Prácticas de mejora regulatoria en el sector de la construcción en Bogotá: su implementación y dificultades

Regulation is a public policy tool and as such has an effect on the economy, public services access and social wellbeing. The construction industry is a highly regulated activity; subnational governments, such as the city of Bogota, play a leading role in this regulation. This research examines which good regulatory practices are present in the regulations of the construction industry in Bogota and the difficulties for their implementation. We used a qualitative methodology to understand, based on the participants' construction of reality, their experiences, views and interpretations of good regulatory practices, as well as the perceived barriers to its implementation. The research was developed in two phases: first, a bibliographic review to learn about the status of regulatory reform in Bogota; and second, a series of semi-structured interviews with relevant actors in the regulation of the industry in the city. Some good practices are present in the regulatory process, such as the cyclical vision of regulation, efforts of articulation between institutions, public consultation, and streamlining of procedures; others, such as Regulatory Impact Analysis, are not systematically present. We also identified some barriers to the implementation of good practices, associated with the lack of resources and public officials’ resistance.