The document discusses the importance of social value in public procurement and commissioning in the UK. It outlines national policies that require local authorities to consider social value and how procurement can improve economic, social and environmental well-being. Community groups are encouraged to demonstrate their social impact to attract more funding. The document also introduces Community Matters' online tool called "Your Value" that helps small community groups evidence the social value of their work to stakeholders like funders and local councils.

1. communitymatters.org.uk

2. communitymatters.org.uk
Social Value
Richard Bridge
Director of Enterprise

3. National context 1
DCLG Best Value Guidance 2011
“Under the Duty of Best Value, therefore, authorities
should consider overall value, including economic,
environmental and social value, when reviewing service
provision. As a concept, social value is about seeking to
maximise the additional benefit that can be created by
procuring or commissioning goods and services, above and
beyond the benefit of merely the goods and services
themselves.”
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-value-statutory-
guidance--4
communitymatters.org.uk

4. National context 2
Public Services Act (2012)
(applies only to contracts covered by the Public Contracts regulations 2006)
(3) The authority must consider—
(a) how what is proposed to be procured might improve the
economic, social and environmental well-being of the relevant
area, and
(b) how, in conducting the process of procurement, it might act with
a view to securing that improvement.
(6) The authority must consider under subsection (3)(b) only
matters that are relevant to what is proposed to be procured
and, in doing so, must consider the extent to which it is
proportionate in all the circumstances to take those matters into
account
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Public_Services_Social
_Value_Act_2012_PPN.pdf
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/3/contents/enacted
communitymatters.org.uk

5. National context 3
The need to do more, better, for less
•Council spend needs to be seen to be more efficiently
spent, and better and more transparently targeted.
•In preparing for commissioning community groups will
need to be able to use the Social Value to add additional
value to their bids.
•They will also need to be able to tell their ‘story’ and
demonstrate their impact much more clearly to attract
funders and other stakeholders
•Success will look like being able to show you are both
delivering high quality social outcomes and delivering
savings. And be able to evidence both!
communitymatters.org.uk

6. Outputs, Outcomes, Impact
• Know the difference and keep reinforcing that
knowledge till it sticks with everyone
• Output 1 to 2 years, Outcome 3 to 5 years, Impact
5 to 10 years
• You can work forwards or backwards when
constructing impact frameworks
• Be creative with both what you seek to measure
and how you measure it
• Can be used in both procurement and strategic
management, and provide monitoring frameworks
for both
communitymatters.org.uk

7. Getting started with Social Value
• Start building your evidence base now!
• Learn from others but don’t look just to copy. Develop a
response that is rooted in the needs and experience of
your area.
• It doesn’t have to be SROI.
• Co-design – try to discuss, negotiated and agree a
common (not just a council) approach for your area,
engaging with all interested parties and local
stakeholders including service users, funders, and
delivery agents, local businesses, the VCS and most
especially your local council.
• Test it and see. Evolve a practice and the evidence to go
with it.
• Try to get outcomes frameworks embedded in all
commissioning cycles and tender developments set up by
your council.
communitymatters.org.uk

8. Your Value!
• Community Matters’ response to the challenge of helping
smaller volunteer led community groups engage with social value
• An online tool based around helping groups demonstrate the
value of their work across four key areas:
• Local Relationships
• Social Value
• Economic Value
• Environmental Value
• Produces a smart concise Final Report that relates the group’s
work to policy concerns such as community empowerment,
cohesion, worklessness, resilience, and can be shown to funders,
local council, and other stakeholders
• Endorsed by both the Charity Commission and DCLG
communitymatters.org.uk

9. To find out more:
Got to:
www.communitymatters.org.uk/yourvalue
To view the demo:
www.yourvalue.org.uk/demo
communitymatters.org.uk

10. For more information
• Community Matters Online Guidance and information
www.communitymatters.org.uk/onlineguidance
• Community Matters Free Advice Service
www.communtymatters.org.uk/support
or phone 08454 847 4253 Monday, Wednesday and Friday
mornings
• Richard Bridge – Director of Enterprise
Richard.bridge@communitymatters.org.uk
07801 507 723
communitymatters.org.uk