Colombian National Police Human Resources Assessment | INLBOG 05082020 LEPHR

Opportunity Information: Apply for INLBOG 05082020 LEPHR

The Colombian National Police Human Resources Assessment grant opportunity is a U.S. Department of State initiative (U.S. Mission to Colombia, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in Bogota, Law Enforcement Professionalization Section) focused on strengthening the Colombian National Police (CNP) from the inside out. The central idea is that better recruitment, retention, and personnel management directly improve operational effectiveness against narcotrafficking and other forms of transnational organized crime. Rather than funding front-line operations, the project targets the policies, systems, and internal structures that determine whether the CNP can attract, keep, and properly assign a capable workforce to the units that most directly counter narcotics and crime.

The project would deliver a diagnostic assessment of how the CNP currently recruits and retains personnel, examining whether existing human resources processes are actually fit for purpose given Colombia’s staffing realities. The opportunity highlights several structural barriers that may be driving shortages and attrition. Police pay in much of Latin America is relatively low compared to other skilled professions, and the CNP is described as earning less than many regional counterparts despite Colombia’s large economy. At the same time, recruits face significant out-of-pocket costs to apply, enter, and graduate from the police academy, including tuition and administrative fees and required purchases like uniforms, bedding, and textbooks. Those up-front expenses can effectively price out candidates from poorer backgrounds and some minority groups, shrinking the pool of qualified applicants and undermining broader representation.

A major operational concern raised in the announcement is that recruitment performance is uneven across the country: only five of Colombia’s 32 departments consistently meet recruitment targets, while most departments fall short of the numbers needed to replace staff lost through attrition and to maintain adequate nationwide coverage, especially in rural areas. Another issue is workforce utilization: the CNP reportedly assigns a sizable share of uniformed officers to clerical jobs that have little connection to citizen security. That combination of weak recruitment, high attrition pressures, and suboptimal assignment practices can leave high-need areas and priority directorates understaffed even when total headcount might suggest otherwise.

The expected output of the grant is a set of evidence-based recommendations aimed at improving overall recruitment, raising retention rates, and enabling faster and broader deployment into rural and underserved communities. The assessment is also expected to review compensation-related factors that influence workforce stability, specifically including an evaluation of the CNP salary scale and the retirement system. In practical terms, the work would likely identify which steps in the hiring pipeline create the biggest drop-offs, what policies or costs deter qualified applicants, what factors push officers to leave, and how staffing policies could be adjusted so personnel are concentrated in directorates with the greatest impact on narcotics and crime reduction.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, meaning the U.S. government anticipates a more hands-on partnership with the awardee than a standard grant. The opportunity number is INLBOG 05082020 LEPHR, tied to CFDA 19.703 (law, justice, and legal services). The award ceiling is $500,000, with one award expected. It was posted May 8, 2020, with an original closing date of July 7, 2020. Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” with specifics referenced in the opportunity’s additional eligibility information, implying it may be open to select non-traditional applicants such as certain non-profits, implementers, or specialized organizations with relevant human resources, public sector reform, or policing expertise.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Columbia in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Colombian National Police Human Resources Assessment" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.703.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 08, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 07, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for INLBOG 05082020 LEPHR

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