This article describes the legal environment for public hiring in Colombia. Specifically, it investigates the way public contracts are understood and applied, as well as the behavior and interpretations of the contractual parties. The public hiring system in Colombia grows more and more controversial as it distances itself from its 1991 constitutional mandate, removing obstacles that impede the management of a business State. The article also examines the effect of private capital in support of State development projects and service infrastructure. Special emphasis is given to adequate project structuring, due risk distribution, and attention to technical, financial, social, and economic realities involved in project development.