- With IDB backing, Colombia has strengthened its legal defense capacity, improving the country’s ability to manage claims and reducing payments related to adverse rulings.
- At heart of this strategy is eKOGUI, a unified digital platform designed to standardize and centralize information on legal proceedings involving the state.
- The platform enables legal teams to access consistent, high‑quality information to identify high‑risk cases, assess fiscal exposure, and allocate resources more effectively.
Under Colombia’s constitution, the government must compensate individuals for unlawful harm. Managing these legal claims has become a major fiscal concern: in 2024, potential liabilities reached nearly one quarter of GDP—over $166 billion.
In the early 2000s, the institutional framework for the legal defense of the state was lacking: fragmented data systems across ministries and local governments made it difficult to assess exposure, prioritize cases, or coordinate defense strategies. As a result, litigation risks absorbed public resources that could otherwise support essential services. In response, Colombia has undertaken a long-term effort to strengthen its legal defense capacity, placing data and digital technologies at the center of reform.
The establishment of the National State Legal Defense Agency (ANDJE) in 2011 marked an initial step toward preventing unlawful harm and improving the state’s ability to manage claims. A 2025 decree broadened the system’s scope to include national and local entities, increasing the need for consistent information and coordinated action across government.
Building Lasting Institutional Capacity
Since 2012, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has supported Colombia’s strategy to modernize and consolidate its legal defense system across three lending operations. The second operation played a pivotal role in strengthening one of the region’s most strategic public legal defense systems, reinforcing a decade-long institutional partnership and providing continuity for generating rigorous evidence on what works.
This operation enhanced digital case-management tools, introduced proactive risk--mitigation practices, and laid the groundwork for the institutions to responsible use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the quality, timeliness, and consistency of litigation responses at the national level. It also reinforced the institutional capabilities of ANDJE, helping the agency transition from reactive case handling toward data-informed, strategic legal defense.
A central component of modernization is eKOGUI, a unified digital platform designed to standardize and centralize information on legal proceedings involving the state. The platform now enables legal teams to access consistent, high-quality information to identify high-risk cases, assess fiscal exposure, and allocate resources more effectively.
Smart Case Management Reduces Fiscal Costs
By late 2025, eKOGUI had become the backbone of the state’s legal defense. The share of complete and validated records increased from slightly above one-third at the onset of the first IDB-backed operation to more than 90%, strengthening the government’s ability to intervene earlier in litigation, prioritize cases with the highest fiscal impact, and adopt more informed defense strategies.
Additional gains followed. Data on pre-judicial conciliation—an important mechanism for resolving disputes before they reach court—became more current and accessible. ANDJE increased its participation in the highest‑value cases from 48% to 57%. Capacity‑building initiatives expanded, with the share of female attorneys certified in gender‑related defense tools rising from 18% in 2020 to 39% by the end of 2025.
Critically, these institutional and technological improvements generated measurable fiscal results. By the end of the program, the government had avoided an estimated $61 billion in payments associated with adverse rulings. Impact evaluation findings linked the enhanced eKOGUI platform to a 40% reduction in the value of adverse rulings, a 35% drop in claimed amounts, and case durations shortened by up to three years.
The recently-approved operation also lays the groundwork for an experimental expansion to subnational governments, creating a unique opportunity to measure fiscal vulnerability reduction at scale and generate lessons that could inform legal defense reforms across the region.
Continuing a Proactive Approach to Emerging Challenges
Despite substantial progress, challenges persist. ANDJE’s involvement in local‑level cases remains limited, and emerging risks—such as international investment arbitration—require additional technical expertise. Continued improvements in digital capabilities, risk‑based allocation of legal resources, and prevention of unlawful harm remain central to reducing fiscal exposure over the long term.
One key lesson from the experience is the importance of leadership and data governance. Colombia’s approach demonstrates that when an institution has both the mandate to coordinate and the digital infrastructure to support that mandate, legal defense becomes more strategic, preventive, and cost‑effective.
Through its partnership with the IDB, Colombia has improved the speed, consistency, and quality of its legal defense system. These advances have helped the government avoid substantial fiscal losses, safeguarding resources that enable delivery of public services.
For countries facing rising litigation risks, Colombia offers a practical example of how digital transformation, evidence‑based policy, and long‑term institutional strengthening can improve the management of legal liabilities and protect public resources.