Several countries have explored ways to attract qualified personnel to top management positions in public organizations and to professionalize higher levels of public management. The objective is to enhance managerial capabilities in the public sector, improve policy effectiveness, and strengthen citizen services. In contexts such as Colombia—marked by heterogeneous administrative capacity and persistent patrimonial and clientelist practices—designing strategies to reduce the impact of political patronage is crucial. The coexistence of different hiring models (career systems, direct appointments, etc.) further underscores the need to attract and retain highly motivated talent in senior positions to generate positive spillovers across the public sector. Unlike countries such as Brazil and Chile, Colombia lacks a tradition of developing a professional, high-level civil service. This document first reviews the literature on senior executive service-type systems. It then analyzes the characteristics and challenges of Colombia’s top management and outlines the key elements for configuring a national public top management system. Finally, it identifies policy guidelines, normative recommendations, and managerial components that could support the design and implementation of such a program at both national and subnational levels.