Conpes e instrumentos de política en la planeación de Colombia: entre la teoría y la práctica

The notion of policy instrument is nurtured by the theory and habits of each public administration. However, the academic and practical polyphony around it makes the definition of clear conceptual contours more complex. This article reviews the way in which the theory and practice of policy instruments dialogue in the work of national planning in Colombia. For this purpose, it analyzes the content of a sample of 20 Conpes policy documents, reviewed vis-à-vis the distinctive elements of the concept of policy instrument. The results reveal a dual understanding of Conpes documents a) as an instrument, as a format for policies, and b) as policies integrating instruments. It is found that the norm plays a relevant role in the planning process in Colombia, leaving open the question of its possible effects on the binding nature of policies defined in Conpes documents.