Análisis del diseño, procesos y resultados del Programa de Pago por Resultados – Bogotá Trabaja

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted Bogotá's labor market, pushing unemployment rates to historic highs. In response, Bogotá’s 2020-2024 Development Plan established the “Bogotá Trabaja” program to improve employment access, with a particular focus on women, youth, and individuals over 50 who faced additional barriers to workforce entry. Among its innovative components, the program introduced a Payment by Results (PBR) model, employing a Results-Based Financing (RBF) mechanism through a Performance-Based Contract (PBC), which provided services to over 51,000 individuals and placed more than 28,000 in formal jobs. This study offers a process evaluation of the “Bogotá Trabaja PBR” program, focusing on key lessons learned for implementing large-scale employment policies in cities under RBF schemes. Findings suggest that despite the complexity of results-based financing mechanisms and legal constraints, PBR proved an effective tool for enhancing efficiency and transparency in employment management within the city. The study concludes that maximizing the impact of future programs will require greater risk transfer to operators, stronger placement incentives, and improved information systems to streamline performance management and simplify verification and eligibility processes.