Actions in Colombia

  • Access to basic services

    Social Protection

    Expert presentations on the promotion of green jobs and business management at the 2024 National Meeting of Public Service Employment Service Providers

    COLOMBIA South America
    Start activities
    16-09-2024
    End activities
    06-12-2024
    Partner Institution
    Public Employment Services [Unidad del Servicio Público de Empleo] (UAESPE)
    Type of Assistance
    National events (awareness raising)
    Code
    2024-13
    Description
    The Colombian Public Service Employment hosted from 18-20 November 2024, a conference bringing together its service providers to shape the future of work. Partnering with SOCIEUX+, the event tapped into expertise from Spain on green jobs and job intermediation, focusing on the development of small and medium enterprises. In addition to keynote speeches, the event featured interactive co-creation laboratories, fostering collaboration and idea-sharing among participants. Hot topics such as labor market trends and the impact of artificial intelligence were tackled head-on, sparking discussions on the present and future of Colombia's workforce. The conference underscored the importance of innovation and collaboration in addressing labor market challenges and opportunities.

  • Labour & Employment Policies

    Characterisation of the social protection’s supply and demand of the population of informal street vendors in two pilot cities in Colombia (Barranquilla and Cali)

    SOUTH AMERICA Colombia
    Start activities
    10/05/2021
    End activities
    28-10-2022
    Partner Institution
    Ministry of the Interior [Ministerio del Interior]
    Type of Assistance
    Institutional capacity building
    Code
    2021-09
    Description
    The Ministry of Interior of Colombia wished to look into the issue of informal street vendors with the support of SOCIEUX+. The Action contributed to the territorial implementation of the Public Policy for Informal Vendors in 2 pilot cities (Barranquilla & Cali). Spanish experts participated to the development of at least two major practical instruments, namely a socio-economic analysis of informal street vendors, and a toolkit apt to guide the analysis of the demand of and needs in social protection of informal street vendors, and mapped available social protection options that may be used to cover informal workers from basic risks, such as health coverage, family support, and professional sickness and accidents.

  • Social Protection

    Territorial location of national public policy guidelines on informal vendors in public space: support for pilot projects in Barranquilla and Cali

    South America Colombia
    Start activities
    10/05/2021
    End activities
    23/09/2022
    Partner Institution
    Ministry of the Interior [Ministerio del Interior
    Type of Assistance
    Institutional capacity building
    Code
    2020-18
    Description
    The Action run in parallel and originates from the same request than Action 2021-01. The request submitted by the Ministry of Interior of Colombia aimed to gain insights that be useful to the deployment of the national policy on informal street vendors, which encompasses both social security and employment promotion goals. Through this Action, the relevant staff of the Partner institution improved capacities and gained tools directed to the collection and analysis of data on informal street vendors, with the ultimate objective of shaping more effective strategies in support of their employability, formalization, and entrepreneurship. Experts from France and Spain particularly looked into informal work dynamics in the streets of Barranquilla and Cali.

  • Labour & Employment Policies

    Consolidation of the strategy

    SOUTH AMERICA COLOMBIA
    Start activities
    01/02/2019
    End activities
    30/07/2020
    Partner Institution
    Institute for Social Economy [Instituto para la Economia Social] (IPES)
    Type of Assistance
    Policy development
    Code
    2019-02
    Description
    The second cooperation between IPES and SOCIEUX+ aimed to guide the implementation of the psychosocial care component of the strategy “Modelo de Atencion Integral” intended to provide ad-hoc support to vulnerable informal street vendors in the streets of Bogota. The ultimate aim of the strategy and the “Modelo” is to provide some sort of social security coverage and support to a category that has traditionally be excluded from formal social security schemes. Experts from Italy and Spain have facilitated the creation of a working group made up by local entities that are in a position to, or actually provide social services to which the target population would be eligible. They then helped defining of a unified conceptual and methodological psycho-social intervention model applicable by the IPES sub-directorates and exploitable by field agents.

  • Social Protection

    Capacity development for Stragtegic on Employment [Diagnostico, capacitación, diseño e implementación de estrategias relacionadas con temas de empleabilidad

    South America COLOMBIA
    Start activities
    08/12/2018
    End activities
    13/08/2018
    Partner Institution
    Local Government - Valle de Aburra Metropol, Antioquia [Area Metropolitana del Valle de Aburra
    Type of Assistance
    Capacity building
    Code
    2018-12
    Description
    The local government of the Area Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá in Colombia wished to reduce skills mismatch and bottlenecks in the labour market at regional level through efficient labour intermediation. Experts from France and Spain mobilised by SOCIEUX+ conducted, together with the partners, an assessment of the services provided to job seekers by the relevant regional entities. They then shared suggestions based on European models during a workshop that brought together local authorities and labor-market stakeholders.

