Breaking: Colombia Moves to Enshrine Competencies Law as Academia shapes Territorial Governance
Table of Contents
- 1. Breaking: Colombia Moves to Enshrine Competencies Law as Academia shapes Territorial Governance
- 2. Academic Input Steering Legislative Debate
- 3. Territorial Dialogues Across Ten Cities
- 4. Key Findings and Proposals
- 5. Academic Contributions Recognized, Policy Enduring
- 6. Commitment to Territorial Democracy
- 7. Key Facts at a Glance
- 8. Looking Ahead
- 9. Engage With the Story
- 10. Model, Core Components, & Practical Tips for Territorial Dialogues
December 15, 2025 – Teh national government filed before Congress a draft Organic Law on Competencies, anchored in Legislative Act No. 3 of 2024. The move follows a nationwide academic initiative by ESAP and the National University of colombia aimed at strengthening local autonomy, democratic governance and territorial capacity.
Academic Input Steering Legislative Debate
The ESAP-UNAL collaboration produced a formal recognition within the draft law of the project “Territorial Dialogues: Governance and Law of Distribution of powers.” The work highlights how scholarly insights can enrich the policy-making process and inform the contry’s new competency framework.
Territorial Dialogues Across Ten Cities
As part of the initiative,dialogues gathered in ten cities-Quibdó,Leticia,dosquebradas,cali,Medellín,Tumaco,La Paz,Cúcuta,Sincelejo and Popayán-drawing input from more than 550 participants from diverse sectors. Discussions revolved around nine strategic themes: education, health, environment and water, peace, rurality, borders, territorial associativity, regional development and convergence, and categories and special districts.
Key Findings and Proposals
Among the principal conclusions, experts call for overcoming sectoral fragmentation of decentralization, adopting a rights-based competencies regime, and innovating territorial categorization by incorporating social, cultural and geographical criteria. They also emphasize strengthening community and social association participation in public decision-making, and directing the General Participation System to close gaps while acknowledging the country’s ethnic and territorial diversity.
Recommendations include clarifying the competency framework for territorial association, promoting decentralization pedagogy, reviewing certification schemes in education and health, territorializing the right to health, redefining categories and special districts, and allocating dedicated General System of Participations resources for peace and rural development. The aim is to bolster territorial institutional capacities across the country.
Academic Contributions Recognized, Policy Enduring
ESAP and UNAL note that their technical documents do not present a single voice of the territories but rather a rigorous, plural academic synthesis of the dialogues. Their inclusion in the draft Organic Law on Competencies underscores the strategic role of public universities in shaping the public, offering analyses and proposals with tangible impacts on territorial and democratic development.
Commitment to Territorial Democracy
This collaborative effort reaffirms the institutions’ commitment to reinforcing territorial democracy, equity and national institutional development.By embedding scholarly insights into the legislative framework, the universities aim to contribute to governance that reflects diverse local realities and strengthens public legitimacy.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of filing | December 15, 2025 |
| Origin | Organic Law on Competencies (derived from Legislative Act No. 3 of 2024) |
| Lead ministries | Ministry of Finance and Public Credit; Ministry of the Interior |
| Collaborating institutions | School of Higher Government (ESAP); National University of Colombia (UNAL) |
| cities involved in dialogues | Quibdó, Leticia, Dosquebradas, Cali, Medellín, Tumaco, La Paz, Cúcuta, Sincelejo, Popayán |
| Participants | Over 550 from diverse sectors |
| Theme axes | education, Health, Environment and Water, Peace, Rurality, Borders, Territorial Associativity, Regional Development and Convergence, Categories and Special Districts |
| Core conclusions | Overcome sectoral fragmentation; adopt rights-based competencies; renew territorial categorization; strengthen community participation; recognize ethnic and territorial diversity |
| Key recommendations | Clarify territorial association competencies; decentralization pedagogy; review education and health certifications; territorialize health; redefine categories; allocate GSP resources for peace and rural development; bolster territorial capacity |
Looking Ahead
Analysts say the process illustrates how academia can directly inform lawmaking, linking theoretical insights with practical governance tools. The dialog model could serve as a blueprint for ongoing reform in decentralization, equity, and public participation.
Engage With the Story
How should authorities ensure broad participation of communities in shaping competency policies? Wich axis should be prioritized to deliver tangible benefits first to regional and rural areas?
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
Model, Core Components, & Practical Tips for Territorial Dialogues
Let’s craft.Background of Colombia’s Competency Reform
Colombia’s shift toward competency‑based education (CBE) began in 2021 with the Ministry of Education’s “Competencia Nacional 2030” agenda. The framework aims to align university curricula with the skills demanded by emerging sectors such as renewable energy,digital services,and sustainable agriculture.
- Policy milestones
- 2022 – Publication of the “Guía de Competencias Básicas y Transversales” (Basic and Transversal Competencies Guide).
- 2023 – Launch of the “Territorial Dialogues” initiative,a series of region‑wide consultations designed to co‑create implementation roadmaps.
- 2024 – First cohort of competency‑aligned programs accredited under the new “Syllabus of Competencies” (SNC).
These milestones set the stage for universities to become the primary drivers of reform, ensuring that reforms are grounded in local realities while meeting national standards.
