USAID Public Policy Program: Decentralization and Improved Public and Economic Management

The program aims to clarify roles and responsibilities between levels of government, strengthen small municipalities, and introduce sound policy, legal, and budgetary frameworks to improve service delivery, promote good governance, and enable the business environment in rural areas. The program also supports institutional reform to improve transparency and encourage citizen participation in governance and oversight. The program works on two parallel tracks: articulating policies, programs, and resources at the national level to improve service delivery and effectiveness, and supporting the implementation of policies in the territories through the design and support of projects implemented by other USAID-funded programs. The program provides technical assistance to build the capacity of local governments, design and implement instruments, and provide training to improve inter-agency coordination and capacity to implement national policies and services at the regional level. The program is conducting an assessment and reform of the existing legal, regulatory, and operational framework for public employment in Colombia, with a focus on sub-national governments. The goal is to ensure that officials are recruited on merit, supported in their professional growth, and guaranteed to fulfill the essential purposes of the state, particularly in the implementation of national and regional policies and quality delivery of services offered by the state. The program is also working to build a first-class national and subnational workforce and generate the ability to maintain a high-quality workforce to ensure the implementation of policies at the regional level. A Public Employment Law has been drafted to establish the regulatory framework for public employment, public management, and administrative career development. The law aims to create a merit-based system for public employment, improve the quality of public services, and ensure the continuity of public policies and projects supported by USAID. The program is also supporting the institutional design of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The program is working to reform the administrative structures established in Law 489/981, which regulates the administrative function, determines its structure, and sets principles and basic rules for the organization and functioning of the public administration. The program is also providing technical assessments to support the reform of the Ley de Facultades Extraordinarias, which separated three ministries and allows for the creation of or elimination of public entities. The program's goal is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public services, promote good governance, and enable the business environment in rural areas.