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About Advisory Office

Advisory office for special programs

Republic of Colombia
Office of the President

Priority areas: Promotion of Rights, Strengthening of Networks | Support for the disabled | Community Participation and Social Mobilization | Children

The Advisory Office for Special Programs (“the Office”) was created by Decree 519 of 5 March 2003 to support the Government in achieving social policy goals proposed in the third objective of the Development Plan “Towards a Community State”. The Development Plan proposes that the construction of a Community State required the involvement of the public to achieve social ends. It lists four objectives, the third of which is “to build social equity”.

According to the document, the building of social equity will only be possible if civic participation is encouraged along with processes of solidarity. The formation of human capital and the equitable distribution of the fruits of sustained economic growth – i.e. all Colombians must have similar opportunities. “The construction of a more equitable society must be one of the foundations of development policy. In other words, development must lead not only to faster economic growth but also to a more equitable distribution of its benefits … If we want a more equitable society in which all share the benefits of economic growth, Government social policy must face three major challenges: (a) increasing the efficiency of social spending so that more money means better results (b) a better focus on spending so that resources reach those most in need; and (c) the consolidation of a system of social protection so that economic crises do not totally compromise the future possibilities of the most vulnerable groups” (P. 118)

The introduction of the idea of “human capital” in the 1990s meant that there was a totally new approach to development and a totally new way of analyzing it. Economic growth, according to the new concept, is not in itself enough for a country to develop: this must go hand in hand with social and cultural processes that will improve opportunities to promote the building and strengthening of human capital. In line with the thinking of Nobel Economics Prizewinner Amartya Sen, man is not a means of development but one of its purposes. Therefore, national development should aim to improve the standard of living of a people in terms of income, but also give communities the opportunity to improve its quality of life and so, achieve full realization of its capacities. This is the context in which the Office wishes to support the Government in building social equity, and it will take the greatest possible advantage of being directly accountable to the Office of the President – credibility, pull, management of cooperation funds, inter-institutional coordination and the channeling of different kinds of aid – to advance programs and projects in priority areas

1. Promotion of Rights, Strengthening of Networks
2. Support for the disabled
3. Community Participation and Social Mobilization
4. Children

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Presidencia de la República de Colombia

Gobierno en Línea

Red de Gestores Sociales
Dirección de Correspondencia: Calle 7 No. 6 - 54
Localización Física: Calle 7 No. 6 - 54
Teléfonos: (571) 5629778 – 5629758 Fax: 5629737
Horario de Atención: Lunes a Viernes de 8:00 a.m. a 5:00 p.m.
Desarrollado por Colnodo bajo autorización de la Consejería Presidencial de Programas Especiales - 2004