State Officials’ Impact on Peace Agreement Implementation: Insights from Colombia

Abstract

This article interrogates how state officials can influence peace agreement implementation on the ground, focusing on Colombian local-level bureaucrats involved in the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement. Integrating rarely appreciated insights from public administration into peacebuilding research, it presents unique survey and complementary qualitative evidence generated through long-term research on-site (2021–2023). The article argues that, despite legal, institutional and administrative constraints, Colombian state officials significantly shape the inclusivity of the sub-national implementation process and support community actors to varying degrees and in diverse ways. Therefore, it advocates for greater attention to state officials in peacebuilding research more generally.