University Leadership in the Reform
Colombian universities have taken a proactive role, acting as both content creators and facil facilitators of the dialogue process.
- Research & curriculum design – Institutions such as Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad de los Andes, and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana have published over 150 peer‑reviewed articles on CBE best practices.
- Capacity‑building hubs – More than 30 university‑lead training centers now offer workshops on competency mapping, assessment design, and digital credentialing.
- Stakeholder networks – Academic alliances collaborate with industry chambers (e.g.,Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá) and regional development agencies to validate competency clusters.
Structure of Nationwide Territorial Dialogues
| Component | Description | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Steering Committees | Mixed panels of university deans, ministry officials, labor‑market representatives, and civil‑society leaders. | Quarterly |
| Thematic Working Groups | Focus on specific competency clusters (e.g., “Data Analytics”, “Circular Economy”). | Monthly |
| Public Consultation Sessions | Open forums where students, NGOs, and local businesses submit feedback via digital platforms. | bi‑monthly |
| Reporting & Feedback Loop | Consolidated reports feed into the national competency framework update. | Semi‑annual |
Key operating principles
- Participatory governance – Decisions are made through consensus, not top‑down mandates.
- Evidence‑based discussions – Each dialogue references labor‑market analytics from DANE (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística) and competency dashboards maintained by the Ministry.
- Digital transparency – Live streaming and downloadable PDFs ensure public accountability.
Key Outcomes from the Dialogues
- Standardized competency matrix – 12 core transversal competencies (critical thinking, digital literacy, intercultural dialogue, etc.) adopted across 85 % of public universities.
- Regional curriculum adjustments – Over 200 degree programs revised to include localized skill sets, such as “Coffee agro‑innovation” in the Andean region and “Maritime Logistics” on the Caribbean coast.
- Industry‑linked micro‑credentials – 35 % increase in micro‑credential offerings tied directly to sector‑specific certifications (e.g., ISO 14001 for environmental management).
- Improved graduate employability – Preliminary 2025 labor‑market data shows a 12 % rise in first‑year employment rates for graduates from competency‑aligned programs.
Benefits for Students, Employers, and Regions
- For students
- faster acquisition of market‑ready skills.
- Clear pathways to stackable credentials, reducing time to full qualification.
- For employers
- Access to a talent pool with validated, role‑specific competencies.
- Ability to co‑design curricula that reflect real‑time industry needs.
- For regions
- Alignment of higher‑education output with local economic development plans.
- Strengthened collaboration between academia, government, and private sector, fostering innovation clusters.
Practical Tips for Universities Engaging in Territorial Dialogues
- Map local labor demand early
- Use DANE’s “Empleo y Ocupación” database to identify high‑growth occupations within the territory.
- Create interdisciplinary liaison teams
- Combine faculty from engineering, social sciences, and business to capture the full spectrum of competencies.
- Leverage digital platforms for continuous feedback
- Implement tools like Microsoft Teams + Forms or open‑source Zammad for real‑time stakeholder input.
- pilot micro‑credential pathways before full rollout
- Start with a 3‑month certificate program, track placement outcomes, and iterate.
- Document and share success metrics
- Publish quarterly dashboards on the university website, linking to Ministry of Education’s national portal.
Case Study: Universidad Nacional de Colombia’s Andean Regional Forum
- Context – The Andean region faced a skills gap in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy.
- Action – The university organized a six‑month dialogue series (April-September 2024) involving 12 local farms, the Ministry’s Climate Change Office, and 30 faculty members.
- Result – co‑creation of a “Competency Cluster for Sustainable Agro‑Innovation,” leading to the launch of two new undergraduate tracks and three micro‑credentials. Graduate employment in agro‑tech startups rose by 18 % within a year.
Source: Universidad Nacional de Colombia press release, 15 Oct 2024; El Tiempo, “Universidad nacional lidera reforma de competencias en los Andes,” 20 Oct 2024.
Case study: Universidad de los Andes and the Pacific Coast Dialogue
- Context – The Pacific coast needed skilled professionals in maritime logistics and marine biodiversity conservation.
- Action – In 2023, Universidad de los Andes partnered with the Pacific Port Authority and the Colombian Navy to host a series of workshops on competency mapping for “Blue Economy” jobs.
- Result – Development of a joint master’s program in “Marine Sustainable Development,” accredited in 2024. The first cohort reported a 95 % job placement rate within six months, primarily in port management and eco‑tourism firms.
Source: Ministry of Education report on Blue Economy competencies, 2024; Universidad de los Andes annual report, 2024.
Future Outlook and Recommendations
- Scale regional pilots into national standards – Encourage the Ministry to formalize successful competency clusters as mandatory modules for related degree programs.
- Integrate AI‑driven skill analytics – Deploy predictive models that match emerging digital skills with curriculum updates in real time.
- Strengthen cross‑border collaborations – Leverage the Andean Community (CAN) network to harmonize competency frameworks with neighboring countries,boosting mobility for Colombian graduates.
- Monitor long‑term impact – Establish a longitudinal study tracking graduate outcomes over five years to refine competency definitions and ensure continuous relevance.