  • Labour & Employment Policies

    Assessment of local employment policy in Girardota Municipality [Asesoría Profesional en la realización de la política pública de empleo del Municipio de Girardota]

    South America Colombia
    Start activities
    18-06-2019
    End activities
    26-07-2019
    Partner Institution
    Municipality of Girardota - Public Employment Services [Agencia Pública de Gestión y Colocación de Empleo]
    Type of Assistance
    Legislative & regulatory framework development
    Code
    2017-33
    Description
    SOCIEUX+ partnered with a local authority (the Municipality of Girardota) to provide policy advice for the promotion of decent work opportunities in the local labour market. Spanish experts helped the partner to identify the challenges and bottlenecks faced by the municipal Public Employment Service in promoting decent work. As a result, the municipality of Girardota elaborated and adopted a municipal policy for the promotion of decent work, articulated on a few key areas: enhancing employability through VET, fostering entrepreneurship, socio-labour support to vulnerable groups. In addition, indicators for monitoring and evaluation of the policy were jointly developed.

  • Labour & Employment Policies

    Social protection coverage in the informal economy

    SOUTH AMERICA COLOMBIA
    Start activities
    17-12-2018
    End activities
    24-11-2018
    Partner Institution
    Institute for Social Economy [Instituto para la Economia Social]
    Type of Assistance
    Institutional (Regulatory & Policy)
    Code
    2017-26
    Description
    The main outcome of the technical assistance has been to put high in the local political and institutional agenda the issue of extending social protection coverage to the informal street vendors of Bogota, which are the main target population of the Instituto para la Economia Social (IPES)’s efforts in the area of local socio-economic development. Experts (three different teams coming from France, Italy, and Spain) first of all succeeded to clarify the terms of the debate through a stakeholders’ mapping and a feasibility study in view of the current situation and status of informal street vendors. Thanks to IPES’ proactive role, the missions of experts have become a tool for mobilizing a number of local actors, starting from the Municipality of Bogota and State agencies, all the way to local NGOs, around the idea of ensuring some sort of social support against life’s risks faced by informal street vendors.

  • Social Protection

    Strengthening of entrepreneurial capacities

    SOUTH AMERICA COLOMBIA
    Start activities
    13-08-2018
    End activities
    22-08-2019
    Partner Institution
    Public Employment Services [Unidad del Servicio Público de Empleo]
    Type of Assistance
    Institutional Strengthening
    Code
    2017-25
    Description
    The action was articulated in three activities to support to the Colombian Public Employment Service (UAESPE) to provide quality support and services to the employers and entrepreneurs in order to better match labour market demand and labour supply. The mobilized experts came from France and Spain. The first activity resulted in a detailed diagnosis of service delivery and organization. Secondly, a training session for UAESPE’s business managers led to a better understanding of the minimum standards of intermediation services, with particular attention to challenges deriving from the diversity of the profiles of jobseekers. Finally, UAESPE had to establish a communication plan; experts provided guidance on how to create a brand image and how to formulate strong messages for key audiences. Additionally, indicators to measure the impact of media campaigns and other communication initiatives were developed.

  • Labour & Employment Policies

    Design and implementation of local employment policy

    SOUTH AMERICA COLOMBIA
    Start activities
    16-04-2018
    End activities
    06-07-2019
    Partner Institution
    Municipality of La Estrella - Public Employment Services [Agencia Pública de Gestión y Colocación de Empleo]
    Type of Assistance
    Institutional Strengthening
    Code
    2017-23
    Description
    The Public Employment Service of the Municipality of La Estrella faced the challenge of narrowing the gap between labour market demand and labor supply. Experts from France and Spain first helped to identify key challenges faced by the employment intermediation services in the Aburrá valley, while as second step a systemic and organizational analysis of the labor intermediation services provided by each of the 10 municipal public employment agencies was elaborated. Following the assessment results, a training program was formulated and deployed for local employment agents. Experts also contributed to the construction of the strategic lines and of an action plan and a communication plan of the local Public Employment Services.

