadvantage. A review of the academic offerings of higher education in modern languages and ethno-education shows that the latter is very limited while the former is increasing, as well as the reduction of aboriginal languages in the country and the lack of educational opportunities and teaching training for the indigenous population.

La Evaluación Docente: Un Análisis de su Impacto en la Identidad Narrativa y la Política Educativa en Colombia

This document provides an in-depth examination of teacher assessment within the Colombian context, exploring its influence on teachers' narrative identity and its relationship with educational policy. The text begins by highlighting the significance of teacher assessment in contemporary education and how this practice has become a crucial element in decision-making regarding educators' performance. The analysis focuses on the interplay between teacher assessment, teachers' narrative identity, and educational policies in Colombia. It argues that teacher assessment has largely adopted an economic perspective, leading to the standardization of teaching performance and a narrow view of teachers as mere task executors, at the expense of their role as intellectuals and cultural workers. The text underscores the importance of teacher self-assessment as a means to empower teachers to examine their own performance without fear of punitive measures, fostering a dialogue and a democratic relationship with educational policy. It asserts that teacher assessment should not solely be seen as a deficit-based control tool but rather as a means to improve and transform pedagogical practices, tailored to the specific needs and contexts of the diverse Colombian educational landscape. Ultimately, it suggests that the construction of a collective narrative identity among the teaching faculty and the promotion of democratic dialogue among educational stakeholders are pivotal steps to influence educational policy and ensure that teacher assessment reflects the reality of the teaching and learning processes in Colombia.

Widening the nation-territory gap: Transitional justice, development and spatial state-building in Colombia

This article argues that contemporary humanitarian bureaucracies in Colombia have gradually produced and reproduced specific socio-spatial and epistemological hierarchies through a conceptual device commonly referred to as the nation-territory ( nación-territorio) divide. The nation-territory divide is a way in which public servants, experts, international cooperation officers, and scholars refer to practices and strategies to “territorialize public policy” or to “bring the state down to the territories.” Through an ethnographic study of the mechanisms involved in the implementation of victims’ reparation and land restitution policy in Colombia, I describe the everyday spatial state building practices of national bureaucrats and experts tasked with “territorializing” transitional justice and development paradigms. I discuss how expert knowledge created to implement transitional justice policies fail in that they produce and reproduce the very spatial hierarchies they attempt to mitigate. I argue that in order to strengthen democracy, transitional justice paradigms and practices must challenge the hegemonic configuration of spatial state building and bureaucratic approaches to spatial representation and local governance. By exploring these bureaucratic practices, as well as spatial representations within humanitarian and transitional justice institutions in Colombia, this article contributes to a larger discussion of the implementation of territorial approaches to transitional justice and development.

English Teachers’ Storied Resistance and Agency vis-a-vis Neoliberal Agendas in Supranational Educational Policies in Colombia: A Narrative Study

This article reports a narrative study on the reflexive and transformative perspectives that two English language teachers take on when they story themselves as ELT professionals.. The study adopts a narrative methodology where teachers reconstruct their meaningful professional experiences regarding the foregoing policies. In this sense, participants orally make meaning of themselves as English language professionals by reflecting on their past (retrospection), present (introspection), and future (prospection). Data was collected throughout semi-structured interviews and analyzed under a narratives framework. Findings revealed that teachers’ postgraduate education becomes a community of practice for them to problematize their past experiences with supranational language policies. Thus, such problematization allows them to exert agency through classroom micro-practices that lead them to resist oppressive education language policies. Furthermore, these micro-practices found teachers’ imagined futures and shape their identities as agents of change.

Implementation of the digital government public policy in Colombia: Lessons learned from public entities

The digital government policy aims to improve the efficiency, transparency, and quality of the services provided by the state. Research on this policy has been conducted from the perspective of the interaction between the state and each of the actors in society, neglecting the decisive role of public entities in its proper implementation. This policy brief focuses on the Colombian case and aimed to provide evidence to decision-makers and public entities on which variables should intervene to effectively implement the digital government policy. The recommendations given arise from a regression model, which identified that variables of web accessibility and usability, IPV6 adoption, the strategic component of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) use, the use of emerging technologies, transparency, and access to public information should be intervened.

Perceptions of teachers about the teaching of civic-citizen education in Colombia and the relationships with school coexistence

Civic and citizen education has been a relevant aspect in educational policy in Colombia. For this reason, the country has participated in studies by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) on Civic and Citizenship Education (ICCS). In 2016, the ICCS collected the perceptions of civic and citizenship education from 1,580 teachers. As the IEA databases are open access, the information was analyzed with the objective of describing the perceptions of teachers about the teaching of civic and citizenship education in Colombia, as well as the relationships with school coexistence in the educational institutions. It is concluded that the main coexistence problems reported by teachers in school institutions are: i) student absenteeism, ii) bullying, and iii) drug abuse. Likewise, it was established that students’ behavioral problems are related to poor care of school facilities and equipment, negative attitudes towards school, poor sense of belonging to school communities and conflicts during rest, entry and exit of the institution.

Perception on Saber Pro tests results in the bachelor’s degree in basic education students

Introduction. The study addresses the competencies evaluated, that is, the Generic competencies and the Specific competencies, within the framework of the normativ estructure established by the Colombian Institute for the Evaluation of Education-ICFES, about the examination presented by future professionals in education. Objective. Carry out a study on the perception of the analysis of the results of the Saber Pro tests that students of the bachelor’s degree in Basic Education with emphasis on Mathematics, Humanities, and Spanish Language obtainedin 2019. Methodology. For this purpose, the official information of the results that are published in the ICFES databases is used to determine the level of comparison between the results of the related competencies with the data obtained in the institution and at thenational level. The study is developed undera non-experimental research approach of a descriptive type, where the percentage relationships of systematic comparison are established between the results of the program, the institution, branch, and the national average. Conclusions. Every student takes these standardized tests as a mandatory requirement to obtain their professional diploma, as contemplated by the policies in Colombia. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the individual and institutional efforts made to demonstrate excellent outcomes in a homogeneous test aimed at a heterogeneous population directed by State agencies. They leave out of the radar the different contextual, methodological conditions, and opportunities students have, to access information. Here we talk about future teachers.

Women’s market work and childcare policies in Colombia: policy simulations using a computable general equilibrium model

In recent decades, Colombia has made significant progress towards achieving gender equality in its labor market. However, persistent inequalities in unpaid care work remain a significant challenge, resulting in heavy care workload for women. This study evaluates the impact of three government policy options that can help reduce women's unpaid work: subsidy for childcare services provided by the market, an increase in public provision of childcare services, and cash transfers to households with children using a care-extended computable general equilibrium model (CGE) calibrated to Colombian data. The results show that while all policies improve family economic situations by increasing private consumption, childcare provision, whether through subsidies or as a public good, has a more significant impact on increasing female market work while cash transfers increase unpaid work performed inside the home. These findings underscore the importance of policy design and their analysis regarding their impact on gender inequalities, labor supply, and economic growth.