  • Strengthening innovation, entrepreneurship and formation of informal sector vendors

    SOUTH AMERICA COLOMBIA
    Start activities
    04/02/2018
    End activities
    12/07/2018
    Partner Institution
    Institute for Social Economy [Instituto para la Economia Social]
    Type of Assistance
    Institutional Strengthening
    Code
    2017-16
    Description
    The Instituto para la Economia Social (IPES) of Bogotá provides care and attention to informal street vendors. This action served the purpose of setting up tools for the design, the management and the follow-up of policies related to training, work and employment of informal street vendors. French experts first assessed IPES’ current programme in favor of street vendors, including orientation counselling, vocational training, training on merchandising. Recurrent problems were identified, and assessment results presented and discussed with the partner and its teams. A set of preliminaries recommendations was formulated. Specific attention was given to evaluate the actions aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among street vendors.

  • Labour & Employment Policies

    Data architecture and management

    SOUTH AMERICA COLOMBIA
    Start activities
    oct-17
    End activities
    oct-17
    Partner Institution
    General Sub-Directorate for Overcoming Poverty - Social Prosperity agency [Subdirección General para la Superación de la Pobreza - Prosperidad Social]
    Type of Assistance
    Institutional (Regulatory & Policy)
    Code
    2017-15
    Description
    Prosperidad Social of Colombia requested SOCIEUX+ assistance in view of improving the architecture and data management system of the Sub-Directorate-General for the Elimination of Poverty. Experts from France and Spain carried out an initial mapping of the data structure associated with the UNIDOS program, and the data exchange flows between this entity and the rest of functional units. They further prepared a preliminary data model, identifying and characterizing the data relevant to the Sub-Directorate-General based on its use and its origin. Recommendations for System requirements management and Project approval were developed.

  • Labour & Employment Policies

    Capacity building of the Social Prosperity Department

    South America COLOMBIA
    Start activities
    apr-2015
    End activities
    oct-2016
    Partner Institution
    Social Prosperity agency [Prosperidad Social - formerly Agencia Nacional para la Superación de la Pobreza Extrema]
    Type of Assistance
    Training
    Code
    2014-19
    Description
    The Administrative Department for Social Prosperity [Prosperidad Social] integrated towards end of 2015, the National Agency for Overcoming Extreme Poverty (ANSPE) which coordinates the implementation of the National Strategy for Overcoming Extreme Poverty (UNIDOS) created in 2008. UNIDOS currently brings together a large number of entities involved in the provision of basic social services for the extremely poor. The Strategy is complemented by the departmental and municipal governments, including over 1000 municipalities, more than 50 strategic partners from the private sector, and stakeholders in social innovation and from international cooperation. Social Prosperity has engaged a process of re-designing the UNIDOS to strengthen its conceptual and operational aspects such as the design of the surveys, aspects of monitoring, the assistance given to families as well as the information system. The aim was to make Social Prosperity more efficient through better technical and technological tools and instruments, and human and physical capital. SOCIEUX+ mobilised experts conducted with the peers an assessment of the technical capacities of ANSPE to identify gaps and training needs. The scope of the technical assistance extended to red-design of beneficiaries identification mechanisms, information management systems and instruments for monitoring and evaluation. The latter having focused on analysis and further development of business and of information-data under the General Sub-Directorate for Overcoming Poverty, which is part of Social Solidarity. SOCIEUX+ supported also individual capacity building workshops which resulted in the development of a step-by-step guide to impact evaluation planning for the three key programmes led by Social Prosperity’s programmes (UNIDOS, Jóvenes en Acción, and Red de Seguridad Alimentaria). Additionally, technical advice was provided on determining pertinent criteria for the exit and entry of beneficiary families to the “More Families in Action” cash transfer programme.

  • Social Inclusion

    Social Protection

    Support for the formulation of a disability policy for the region of Cundinamarca, Colombia

    South America COLOMBIA
    Start activities
    nov-2014
    End activities
    nov-2015
    Partner Institution
    Provincial Government of Cundinamarca - Health Secretariat [Secretaría de Salud, Departamento de Cundinamarca]
    Type of Assistance
    Policy development
    Code
    2014-16
    Description
    The Secretariat of Health of the Department of the Cundinamarca region is responsible for implementation of the National Public Policy for Disability and Social Inclusion at the regional level. Colombia published a National Public Policy on Disability and Social Inclusion in 2013. The Department’s Government intention was to develop a regional policy on the lines of the national policy. The Department’s Secretariat of Health had already put forward a number of activities as starting points for this development, including the identification of difficulties affecting people living with disabilities among the 116 municipal areas, and) consultations involving all sectors of society. Within five activities implemented in less than one year, the Public Policy for Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities if Cundinamarca was developed, adopted and publicly presented as the result of a process led by the regional Government with the support of mobilised experts. It is organised around five axes which enable the inclusion, equality and legal guarantees of people living with disabilities to be reinforced, providing opportunities for participation, accessibility and capacity development through the recognition of diversity.